Fort Worth worker distributes grants to help artists, businesses struggling amid COVID
When the coronavirus pandemic caused closures across the state, many artists and business owners were left wondering where their next paycheck would come from. Megan Henderson of Near Southside Inc. wasn’t going to sit and wait. She took action.
Every day since April, Henderson has worked around the clock to process and distribute grants worth $250 to artists and business owners in the Near Southside neighborhood who have struggled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
An initial $15,000 gift from Marilyn and Marty Englander, owners of Kent & Co. Wines, made the fund possible, Henderson said. From there, they raised $140,000 with the help of musicians Leon Bridges and Abraham Alexander, who hosted a virtual concert for donations.
Henderson, director of events and communication at Near Southside Inc., spearheaded the neighborhood organization’s Southside Culinary Arts Retail Entertainment and Service Fund, which is intended to help the Southside’s creatives.
“There’s a lot of work involved with this, but it’s really the greatest honor of my life to have this ability to help the community,” Henderson said.
Jennifer Henderson, who owns a business in the Southside, nominated Megan Henderson for recognition in the Star-Telegram’s Hometown Heroes series.
Hometown Heroes is sponsored by Lockheed Martin, which is providing $1,000 each to the 28 people selected by the Star-Telegram to be featured in the weekly series.
Near Southside Inc. has distributed 500 grants.
Megan Henderson describes her people as the “Near Southside tribe.” Ever since the pandemic started, she knew that the neighborhood’s businesses would suffer. For her, it was even more personal because she knows the people who own and help operate businesses. It was imperative that she also establish a fund that would not only help owners, head chefs or musicians, but also the ones behind the scenes, like the dishwasher or the person who sets up the stage.
“We are part of this tribe of people who care about each other,” she said. “It’s in the DNA of who we are.”
Marty Englander said he met Henderson about a year ago when he moved into the neighborhood, but when he spoke to her for the first time, it felt like he had known her for years.
Fort Worth musician Andy Pickett has known Henderson for about 10 years. He said this isn’t the first time Henderson has shown support for the creative community.
Pickett said he has always look toward Henderson for support. When they met about 10 years ago, Pickett was just starting his music career. Henderson pulled him aside and told him to keep pursuing his dream.
“She’s just so supportive and selfless in what she does,” he said.
Pickett said the grant money he received helped him stay afloat during uncertain times. He’s thankful artists in the community have someone like Henderson in their corner.
In Fort Worth, the live music scene is a driving force in the city’s culture, so the fund is a way to make sure artists can be helped, Pickett said.
In the Southside neighborhood there isn’t a piece of art or a museum that definitively defines the community. Instead, businesses and creatives provide that culture and define the community, Henderson said. It was important to make sure those people were being supported.
They took extra time to make sure they included everyone in their grant, such as the Uber drivers who made a lot of their money driving people in and out of the Southside during the weekend.
For Henderson, her community is built from the bottom up, which she takes pride in. Everyone knows just how important each role is in the city’s businesses.
“The most important thing we can protect are the people who are the experience that everybody loves so much,” she said.
To nominate a hometown hero
To nominate someone to be featured in the Hometown Heroes series, go to star-telegram.com/nominate.
This story was originally published July 19, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
