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Small business helping others in Minneapolis

A true example of community. One small business doing what it can to help others in the neighborhood.

MINNEAPOLIS — We've heard plenty of stories of people trying to help small businesses in their time of need.

But here's a twist: a small business doing its part to help small businesses in their own neighborhood, all while keeping you healthy.

“We knew that especially in this time people's fitness is important, their mental health and their physical health, it ties in together, right?" said Jason Loesch with Hell Bent Fitness in Southwest Minneapolis

When the gyms shut down, Jason and his wife Jill jumped into action to keep their members connected.

They started live streaming workouts three times a day.

“They're still getting the quality level of service that give and I'm like right in their living room with them,” Jason said.

Most of their members have stayed, so they've been able to keep the lights on, as it were, and pay their instructors, so next step, help other local business that haven't been so lucky.

"We get donations to offer our service, and we can take those donations to buy gift cards to those other businesses, and hand them back out to the people that are participating in the program,” Jason explained.

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Here's how it works: You go online and offer a donation of your choosing. it's a $10 minimum, but at the end, you actually get that money back, just in a different way.

“With that, they get 21 days of access to our live streaming videos, we have a coaching app that we use that has the program built out specifically for this time." "Some mental and physical things that they get pushed out to them daily, we have a private Facebook group for extra tips and connections and ways to keep the community together,” said Jill Loesch.

“If they say donated $100, then they will get $100 back in gift cards for the businesses that we are supporting at the end of their 21-day program,” she said.

So far, Hellbent has identified six small business in their neighborhood that they plan to help. They are Sunstreet Breads, Tap Society, Hola Arepa, Five Watt Coffee, Petite Salon and Sift Gluten Free Bakery.

"We really have a lofty goal. We'd like to hit 20-thousand dollars. We think that's doable, and if it's more, then that's great. We want to make a really sizable contribution to these businesses," Jill said.

If you’d like to join, you can sign up here.

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