The Department of Agriculture announced $700 million in competitive grant funding to help farmworkers and meatpacking workers with pandemic-related health and safety costs.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the new Farm and Food Workers Relief grant program, which will include setting aside $20 million of the money for at least one pilot program to support grocery workers. Farm and meat plant employees will be eligible to receive up to $600 each to assist in pandemic-related expenses that have built up.
Vilsack says the program will also be available for undocumented workers, “Frankly, the pandemic didn’t choose between documented and undocumented workers. I understand and appreciate that there are, there may very well be other legal issues that will have to be resolved, but I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to provide as much help to as many people as possible.”
Funds will be awarded through grants to state agencies, tribal entities, and non-profit organizations serving farmworkers and meatpacking workers ranging from $5,000,000 to $50,000,000. Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov.
USDA will soon announce a separate $700 million suite of pandemic safety and response grants for producers, processors, farmers markets, distributors, and seafood processors and vessels impacted by COVID-19.
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