Spotlight on Small Businesses: Writing a New Chapter in Dellwood's Story

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Today, we're thrilled to share an incredible story of collaboration, transformation, and community empowerment that's close to our hearts. Midwest BankCentre has doubled down on its commitment to support the working men and women in the North Region, in partnership with dedicated community leaders. Together, we’re reimagining the future of Dellwood, Missouri, through our involvement in the R&R Marketplace.

A Beacon of Hope

The R&R Marketplace, spearheaded by Pastors Ken and Beverly Jenkins, is a testament to what a community can achieve when it comes together with a shared vision. What is it, you ask? Well, it's more than just a marketplace; it's a co-location of businesses and vital services that are designed to open doors of opportunity for everyone.

Beverly Jenkins, co-founder of Refuge and Restoration, the nonprofit behind this initiative, from an article posted by KSDK, explains, "The R+R marketplace is a co-location of these incredible businesses. But then also services for the community to be able to take advantage of. So it's about having access to opportunity,"

Turning the Page

Dellwood, Missouri, was once known nationally as the epicenter of the Ferguson uprising in 2014. But today, with the unwavering support of both the local community, we're turning the page on history and creating a brighter, more hopeful future.

Ken Jenkins reflects on this transformation, saying, "These are lived experiences and so we know the families, we know the people. And so we had a pretty good pulse on what people wanted and what they were looking for in the community."

Phase One Unveiled

Recently, phase one of the R&R Marketplace was officially unveiled. It's a remarkable blend of facilities that includes a career development training center, a coworking innovation center, behavioral health and addiction care services, an early childhood education center, a restaurant, and something we're immensely proud of – a bank.

Ashley O'Neal, our Senior Vice President of Retail Banking, explains, "We've been very strategic in building relationships within the local community and listening to both our current and potential clients, so we are able to provide them what they need and what they want from a bank. By building these trusted relationships with them, we are able to develop products that will help position them on the path to prosperity."

Empowering Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

One of the most exciting aspects of our Dellwood Innovation Centre is its mission to empower small businesses and entrepreneurs. We're actively exploring innovative ways to offer small-dollar or small business administration loans in St. Louis to help these businesses thrive.

Investing in Our Community

The story wouldn't be complete without highlighting Midwest BankCentre's pivotal role in making this project a reality. We provided a significant $5.57 million in lending to R&R Marketplace through loan financing. It's a testament to our belief that investments in every community are crucial to help our entire region thrive.