BYRON – Recently, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) awarded Sweetbean Café & Bakery a grant of $15,000 through its Community First® Accelerate Grants for Small Business program. FHLBank Chicago offers grants of up to $30,000 to eligible small businesses to advance economic opportunity in the communities it serves.
Since 2016 when Sweetbean opened, Melinda Hellyer & her family have provided a trusted family business for the small town of Byron. Many locals bring their family/friends/co-workers to Sweetbean because of the professional, knowledgeable and welcoming customer service from not only Melinda, but also from her employees. Sweetbean is dedicated to delivering the best experience for their customers by providing fresh, homemade food and coffee in a friendly environment where customers are warmly welcomed when they visit.
Not only does Sweetbean go above and beyond customers’ expectations within their café, but they also make a great impact throughout the Byron community as well. Melinda and William Hellyer make it a priority to sponsor the Byron Area Chamber of Commerce and various community organizations or festivals. Even with a busy schedule, Melinda and William make a great effort to fundraise for numerous local charities/organizations. One charity they enjoy promoting the most is the "Rockford Barbell". This charity was founded by a couple members of the local community. Rockford Barbell is a non-profit organization with the mission of improving the social and emotional well-being of youth through mindful movement and trauma informed practices. For the past three years, Sweetbean has been hosting a “Cars & Coffee” event with a car show, live music, bouncy house for kids, and a small business market. All proceeds from the event go right to the “Rockford Barbell” organization.
In 2020 Sweetbean Café & Bakery moved to their current location which now provides them a greater space for both business operations and customer service. However, as the business has grown so have the equipment needs. Melinda plans to use the grant funds to purchase a much-needed walk-in cooler to store more product and also create more service space to setup an additional espresso machine.
Through FHLBank Chicago’s member institutions, like Holcomb Bank, Accelerate Grants assist the growth and development of small businesses in Illinois and Wisconsin. All grant recipients are small businesses that make a difference in their community, and funds are intended for the following purposes:
The purchase or improvement of property, the purchase of machinery, tools or equipment; the purchase of inventory, materials, or supplies; workforce development or training; and new or upgraded technology.
“Small businesses play an integral role in local communities in driving economic growth, from creating jobs to fostering community development,” Katie Naftzger, senior vice president, community investment officer, FHLBank Chicago, said. “As a leader in the housing and community development space, FHLBank Chicago recognizes that affordable housing isn’t just about the homes themselves — it’s about ensuring entire communities have what they need to thrive, including economic opportunities for the residents and small businesses who call them home.”
The grant was sponsored by local community partner Holcomb Bank.
According to Perry W. Byers, president/CEO - Holcomb Bank, “Sweetbean Café & Bakery is a well-known name to the Byron community due to their exceptional quality of service. They show kindness and compassion not only to their customers, but to all the community businesses and members as well. They are a true representation of a small-town family business. We are proud to offer additional support for their business though the FHLBank Chicago grant program.”
For more information on Accelerate Grants and eligibility, visit www.fhlbc.com.
