WAYNE COUNTY, PA — The Wayne County Community Foundation has completed its first round of Circle of Aunts and Uncles microloans in northeast PA. 

Raymond Collins, from Newfoundland, is the founder of Kaizen Snacks, a small-scale operation that produces healthy and flavorful nut and fruit snacks, a press release stated. He began his business in 2014 and it has been slowly growing ever since. When the time came to make a push for expansion, Collins applied to the NEPA Circle of Aunts and Uncles. He will be using his loan to increase the capacity of his commercial kitchen. 

For more info about Kaizen Snacks, visit kaizensnacks.com. 

Brittany Chadderdon of Newfoundland runs BC Goods & Grains, a workshop for custom signs and logos located in Hamlin. She started working out of her home, selling her products on Etsy, fulfilling online orders and participating in local artisan markets. When her business picked up, she needed to expand, and took her business from the kitchen table to her own workshop. Thanks to a loan from the NEPA Circle of Aunts and Uncles, Chadderdon will be able to develop her business even more with the purchase of a new laser cutter. Not only does she look forward to taking her business to the next level, she also looks outward, dreaming to help create and foster a better environment to create and learn in her community, according to the release. 

For more info about Chadderdon’s shop, visit bcgoodsandgrain.com. 

The NEPA Circle of Aunts and Uncles is a philanthropic community project to provide low-interest loans and social capital to under-resourced entrepreneurs who are leading new or growing local businesses. The group will co-create a more equitable, compassionate, sustainable and vibrant local economy within or affecting Wayne County. 

If you would like to support the NEPA Circle of Aunts and Uncles Fund, visit waynefoundation.org for more information.