Shawnee & Co.
People
Shawnee State Park, in Bedford County’s high country, draws boaters, bikers, swimmers and campers from all over. Since The Progress Fund helped Peggy Wirfel and Michele Glessner expand Shawnee Specialties, neighboring Schellsburg has had not just a quality grocery store, but a premier farmer’s market that serves both locals and many of those visitors. What about the traveler, though, who wants to shop for more than food, or doesn’t care to cook?
Progress
Looking to capture the business of exactly that kind of traveler, Ms. Wirfel and Ms. Glessner decided to expand on to two neighboring lots totaling 36,000 square feet. They remembered the $66,000 loan from The Progress Fund that backed their earlier growth, and picked up the phone. This time, The Progress Fund loaned $30,000 to cover the land purchase.
Impact
So how does this sound: a day on the lake, followed by sandwiches and soups in a cozy, indoor setting, and shopping for homemade gift baskets, candles, candies, jams, baked goods and more? That’s what’s on the horizon for visitors to the Shawnee area, thanks to two women with vision, and two expressions of confidence from The Progress Fund.
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