Firefighters in California are still working to contain wildfires in the Los Angeles area. High winds have broken, helping in containment efforts. Meanwhile, many are beginning to focus on rebuilding.
Jordan Catapano, co-founder of This Girl Walks Into a Bar: Bartending, whose home and bartending business were destroyed in the Palisades Fire, joins Wealth to share her experience in the tragic aftermath.
"It was very devastating to have to close our bartending business, which we really did the same day that my home burned because that is where my home office was, as well as all of our supplies," Catapano shares.
She says filing insurance claims for both her home and business while "instantly hav[ing] to pivot to another business" to stay afloat has been "a juggling act." Catapano has applied for a loan from the Small Business Association (SBA) and is working to get her newer business, This Girl Walks Into a Bar: Mixers & Snacks, off the ground in lieu of her primary source of income.
Her family and friends are fortunately safe, but they are faced with the challenge of finding new homes amidst Los Angeles's housing crisis and skyrocketing rents. Many have reached out to the SBA and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for relief and support.