Fundraising Continues as New COVID-19 Applications Pause
USBG NATIONAL CHARITY FOUNDATION PAUSES ACCEPTANCE OF NEW COVID-19 GRANT APPLICATIONS, CONTINUES FUNDRAISING AS NEED REMAINS.
HENDERSON, NV (JUNE 16, 2020) - Last week the USBG National Charity Foundation announced that it would pause acceptance of new applications for grants under its Bartender Emergency Assistance Program COVID-19 Relief Campaign. Today, the USBG Foundation confirms that it has approved nearly 30,000 grants and that fundraising for the program will continue in an effort to assist the more than 32,000 additional eligible applicants currently in the grant portal.
“We’ve always said we’d disburse as many meaningful grants as we could until the money runs out. The reality is we’re drawing ever closer to that point, but there are still so many people who need assistance,” said Kim Haasarud, USBG National Charity Foundation volunteer board member.
While bars and restaurants across the country have begun opening to varying degrees, the need in the bartending community for financial assistance remains high. In Texas, for example, bars are able to open at seventy-five percent capacity - though that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be seventy-five percent full. New York City bars can offer delivery and take-away cocktails, but the city is still weeks away from reopening under official guidelines. Bars in Los Angeles are still closed, but surrounding areas including Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties are wide open. In each case, bartenders are left with either significantly reduced hours or no hours at all.
Haasarud continued, “We’re in a delicate place right now with bars and restaurants reopening at different rates and to varying degrees depending on where you are in the country. Our immediate priority is to aggressively fundraise in order to help as many of the eligible bartenders currently in our portal as possible.”
If you are interested in helping us fund our remaining 32,000 grants, please reach out to the USBG Foundation HERE.
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What is the purpose of the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program?
BEAP was created in 2015 and has since operated continuously to assist qualified bartenders, bar backs, and bar servers who are in need of financial assistance as a result of a catastrophic event or an emergency hardship. The USBG National Charity Foundation adheres to a strict set of procedures in order to ensure that recipients are selected on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis.
What is the USBG National Charity Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Campaign?
Via the campaign, modest, yet meaningful emergency grants of $150-500 drawn from generous donations will be allocated to as many eligible applicants as possible so as to be as impactful as possible. It’s important to be clear that these emergency grants are intended to supplement federal relief programs that are designed to help with larger, sustained expenses.
Statistics as of June 16:
Total grants approved: 29,981
Total donors: 4,600
Total $ committed: $9 million
Total volunteers: 500
Total volunteer hours: 11,000
Link to donors and supporters to date: HERE
More information on the USBG National Charity Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Campaign can be found HERE.
Follow updates through USBG National Charity Foundation social media channels: IG/FB/TWITTER: @usbgncf/@USBGNCF/@USBGNCF
Tune into the USBG National Charity Foundation’s weekly Instagram Live briefing @usbgncf on Thursday, June 18 at noon Pacific/3 p.m. Eastern.
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About the USBG National Charity Foundation
The USBG National Charity Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, advances the lifelong stability and well-being of service industry professionals through education and charitable activities. The USBG Foundation accomplishes this mission through programming that focuses on social responsibility, community service, and philanthropy. The USBG Foundation was formed in 2012 to expand the charitable impact of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) community. You can learn more about the USBG Foundation at www.usbgfoundation.org.
About the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
The purpose of the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program is to assist those in the bar industry who are in need of assistance as a result of a catastrophic event or an emergency hardship. Fire, weather, medical, national crisis, or a family emergency, the BEAP is here to assist bartenders in their time of need. Our goal is to assist as many qualified industry members as possible each and every year. We are striving to ensure that the BEAP is sustained as a safety net for those in the industry who need it most. Our hope is that you will support us to "help us serve those who serve us.” Read more about the BEAP at www.usbgfoundation.org/beap.
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Media inquiries:
Colin Baugh
Emblem Public Relations
323-219-3427
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