Restaurants Care
Serving. Supporting. Caring.Your donations provide direct relief to restaurant workers facing an unforeseen hardship.
supporting neighborhood restaurants
The Grateful Table Dine Out
This November, we’re asking you to support your neighborhood restaurants and show gratitude for the restaurant workers. It’s that simple! By dining out, you’ll be helping restaurants and restaurant workers going into the holiday season. They’ve always been there for us. Let’s show up for them.
Restaurants operators! We have free downloadable assets and tools for you. Participation is free and simple.
mobilizing quickly
Restaurants Care’s COVID-19 Response
Since March, we have been humbled by the need of those in our restaurant community. While we’re not out of the woods yet, we’ve made a meaningful impact. Because of our community’s generosity, we have been able to provide grants to over 1,100 restaurant workers and their families (and counting!). Donations paid for groceries, rent, utility bill payments, and other critical necessities. Together we’ve kept families together and fridges full.
Please note, while our application is still live for COVID-19 related relief grants, our funding for these specific requests has tapered. We are still accepting applications and will review them when and if additional monies are received.
Due to our current resources and in an effort to help our most vulnerable, Restaurants Care grants are evaluated in the following order of priority for restaurant workers who are:
(1) Diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19), or a caregiver for an immediate family member who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, or quarantined with a doctor’s note
(2) Restaurant closed and out of work 3 weeks or more and no unemployment benefits
All grant applications are accepted on-line only. I’m sorry we cannot take phone call applications. Thank you for your understanding.
we need you
Help Us Rebuild
We mobilized quickly to provide all available resources to cooks, servers, dishwashers and more as the pandemic grew. Help us rebuild the fund so we can say “yes” when we receive a request for help.
Restaurants Care is an established emergency assistance fund for California restaurant workers year-round. We help people stay afloat during chemo, natural disasters, death in the family, and yes – a global pandemic too.
We need your help to rebuild the fund. Please donate so we can provide a critical safety-net for those in our community.
Contact Alycia Harshfield at aharshfield@calrest.org to get involved.
join the movement
#OurFoodFamily
“I’m a chef and restaurant operator. In 2017 when fires devastated wine country I teamed up with Restaurants Care® to help. They are on the frontlines helping to preserve our California food culture by helping the workers at the heart of our food family. By coming together in this crisis, we can serve hope to those suffering and get through this.”
– Tyler Florence
#OurFoodFamily
Your Impact
Groceries
$50
Childcare
$350
Housing
$500
thank you to our food family donors
Relief Champions
serving hope
Testimonials
making a difference
Get Involved
Takeout + Donate
Simply add a donate button to your takeout and online ordering allowing your guests to provide financial support to restaurant employees impacted by COVID through Restaurants Care. Contact Alycia at aharshfield@calrest.org.
Additional Resources
Download the Additional Resources PDF for more information about available services.
Host an Event
Make an impact! Host an event at your restaurant, business or home to support Restaurants Care.
Download a Poster
Hang this poster in your kitchen or Back Of House to let your employees know about this new resource!
COVID-19 Grants
Restaurants Care has funds available for restaurant workers affected by the recent COVID-19 epidemic.
The Grateful Table
This November, we’re asking you to support your neighborhood restaurants and show gratitude for the restaurant workers. Dine out to help out!
newest partner
Equator Coffees + Chef Tyler Florence
our restaurant community
Wolf It Down Collection
Equator Coffee has partnered with Chef Tyler Florence to bring you a pair of delicious coffees with a purpose. For each bag sold, $3 will go to Restaurants Care to provide financial support to restaurant employees facing an unforeseen hardship.
Wolf It Down Blend
A rich and smooth, highlighting a deep-toned coffee from small garden farms in the Lake Toba region of Sumatra, which offer nuances of sweet grapefruit and aromatic wood.
Wolf It Down Espresso
With flavors of fruit, dark chocolate and spice the result in an espresso sweet enough to taste great on its own, while maintaining enough richness and intensity to stand up to milk.
To learn more about our partnerships, contact Bobbi Cichowski at bCichowski@calrest.org
let's get together (virtually)
Wellness Webinars
WEBINAR: Awareness and Support for Substance Use + Suicide Prevention
September 11, 2020
This presentation will seek to shed light on why substance use and suicide prevention efforts matter for owners and management, as well as what they can do to create a culture of support. Restaurant owners and managers will walk away with tangible strategies and tools to support their employees.
WEBINAR: Maxed Out! Managing Stress for You, Your Guests, and Staff
July 01, 2020
Learn practical stress management strategies and how to create an emotionally safe environment for you, your staff and your guests. This webinar is focused on wellness needs for the foodservice community.
WEBINAR: Managing Financial Anxiety During a Pandemic
August 24, 2020
These are scary and unpredictable times. Many of you have had to make tough decisions and worrying about how to get by financially can be overwhelming. Our experts will share insights on the economic outlook, provide practical advice and tools for coping, and connect you to resources to help you weather this storm.
emergency grants
Helping those in Need
Restaurants Care is a program of the CRA Foundation. We provide direct financial relief to restaurant workers facing an unforeseen hardship.
Grants help to cover basic living expenses such as rent, food and utilities as someone works through a crisis. If you are injured, ill, in a natural disaster or experience personal challenges from mental health or substance abuse, Restaurants Care is here to help.
If faced with an immediate emergency situation, call 911. If contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
To learn more please contact Bobbi Cichowski at bCichowski@calrest.org