LOS ANGELES — Annisa Faquir occasionally finds herself forgetting that the cherished Little Red Hen Coffee Shop, founded a half century ago by her grandmother in Altadena, has turned to ashes following the Eaton Fire.
“You think you can just pop in for something, then realize it’s gone,” shared Faquir, who has been a fixture at the cafe since her mother, Barbara Shay, took the helm of the family enterprise seven years back.
Both women aspire to resurrect the diner beloved by locals for its delectable shrimp and grits, catfish offerings, and Shay’s renowned secret coffee blend. While they had anticipated needing external support, a call from Paris Hilton offering assistance came as a delightful surprise.
The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop is among 50 women-owned enterprises impacted by the Eaton Fire set to receive recovery grants, each worth up to $25,000, from Hilton’s nonprofit organization 11:11 Media Impact in partnership with GoFundMe.org.
“These women form the very fabric of their communities,” expressed Hilton in a statement. “Through this impactful collaboration, we’re helping them not just rebuild, but investing in their future, their families, and their neighborhoods.”
Faquir acknowledged the considerable grant eased the process, unlike other donors requiring arduous procedures for minor grants. “They truly saw us and understood our story,” she remarked.
In the regions afflicted by the Eaton and Palisades fires, Los Angeles County’s Economic Development Corporation reveals that over 1,800 businesses are situated there, employing 9,600 people, while generating a staggering $1.4 billion in annual sales. The county predicts substantial subsequent losses in economic output, income, and tax revenue.
“Ensuring these businesses stay operational is vital for discussing their long-term recovery,” stated Kelly LoBianco, director of L.A. County’s Department of Economic Opportunity.
Business recovery post-calamity often proves challenging. In 2023, an insurer, Hiscox, noted that three-quarters of small businesses carried inadequate insurance, with less than half possessing property insurance.
The L.A. fires saw many entrepreneurs losing their homes as well. With some still combating pandemic-induced debts, the county is dispatching approximately $20 million in emergency grants, though LoBianco asserts far more is required.
Responding to the overwhelming demand, 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe.org expanded their program to include 50 grants from the initial count of 11. The beneficiaries consist of childcare centers, bakeries, bookstores, dance studios, and salons.
“Witnessing the substantial response from women entrepreneurs needing support showed the urgency and necessity to assist this community in rebuilding,” Hilton expressed.
The fund will bolster entrepreneurs, many of whom feared the Eaton Fire marked the end of their dreams, said Lizzy Okoro Davidson, director of the Pasadena Women’s Business Center collaborating in the grant program. The support enables covering back-rent after closures, securing new premises, and replacing lost equipment. “For some, the $25,000 is the crucial stepping stone to meeting all of their needs,” stated Okoro Davidson.
Renata Ortega, owner of Orla Floral Studio, once ran her business from a renovated garage beside her home in the Altadena foothills shared with her husband and three dogs.
Post the Eaton fire’s complete devastation of her property, Ortega works from a shared location in downtown LA, offered by a fellow floral artist. While deeply appreciative, she knows an independent workspace is vital.
“I was uncertain whether we’d persevere or for how long after starting over completely, but this grant instills hope during uncertain times,” she expressed.
Ortega plans to utilize the funds to secure a deposit and rent a new studio space, while she and her husband concentrate on rebuilding. She also needs funding to replace her gallery of vases, shelving, and essential tools lost to the fire.
“It allows me to persist in a business that was once mere aspiration,” Ortega conveyed, eternally grateful to Hilton. “Now, we’re bound to make it.”
The Pasadena Women’s Business Center is another beneficiary, receiving $25,000 to offer free advisory assistance to local entrepreneurs. Okoro Davidson noted the entrepreneurs will need considerable motivation to persist.
“We are just embarking on the initial phase of the rebuilding process,” she stated, noting that “reinventing” businesses will follow. Companies that lacked websites might transition to online sales, she mentioned, or eateries could turn to food trucks while they and their clientele recover.
The financing originated largely from GoFundMe.org’s Wildfire Relief Fund, having amassed $7.7 million from 43,000 donors. Hilton, whose own Malibu residence was lost in the Palisades Fire, contributed $150,000 to the Relief Fund.
Her charity initiative, usually advocating for children’s welfare and strengthening female voices, amassed $1.2 million just a week post-fires.
Faquir stated that she and her mother envision channeling the fund into reconstructing the eatery, replenishing equipment, and acquiring the land their diner occupied for 53 years. “It’s a part of our family heritage,” Faquir declared. “It’s essential we continue what her grandmother initiated.”