Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday announced that $700 million in grant funding will be made available through a new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program to assist meat processing workers, farmworkers, and grocery store workers for any COVID-19-related costs.
Specifically, $20 million of the $700 million is set aside for at least one pilot program aimed at grocery store workers. The remaining $680 million will go to farmworkers and meat processing workers. Funding is provided by the FY2021 appropriations bill.
“This relief is intended to defray costs for reasonable and necessary personal, family, or living expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), dependent care, and expenses associated with quarantines and testing related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” USDA said in a press release.
The Request for Application (RFA) will be announced in early fall and will be open for 60 days. Additional information and technical assistance for applying to these grants will be provided when the application period opens.
Eligible entities must demonstrate the capacity to reimburse farmworkers and meat processing workers for up to $600 for expenses incurred during the pandemic, USDA said.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will offer technical assistance through one or more partners and webinars for applicants to help them understand the RFA once it is published. For more information, visit here.
