Financial Aid for NYC Restaurant Workers

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Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants (ROAR) is partnering with Robin Hood to raise donations for a New York City Restaurant Employee Relief Fund.

Hospitality teams live to take care of guests. Now it’s our turn to take care of them.

The Fund grants are intended to be awarded on a first-come-first served basis (expressly subject to the availability of donations received by the Fund) to those individuals facing unprecedented economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that meet the prescribed eligibility criteria detailed below, as reviewed and verified by Family Independence Initiative (FII). A one-time grant of $500 will be disbursed directly to the applicant pending FII’s’s review and verification that their submitted application meets the prescribed guidelines. Availability of awards will be based on available funds and will be limited to one per individual.  

FII will conduct a first come, first served process for the applications received.  Restaurant workers who are residents of the Bronx and Queens will be prioritized during the first two weeks the fund is open. If funds remain after that day, FII will process applications from restaurant workers who are residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island until all the funds have been spent.

Robin Hood, New York City’s largest and most-effective poverty-fighting organization, has been dedicated to serving others for more than 30 years, and during the time of the COVID-19 crisis, is actively focused on those who will be disproportionately harmed by its immediate and long-term impacts.

Robin Hood (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 13-3441066, registered in the United States) will manage donations.

All donations made through this campaign are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law and will be held by Robin Hood to be distributed through FII to aid individual restaurant workers in New York City who need relief resulting from unemployment because of COVID-19 disruption.

Robin Hood (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 13-3441066, registered in the United States) will manage donations.

All donations made through this campaign are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law and will be held by Robin Hood to be distributed through FII to aid individual restaurant workers in New York City who need relief resulting from unemployment because of COVID-19 disruption.

ELIGIBILITY – We want to help as many restaurant workers as possible. 

Cash assistance is available on a first come, first serve basis, in the amount of $500 per individual, until funds are exhausted. 

Funds are intended for households in greatest need. As a result, eligibility is based on annual incomes below $49,000.

Please note: The fund will be temporarily closed from 12/23 at 5 PM eastern time – 1/4 for the holidays. We encourage you to submit your application during this time and it will be reviewed the week of January 4th.

DOCUMENTATION – We aim to make this fund as accessible as possible. 

Applicants will be asked to verify identity, NYC residency and employment/lost wages from an NYC restaurant or food service business. This is to verify eligibility ONLY and will be kept strictly confidential. 

We welcome undocumented and unbanked applicants. We accept many forms of ID (including expired passports) and proofs of employment (including letters from employers). Simply upload these documents when prompted. If you do not have a bank account, we have other ways to get relief dollars to you. 

Spanish and Mandarin translations, as well as application support teams, available. 

SUPPORT +  TECH ISSUES – The application is not perfect. There are humans here to help!

ROAR and Robin Hood are working with the Family Independence Initiative (FII) to review applicants and administer funds. 

If you can’t get to the application, check back again soon. The portal goes down from time to time to fix technical bugs. 

If you get a dead link while filling out the application, you can retype the desired URL, refresh screen, and/or clear cache. 

If you need support while filling out your application:

• Check out FII’s FAQ. It is updated every time we get a new question. So likely the answer is there. 
• Use the support channel here. Log-in and create a support ticket to submit updated documentation if your application was denied.
• Chat directly with support via the URL by clicking help in the lower left-hand corner of the application. 

Updates from @roar.ny