As devastating wildfires sweep through Los Angeles, Restaurants Care, a signature program of the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF), is providing critical support to the area’s food and beverage workers affected by the fires. With an initial commitment of $100,000, Restaurants Care will open its Los Angeles Fires 2025 Relief Grants on January 14, 2025. The grants, which can total up to $1,500 per recipient, will aid individuals who lost their homes, jobs or both.

“Los Angeles is our backyard; it is our home. Restaurants Care has stood by California’s restaurant community through its most challenging times, from devastating natural disasters like the Camp, Thomas, Tubbs and Carr Fires to the pandemic, Hollywood strikes and everyday crises,” said Alycia Harshfield, President of the California Restaurant Foundation. “When our California community needs us most, we’re proud to support and uplift them with critical financial assistance to get them back on their feet. ”

Grant applications will remain available as long as funding allows. Priority will be given to workers who are ineligible for other assistance and those who have lost both their housing and place of work. Funds can be used to cover essentials like temporary shelter, food, clothing and basic necessities while fire victims begin to rebuild their lives.

“We’ve committed $100,000 to the Los Angeles Fires 2025 Relief Grants initiative, but the need is overwhelming,” added Harshfield. “With additional donations from individuals and businesses looking to support a locally based nonprofit that will put the funds directly into the Los Angeles community, we can help even more individuals who feed our communities every day.”

Since its founding in 1981, CRF has served the restaurant community. In 2017, Restaurants Care launched a vital lifeline for California’s food and beverage workers, responding to crises with compassion, critical resources and financial aid. Through the generosity of its donors, Restaurants Care has provided $1.1 million in financial assistance to more than 2,200 food and beverage workers and their families, helping them navigate everything from natural disasters to everyday emergencies.

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