GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Pacific Motel of Gridley and its historical sign has been a fixture in the community for over 50 years. The 15 unit hotel located south of town on Highway 99 had fallen into disrepair and had shut down when the Kanji family bought it in 2012. They saw an opportunity to revive the Gridley landmark and after renovations, celebrated their grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting in November of 2013. In effort to change the motels previous image, owner Rupesh Kanji along with his family, continue to make improvements and renovations, while providing outstanding customer service.

Last November, during the Camp Fire disaster, The Pacific Motel saw the chance to really make a difference and they did just that. The Kanji family immediately contacted their on-site management team, Jennifer and Richard Redmond, instructing them to reduce rates for evacuees by 50% and if people still didn't have the means, to give them rooms free of charge. Being a family run entity, Pacific Motel was able to cancel all reservations for the months of November and December, clearing space for Camp Fire victims so that they could have a place to call home. Jennifer went above and beyond, posting room openings online, organizing with community members and local business to provide donated hot meals for her guests, clothing, supplies, and more until just past Christmas. A senior guest displaced by the fire that has been staying at the hotel since the beginning of the disaster said that "She is our heroine," and that the generosity of the Kanji family was amazing.

Rupesh Kanji said that "from day one, we wanted to help," keeping with their motto of "giving back." To this day, they are still working with survivors and lending aid where possible. Their selfless acts of kindness have gotten them noticed too. The Pacific Motels presence on Facebook has increased, with them getting more likes. "We are a small business so it's hard for people to know who we are," and what we are about, says Kanji. "We want to give back."

In the future, the owners plan intend to work with local schools and the Gridley community, donating to programs and supporting causes whenever possible. Thank you, Pacific Motel, for being a Gridley gem.