Along with top chefs such as Vancouver’s Vikram Vij and Montreal’s Dan Geltner, Victor Barry has launched the Canadian Hospitality Worker Relief Fund (CHWRF) to support restaurant and hospitality industry workers who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.
The fund will provide one-time $500 grants to cooks, servers, dishwashers, bartenders, delivery people and others who are in urgent need of items such as groceries, medication and other health products but don’t have the financial means to purchase these items.
“The hospitality community is my extended family,” said Barry, who owns Piano Piano and Café Cancan in Toronto. “Since I was 11 years old, I’ve had the privilege of working side-by-side with the exceptional people who make, serve and deliver your food. And now more than ever these hardworking people need our help, which is why I’m proud to support the Canadian Hospitality Worker Relief Fund initiative.”
The fund will be administered by the Design Exchange registered charity and industry workers can begin submitting their applications on Wednesday, May 6.
The fund was made possible by its founding partners — which include Uber Eats, Garland and Welbilt Canada — who have pledged more than $1 million.
“The restaurant industry has rallied around this health crisis to feed Canadians and help keep our country safe,” said Lola Kassim, general manager of Uber Eats Canada. “We welcome the opportunity to be a founding partner of the Canadian Hospitality Worker Relief Fund, and the contributions it will make to impacted workers, including delivery people.”
Workers who hope to receive the $500 grant must meet certain eligibility criteria which includes being over the age of 18, having worked in the industry for at least 90 days in the past year, and having experienced a decrease in wages or loss of job on or after March 10. Full eligibility criteria can be found at chwrf.ca.
Several other initiatives have launched since the onset of the pandemic to help restaurants and hospitality workers such as #TakeoutDay, SaveHospitalityCA and an initiative in the U.S. called Werbig who is calling out insurance companies for not helping restaurants in this time.