Motor City Match winner opens Detroit's only quilting store
(CBS DETROIT) - A Motor City Match winner hopes to revive the art of quilting by opening Umi's Comfort, the only quilting store in the city of Detroit.
Motor City Match is a collaboration between the city of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help provide the funds to open new small-businesses in Detroit.
Umi's Comfort, the latest Motor City Match grant recipient, is a black woman-owned small business bring quilting services and classes to the city.
According to a press release from the city officials, Kecia Escoe, the founder of Umi's Comfort, "found peace in the arts...But it wasn't until she began quilting that she felt fulfilled."
Escoe decided she wanted to share her love of quilting with others and turned her passion into a career.
"I want to bring back that creativity, the history and significance of everything we do as humans so that we may slow down and appreciate the lives we live," said Escoe. "Quilting is a lost art that holds value to any and everyone involved in the process, whether that be giving, receiving, or creating one."
The small business offers handmade custom quilts, pillows, quilt cleaning and restoration, and quilting classes for children and adults. In addition to this Escoe says her business can make quilts from pieces of memorabilia.
"Umi's Comfort is a great example of a small business that is deeply rooted in the community it serves," said Mayor Mike Duggan. "We are so proud that Motor City Match has helped 141 entrepreneurs like Kecia turn their passion in their business in neighborhoods across the city."
It is located at 12200 Petoskey at the corner of Richton, near Livernois and Davison, in the Nardin Park neighborhood.
After 20 rounds of the Motor City Match program, $101.1 million in grants has been distributed for new small businesses and 141 brick-and-mortar businesses have been opened.
In addition to this, 85% of the businesses are minority-owned, 74% are women-owned, and 68% are owned by Detroit residents.
The overall goal of the program is to expand Detroit's economic development and beautify its commercial areas.
