Industry relief fund supports struggling restaurant workforce

The Delaware Restaurant Association Educational Foundation recently funded a second round of direct cash grants to more than 100 restaurant workers struggling from income loss and unemployment due to COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions.

The individual $365 grants were being paid out to recipients the week of Dec. 14, at a time when many are facing a loss of hours and income due to the recent bar/restaurant curfews and stay-at-home advisory issued by Gov. John Carney.

"Within the last 30 days, thousands of restaurant workers in Delaware have been forced to file for unemployment benefits due to the latest restaurant restrictions and stay-at-home advisory; however, unlike before when there was federal relief funding, now these workers are left without a job during the holidays, with no relief in sight. They make a living with their hands and cannot work from home, nor can they be offered workplace flexibility like those in state and local governments and corporate business sectors. If they do not work, thousands of workers do not earn a paycheck,” said Carrie Leishman, Delaware Restaurant Association president and CEO. “Our community has acted proactively and swiftly with donations to help those unemployed and underemployed through no fault of their own. It is inspiring to see restaurants spring to action when their neighbors need them, and we are proud to work with the community in giving back to the industry and workers we value and love.”

The foundation set up the restaurant industry emergency action trust when restaurants were first shut down during the stay-at-home order in March. By May, fewer than eight weeks after its inception, the relief fund had raised more than $290,000 and provided critical financial support to over 575 industry workers. The foundation built the restaurant relief fund with donations from individual industry supporters and grants from local private foundations and corporate partners. The Beer & Benevolence Foundation, created by Dogfish Head founders Sam and Mariah Calagione, provided initial funding, along with sales from their hand sanitizer made by the Dogfish Head Distilling Co.

The restaurant relief fund was revived in early December on Giving Tuesday, a day when many choose to support nonprofits and charities supporting local communities. The foundation launched a public campaign and reopened its donation website to accommodate the renewed interest in supporting Delaware's restaurant workers. Hundreds of individual donations, as well as large contributions from Paula Janssen of Janssen's Market and Kevin DiSabatino of DiSabatino Construction Company were made during the first week of December. A large company donation also came from Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits of Delaware, representing several nationwide wine and spirits brands, bringing the total donations to over $38,000. Individual cash grants were then issued by the fund to 104 restaurant workers.

“The hospitality community has never ceased to amaze us with their innate ability to relay a simple gesture of kindness that ultimately was the lift you didn’t even know you truly needed. Without hesitation, we knew it was now our time to pay it forward in what is now their time of need,” said Michelle Souza, director of commercial on-premise sales, Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits of Delaware.

For more information, go to delawarerestaurant.org.