Farm & Food Workers Relief Program

US farmworkers can now apply for the $600 COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Payments through Latin Community Health Advisors INC. The USDA Farm and Food Worker Relief Program provides
much-needed relief to farmworkers affected by the pandemic.
Farmworkers generally do not receive paid sick leave, but they were classified as "essential workers" during the pandemic, exposing many to the virus in their workplace. Many employers failed to provide personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and, in later days, vaccinations to prevent the spread of the virus, causing farmworkers to take time off to self-quarantine, losing several days' pay.

Additionally, Congressional COVID-19 relief packages failed to provide pandemic assistance to millions of undocumented people, many of whom pay taxes through Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. Also, unlike other workers, at the federal level, farmworkers do not qualify for overtime pay, are often paid low wages, and experience poor working conditions. The USDA FFWR Program provides a one-time relief payment to help farmworkers and their families recover from these lost wages.

Applications for the Food and Farm Worker Grant Program (FFWR) will be opened through LCHAINC. Latin Community Health Advisors INC. will distribute a one-time relief payment of $600 to qualifying farmworkers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no cost to apply to the program. You can only apply once, additional requests will be denied.

Who Qualifies

Relief payments will be available to eligible frontline farmworkers who:

You worked during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US or its territories from January 27, 2020 until the end of the pandemic was declared.
There is no age requirement.
Workers will have to self-certify during the application that they incurred expenses due to the pandemic, such as: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, hand sanitizers, face shields or goggles, gloves, and/or childcare covid tests.
Applicants must self-certify that they have not received this relief from another beneficiary.

How to apply

   * Call the Latin Community Health Advisors INC hotline at 407-775-9985.
   * Service providers speak English, Spanish.
   * The hours of operation of the LCHAINC call center will be:
       *Monday to Friday: 9 am to 5 pm.
   *Call center service providers will ask you questions to determine eligibility.
   *Applicants will need to provide proof of identification and proof of employment:
   *Examples of acceptable identification documents:
       *State ID or driver's license
       *Consular or government-issued ID (foreign or domestic)
       *Passport
       *Employer Issued ID
       *Or Two forms of identification with the person's name (if a person does not have a photo ID)
       *Examples: vehicle registration cards, insurance cards, and phone bills.
       *Examples of labor documentation:
       *Pay stubs
       *W-2 tax form
       *Employer letter/contract
       *Photographic evidence (in the workplace)
       *Written attestation (handwriting required; notarization not required).

After applying

Once you complete your application and submit the required documents, your application and the documents you provided will be reviewed.
If your application is approved, you will be contacted and notified of your approval.
You will be contacted via text message.
Your information will be processed and your $600 single prepaid card will be activated within 10-15 business days after your request is approved.
Once the notification is sent to you that the money is on your card, you can activate it over the phone or online. Review the activation instructions that came with your prepaid card.
FFWR