Struggling restaurant workers in Los Angeles have until Friday at midnight to apply for a one-time $800 stipend from the city.
The Secure Emergency Relief for Vulnerable Employees (SERVE) program will offer aid to 4,000 food service workers like waiters and those who work the kitchens.
To be eligible, applicants must be at least 18 years of age, must reside in the City of Los Angeles, and must have had an annual 2019 income of $58,450 or less plus an income reduction of at least 50% at a food service establishment as a result of the pandemic. Restaurant owners are not eligible for this stipend.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to workers — and few have been more affected than the servers, wait staff, cooks, and others who fuel our food sector,” the website reads. “Recent protocols put in place by the L.A. County Department of Public Health suspending outdoor dining at restaurants (along with breweries, wineries, and bars) leaves many food service workers in need of immediate aid and support…
This program will provide much needed additional financial support to some of the workers who have been most deeply impacted by the pandemic.”