This has been a year of challenges and intense hardship for the restaurant and service industry. But it’s also been a year of hope. Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE), the national non-profit organization that supports food and beverage service employees with children, has given more than one million dollars to workers in need. This is more than three times the total amount they gave in 2019.

And it’s only September.

“It’s natural for this industry to have ups and downs, but this year has been unlike any other. And we were ready,” said Sheila Bennett, Executive Director of Core.  “We couldn’t be prouder to help so many people during such a difficult time.”

And CORE vows it will continue to help. “We have a lot more money to give. These families are so vulnerable right now. Some just need a little help and that’s what we’re here for, we haven’t run out of money,” says Bennett. Whether you’ve been displaced by a hurricane or the wildfires, having medical issues, or experienced a death in the immediate family – CORE wants to help. And they can help right now.

Any restaurant employee with children in the U.S. may be eligible for support to relieve financial burdens. The grants help cover medical bills for children, gas cards, clothing, groceries, medical supplies and therapies, utilities, rent and mortgage, and other essential needs that a family might find necessary to navigate their specific circumstances.