Relief Efforts for Hospitality Employees Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The California wine community’s concern for the health and welfare of its employees and communities extends to its partners in the food and beverage business and is bringing out the best in our vintners and growers. Wine Institute has compiled a list of state and national relief efforts that are supporting hospitality workers who have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. If you are able to help, please consider donating to relief for the food and beverage industry which employs 16% of the U.S. workforce. Thank you! 

Restaurants Care is an established program of the California Restaurant Association Foundation (CRAF), a 501(c)(3) providing emergency assistance to employees working in restaurants, foodservice and hospitality. Grants are evaluated to help the most vulnerable affected by COVID-19 and cover needs such as food, gas, utilities and rent. 

Restaurant Workers Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has created a restaurant workers’ COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund. The fund helps individual workers facing economic hardships or health crises because of COVID-19 and provides no-interest loans to small businesses to assist in re-opening once the crisis is over. 

Emergency Fund for U.S. Sommeliers assists professional sommeliers who find themselves jobless and without income because of enforced COVID-19 restaurant closures. 

United States Bartenders’ Guild National Charity Foundation, a 501(3)(6) nonprofit, provides emergency assistance grants to bartenders and their families. Applicants do not need to be a USBG member. Donations can be made to the COVID-19 Bartenders Emergency Assistance Program. 

Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund has been launched by the James Beard Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, to provide micro-grants to independent food and beverage businesses in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund accepts donations of all sizes with a $50,000 limit and will be gathering support from corporate, foundation and individual donors. 

CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees is dedicated to serving food and beverage service employees with children, who are faced with life-altering circumstances and in need of help. CORE will provide support to food and beverage service employees with children who have been medically diagnosed with COVID-19.

The many charitable efforts and organizations assisting local communities during this crisis are too numerous to list and we encourage and applaud your support to these groups.