Millie’s House receives $15,000 Morris County small business grant

MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County) – Millie’s House, a popular Montville Township daycare, received a $15,000 Morris County Small Business Grant Program check Thursday from Morris County Commissioner Tom Mastrangelo and U.S Rep. Mikie Sherrill.

“This is such a huge deal for us. For a small business, $15,000 can be the difference between making payroll or not, and keeping our doors open. We struggled through the pandemic. It has been very challenging because we were just hitting a five year mark in our location when it hit, and a lot of sacrifices had to be made. I am just so happy, so grateful,” said Millie Enriquez, owner and operator of the center.

Joining the visit yesterday were Montville Committee Member June Witty, Township Administrator June Hercek, Township Clerk Stacy Sullivan-Gruca and Don Dedio, an administrative assistant in the township. Millie and her husband, Hector, encouraged other businesses to apply for the grant program, which will stop accepting applications on Sept. 30.

“I’m surprised there is still money left and that other businesses have not applied. I understand it. They may not want to go through the application process, but – hey – it is $15,000. To a small business owner, it may as well be $1 million. I’m just so happy, really, and very grateful,” Millie said.

The Morris County Commissioners launched the program on Valentine’s Day with a kick-off in Dover, where the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, the Morris County Economic Development Corp., U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and many other state and local officials joined with small business owners to promote the grants. The Commissioners dedicated $10 million, and designed the grants to assist small businesses and nonprofits with pandemic related expenses incurred after March 3, 2021, including rent and mortgages payments.

“So far, about 650 small businesses have been approved for grants. We have $1.1 million left, but this program will end Sept. 30, so people need to apply,” Mastrangelo said. “As a small business owner, myself, I think the program has been important and I think it has been a great success, from both the government’s standpoint and the businesses’ standpoint. We’ve seen many start-up companies and businesses come into Morris County, and we want to keep them here.”

“We know it is people on the ground like our commissioners who understand best on how to get the money out.  So this is just a wonderful example of how broad federal programs combined with people on the ground who understand the direct needs of the district can be so powerful,” Sherrill said.

The Morris County Small Business Grant Program has been is a unique use of federal funds issued to the county through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was designed to offer pandemic-related aid. A provision in the act introduced by U.S. Rep Sherrill insured it included direct aid to New Jersey’s counties and municipalities, after Morris County and 11 other New Jersey counties failed to receive any portion of $1.1 billion in federal CARES Act funds issued to New Jersey in 2020. There is no cost to apply.

The Morris County Chamber of Commerce and Morris County Economic Development Corporation are hosting a free and virtual networking event to learn more about the Morris County Small Business Grant program and how to apply.

It will be held Aug. 31, Wednesday, at 10:00 a.m., and to register, click here.

If you have questions about the event, email mcedc@morriscountyedc.org or call 973-539-8270.