#GiveTogetherNow Chicago Launches to Help Workers Impacted by COVID-19
#GiveTogetherNow Chicago Launches to Help Workers Impacted by COVID-19 Nonprofit Family Independence Initiative created the emergency cash assistance fund for impacted Chicagoans
Submitted by Rae Oglesby
(March 23, 2020) In response to economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Family Independence Initiative Chicago (FII), with support of the City of Chicago, the Illinois Cash Coalition and Chicago Independent Restaurants, has launched an emergency fund that will offer access to a one-time cash transfer to help supplement lost wages.
Their goal of the #GiveTogetherNow fund is to raise $3 million to provide money to four specific groups of people hit hardest by the pandemic: 1) hospitality workers 2) people age 60 and over with underlying conditions 3) caretakers of people 60 and over with underlying conditions and 4) people who - for fear of losing their jobs - continue to leave their homes every day to go to work.
"I am heartened to see the Family Independence Initiative lead with this bold approach to helping Chicagoans who are vital to the city's COVID-19 recovery with what they need right now - cash. As I said over a month ago when I launched my anti-poverty campaign, poverty is fundamentally about not having enough money. This is true now more than ever, especially for low-income seniors who are most at risk and the care workers tending to our families and loved ones. This effort will also showcase for government and the private sector a scalable way of getting money in people's hands as our city looks ahead," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
"We have to do something now to help the hardworking people whose livelihoods have been disrupted and who are trying to find ways to pay their bills, feed their children and keep their loved ones safe," said Jesús Gerena, CEO of FII, which launched in Chicago in partnership with the city in 2018. "We know cash transfers protect people's standards of living during crises, and during natural disasters, people receiving cash are quicker to recover their assets than those who don't. Unconditional and unrestricted cash transfers are the most responsive and impactful tools at our disposal right now. It's time to use them."
Research shows that cash transfers have a significant long-term impact on people's livelihoods and communities after an immediate crisis ends. Money injected into households can stimulate demand for goods and services in local economies, leading to quicker recovery overall.
Rick Bayless, award-winning and celebrity chef of the Frontera Group says, "The workers at my restaurants are my community and family. Chefs and restaurateurs joined together with FII to make sure that our workers have the support they need to get through. These workers are in a cash economy and need cash to navigate it."
Bayless and the newly formed Chicago Independent Restaurants have joined in a call to action to support the restaurant industry and make special considerations for those who may be left out of the federal relief funds, like undocumented workers, who are an important part of our economy.
FII - whose approach includes both financial and social capital to combat poverty - is planning similar emergency assistance funds with partners across the country. Chicago residents will be able to apply for funds beginning March 26. The cash assistance fund partners will take the lead on notifying eligible individuals.
If you would like to donate, visit fii.org/chicago.
About Family Independence Initiative:
Family Independence Initiative (FII) trusts and invests directly in people living with low-incomes so they can work individually and collectively to achieve prosperity. Our innovative technology platform, UpTogether, is designed for the exchange of financial and social capital. UpTogether allows people living in poverty to access unrestricted cash transfers and connect with other families to help one another accomplish their financial and personal goals.
About Chicago Independent Restaurants
We are a group of chefs who independently operate restaurants in Chicago. We have joined together to advise one another and strategize ways to support our businesses, workers, and community.