COVID-19 Relief Opportunities for Restaurant Employees

COVID-19 Relief Opportunities for Restaurant Employees COVID-19 Relief Opportunities for Restaurant Employees

According to the National Restaurant Association, more than 8 million restaurant employees have been laid off or furloughed since the coronavirus pandemic reached the U.S. To combat this large surge in unemployment, the federal government and states have been working around the clock to create and update programs to ensure your employees will continue to receive the income they need to provide for their families. But as the unemployment queues continue to grow and backup from the lack of resources to process the claims, your employees may need additional assistance to get by and you may too. Here are some COIVD-19 relief initiatives that were curated for the displaced restaurant employees that you can relay to your employees.

Restaurant Workers Relief Program

The LEE Initiative saw an immediate need to help the restaurant workers across the U.S that were impacted by the sudden restaurant closures, so they quickly got to work to create the Restaurant Workers Relief Program. This program ensures that restaurant workers have a meal to take home each day. To do this, they have asked for restaurants across the U.S to turn into relief centers to make meals for the workers in their area that are in need of food and supplies. Since their inception in early March, they have expanded to 19 cities and are providing meals 7 days a week to restaurant workers that need assistance. So far they have served over 100,000 meals. Take a look to see if there is a relief center in your area so you can let your employees know about this great service available to them.

Restaurant Employee Relief Fund

The Restaurant Employee Relief Fund was created by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to provide grants to restaurant industry employees who have been impacted by COVID-19. Workers who are approved can receive a one-time grant of $500.

Bartender Emergency Assistance Program

The USBG National Charity Foundation has created the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program to assist bartenders or their direct family members that have endured hardship and have lack of necessities. Currently, the grant will payout an award of $150 – $500 depending on the applicant’s status.

State-By-State Assistance

The United States Bartenders’ Guild has created a great state-by-state resource guide for restaurant workers. Many states are providing special assistance for food, rent, utilities, medical, and other assistance measures on top of unemployment. Locate your state and share these great options with your employees.

One Fair Wage Emergency Fund

One Fair Wage has created an emergency fund to provide assistance to restaurant workers that are facing unprecedented economic hardship from the coronavirus crisis. To be eligible, applicants must sign up with One Fair Wage and participate in a confirmation interview. To start, approved applicants will receive $213.00. They are continuing to raise money for this cause and hopeful to increase payouts to continue to provide for this sector of employees.

Children of Restaurant Employees

CORE is a national nonprofit organization that is dedicated to granting support to food and beverage service employees with children. Your employees can apply for financial assistance any time, not just during the COVID-19 pandemic to receive assistance when needed.

Restaurant Workers COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund

The Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation has created the Restaurant Workers COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund to assistance restaurant workers. Applications are being accepted by Southern Smoke, a nonprofit 501c3  charitable foundation. This fund has raised over $4 million since they launched and will be approving 50 % of funds to give to individual restaurant workers, 25% for nonprofit organizations serving restaurant workers in crisis and 25% for zero-interest loans for restaurants to get back up and running.

We know so many people need help right now and it so great to see companies, organizations, and the public pulling together to help the restaurant industry pull through. Keep fighting for your restaurant and your workers, utilize the help that is available, and help get the word out to your employees about the aid that is available to them. You owe it to yourself and your workers to keep going and push through this by sharing these COVID-19 relief opportunities for restaurant employees.

If your restaurant needs assistance during this time, we’re still open and lending to restaurants. Let us know how we can help your restaurant survive and thrive. Our local loan consultants are available to discuss your situation and find the best solution to meet your needs.