USDA will use 15 selected grant recipients to receive $670 million in funding through the Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program.  Funds to be disbursed are projected to be $600 per recipient farm worker, on-line meat packing worker or grocery store employee.

The 15 organizations, receiving from $8 million to $131 million, were selected according to their established records working with their specific constituencies and their ability to disperse funds on equitable basis.

Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, stated, “USDA is committed not only to acknowledging the work of our Nation’s essential agricultural and food workers, but also ensuring they are not left out of opportunities for relief from the effects of the pandemic.”

The Program will be administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service and funds are intended to reimburse workers who experienced expenses related to COVID, including personal, family or living costs, personal protective equipment, dependent care and quarantine.

Based on the ethnicity of the affected workers, many of the NGOs, that will disperse funds, include Hispanic organizations in addition to the United Farm Workers Foundation, United Way of California and organizations assisting tribal communities.