“When I first heard I didn’t have a job I was so scared. Then I got the message from Hot Bread Kitchen [about the emergency stipend], and I thought wow, I have someone to help me, I know I have someone behind me.”
—Hot Bread Kitchen Alumna, laid off March 20
This week we’re sharing the impact of your support so far, what’s next for our emergency relief effort, and how you can continue to be part of this critical work.
OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT THIS WEEK
While we applaud the passing of the CARES Act, many food workers and small business owners will face a critical time gap before receiving support from the federal government. As you know from the rising reported unemployment claims, our systems are inundated and many people we serve are still waiting to complete their application; for every new claim processed, there is another person waiting to get through.
Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, this week we disbursed $36,550 to 79 women in the food industry as emergency stipends. Next week we will be disbursing our first grants to food businesses as they face severe delays in access to federal funding. These crisis intervention stipends will be used for food, rent/utilities, covering payroll, and essential household needs that will help close the gap between lost wages and access to benefits.
WHAT’S NEXT
- Members of Hot Bread Kitchen’s Incubator Kitchen are working with the hospital community to provide the city’s healthcare workers with essential meals. In our “Voices from the Field” series, we will share more about how small businesses are supporting the frontlines and what you can do to help in the coming weeks.
- We will continue to provide stipends for our workforce alumni and small businesses that face a gap in income and long wait times to access unemployment benefits.
- We will partner with more organizations to expand our relief efforts to more members of the food community in need.
This relief effort is a marathon, not a sprint. Support us with a recurring donation as we continue to evolve our responsive emergency relief.
We are so heartened by your support for our alumni and the broader food industry as we have mobilized our emergency relief efforts over the last few weeks. Even in crisis—even as we continue to stay home and practice physical distancing—we have come together as a community, as New Yorkers, and citizens of the world to support one another, especially our neighbors in need.
Warmly,
Shaolee Sen and the Hot Bread Kitchen Team
Information about COVID-19
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization
New York State Department of Health
