The Red Letter Grant continues to “even the playing field” by providing financial assistance to local women-owned businesses across the Chippewa Valley. The Red Letter Grant is a women-led charitable organization with a mission to build leadership, mentorship, and networks for women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, according to founder Rebecca Cooke. On Nov. 6, the Red Letter Grant held a virtual award ceremony for its annual grant recipients. The organization awarded $2,000 grants to The Burrow and Our Dwelling Place – both local businesses in Wisconsin. To learn more about the Red Letter Grant program, visit redlettergrant.org.

The Burrows

The Burrows is a six-bedroom, one-level home that provides shared living spaces for seniors in rural areas. Applicant Joye Eichten’s goal is to offer an alternative housing option for aging residents in Granton in Clark County. Eichten will use the grant to offset the cost of new siding and windows for the home.

Our Dwelling Space

Our Dwelling Space, owned and led by Lydia Bethmann, is a community sober house that fosters routine, structure, and community for individuals in recovery from alcoholism and drug addictions. Bethmann shares her own recovery experience through Our Dwelling Space, and wants to create a space for people – women especially – to heal and find empathy in terms of their addiction, as she once did. She plans to purchase mattresses and medication lockboxes with the grant funds.