If you or someone you know are among the bartenders, servers and front of house staff that have been impacted by the lockdown imposed on the hospitality industry, applications are currently being accepted at the Bartenders Benevolent Fund.
Funds come in grants of $100, $250 or $500 which are given based on whether or not criteria is met—proof of employment, detailing the reasons why you need funds, why they would be useful, if you're receiving any cash from elsewhere—but downtrodden members of the industry are far from unfamiliar with filling out a form or two. To date, the organization has dispersed $37,500 during the COVID-19 crisis alone.
It comes at a time when there is no clear plan in provinces like Quebec for when hospitality businesses, especially bars, are expected to open. That leaves a lot of bartenders, servers and front of house staff who are dependent on tips—money which generally overshadows their hourly wages—waiting to know when they can go back to work for far too long, and whether or not a reopening of businesses could even mean stable employment.
The organization has been providing support for industry workers facing serious financial hardship long before bars were forced to close their doors mid-March this year. Since 2013, the non-profit awards individuals with payments being made anonymously by professionals, and it's never been more important than now that people can apply.
On April 29th, the fund received a large cash injection from Beam Suntory—a collection of brands that includes the likes of Jim Beam, Suntory Whisky, Maker's Mark and more—numbering in at $50,000. That's been coupled with Beam Suntory's launch of the First Shift Meals program that will provide meals to out-of-work front of house staff through the company's bar and restaurant partners; however, there's little news on how to get your hands on a hot meal beyond the company's press release about its donation at this time.
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