CHICO — Another retail branch of the nonprofit Little Red Hen opened in downtown Chico on Wednesday, offering merchandise for the home.
The Little Red Hen Home offers items from pillows and candles to small pieces of furniture and decor at 204 Main St.
“This sixth retail store centers around the home,” according to the nonprofit’s financial officer, Fran Halimi, of Chico. “It centers around the home and the kitchen. There are kitchen items, home-related items like pillows, rugs, lots of kitchen items like cookware, dishes, spices, candles.”
The store gives another opportunity for the nonprofit to raise money through retail sales while helping adults and children with developmental disabilities. In some cases, the adults find jobs at the various stores the nonprofit operates. They learn and are paid for their skills, according to Halimi, who’s been with the 20-year-old nonprofit from the start.
Halimi said the building owner had asked the nonprofit if it would like to relocate one of its existing operations to the East Second and Main streets location that was formerly occupied by Zucchini and Vine.
“We were happy in all of our locations and spots, and we thought maybe it would be nice to open something new,” Halimi said Wednesday.
The nonprofit — Little Red Hen Nursery Inc. — rents from the building owner at 215 Main St., where its vintage store operates.
Halimi said the nonprofit hires around 175 adults with development disabilities, and teaches them job and social skills while paying them minimum wage and higher. Working or learning helps them gain confidence and feel good about themselves, Halimi said.
According to the website, disabilities range from autism and cerebral palsy, to Down syndrome and other cognitive disabilities.
Through its children’s program, Little Red Hen serves up to 100 young children with autism with one-on-one play therapy, Halimi said.
Clients — who are called staff — come from throughout Butte and Glenn counties, Halimi said.
The “instructors,” who teach the staff, are affiliated with the Far Northern Regional Center, she said.
Executive Director Teresa Wolk Hayes, who has an autistic child, founded the nonprofit 20 years ago, Halimi said.
Other branches of the nonprofit include the vintage shop (new and used items) at 215 Main St.; the nursery at West Eighth and Wall streets; the gift shop, 897 E. 20th St.; and the kitchen and flower stores, both at 959 East Ave.
It also has a website www.littleredhen.org and Facebook presence.
Halimi said money raised helps fund the nonprofit’s services and operations.