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Washington, D.C. and its suburbs are some of the last areas in the country still under stay-at-home orders. Officials in Montgomery County, Md., and Northern Virginia have said re-opening of nonessential businesses may finally begin at the end of this week. In Silver Spring, Md., photographer Lisa Helfert started capturing the responses of small business owners in the Longbranch neighborhood. She has been sharing the photographs on her personal social media -- and was thrilled when her neighbors responded by shopping and eating. “I want my community to stay intact, and in order for that to happen, these businesses have to be there,” she said.
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When the pandemic started, Ana Rivera, the owner of El Gavilan, woke up some mornings wondering, “Is this really happening?” She cut her employees’ hours, adjusted her supply chain, created a carry out menu and pick up station, filled out grant applications, and cleaned, cleaned, and cleaned again. With 60% of her business gone, she hopes to increase carry out orders with increased social media marketing. She put her desk in the middle of the empty dining area. She keeps her spirits up by joking about the new large dance floor.
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Juan Carlos from El Arbol Del Pan, a Salvadoran Panadería, sells primarily to restaurants. Consequently, his sales are down considerably. Meanwhile, his local customers still are afraid to leave their houses. Mornings used to buzz with activity as customers grabbed coffee and a sandwich on the way to work. “Now they are no longer coming,” he says. He has removed all dine in tables and replaced them with a taped-off pathway so customers can keep their physical distance, when and if they do come in.
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Ocean City Seafood owner Nicholas spent the last 12 years building a large network of local ocean-going fishing boats that provide fishing seafood options to his storefront and to local restaurants. He is thankful the local community is still supporting day-to-day operations but has lost about 70% of sales to restaurants. Early this year, Nicholas, who prefers to go by his first name alone, discovered a rare female calico lobster, a one-in-30 million find. He handed her over to the Baltimore Aquarium.
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When COVID-19 shut down Edelsa Barrios’s tailor shop, Flower’s Designs, she went home and thought “What do I do?” She hand sewed masks and posted them for sale on community lists. With no storefront, she sold the masks through a money wiring business housed within her building. Barrio was recently awarded a $7,500 grant for manufacturing face masks from the Montgomery County Council. She will use the money to purchase bulk fabric and other supplies.
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When COVID-19 shut down Edelsa Barrios’s tailor shop, Flower’s Designs, she went home and thought “What do I do?” She hand sewed masks and posted them for sale on community lists. With no storefront, she sold the masks through a money wiring business housed within her building. Barrio was recently awarded a $7,500 grant for manufacturing face masks from the Montgomery County Council. She will use the money to purchase bulk fabric and other supplies.
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When Montgomery County required that shoppers wear masks, Helen Kim, the owner of Reliable Cleaners, created masks for the community at no cost, with a little advertising on each mask. She said “one mask is not enough, that is not safe.” Since her clients are working from home, Reliable Cleaner’s business is down by more than 75%. “We are waiting for people to return,” she says.
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With few cars on the road during quarantine, Raul’s Castro’s Quality Auto Care and Body shop has seen a 50% drop in business. But he is surviving. “If I did just one thing, I would have no business,” he says. People stop for repairs on their cars, but since customers rarely get into accidents, he has had no work for his body shop.
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When Maryland’s governor announced the stay-at-home order, Ada Villatoro, the owner of El Golfo, “thought that we were going down.” To her surprise customers offered support with cash, personal checks and even pushed for the county to allow carry-out alcoholic drinks. “They missed the margaritas,” she jokes. Then a nonprofit, Silver Spring Cares, raised money to pay local restaurants to make and distribute meals for families in need. Villatora went from not sleeping one week to the following week, bringing back her staff. “Everyone wants us to survive,” she says.
Washington, D.C. and its suburbs are some of the last areas in the country still under stay-at-home orders.
Officials in Montgomery County, Md., and Northern Virginia have said re-opening of nonessential businesses may finally begin at the end of this week.
In Silver Spring, Md., photographer Lisa Helfert started capturing the responses of small business owners in the Longbranch neighborhood at the early stages of the pandemic, and has stayed in touch as the months went on.
She has been sharing the photographs on her personal social media — and was thrilled when her neighbors responded by shopping at the local establishments. “I want my community to stay intact, and in order for that to happen, these businesses have to be there,” she said.
This story and others on Times of E are made possible by a sponsorship from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that provides access to opportunities that help people achieve financial stability, upward mobility, and economic prosperity – regardless of race, gender, or geography. The Kansas City, Mo.-based foundation uses its grantmaking, research, programs, and initiatives to support the start and growth of new businesses, a more prepared workforce, and stronger communities. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect with www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn.
