NYC Mayor’s Fund Raises $54.5 Million for Essential, Restaurant Workers
The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City has raised a total of $54.5 million, including more than $5.7 million in-kind donations, to support equitable relief and recovery efforts for essential workers and the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray made the announcement at a media briefing, Monday.
“COVID-19 has taken a devastating toll on immigrant communities and people of color,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “As our city continues to the weather this crisis, we will keep finding innovative ways to increase resources and assistance for our most vulnerable neighbors and frontline workers.”
The Mayor’s Fund launched the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund in early March to support priority areas including: healthcare workers and essential staff; local small businesses; displaced hourly workers, including immigrant workers; and families, youth, and other vulnerable New Yorkers.
The expansive fundraising efforts have included large-scale public-private partnerships, as well as a grassroots campaign that have together garnered 9,500 donors from all around the country. As a part of the fundraising, New York City partnered with the Debra and Leon Black Family, Aramark, Robin Hood, and the American Red Cross to launch NYC Healthcare Heroes. The program provides more than 400,000 packages of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, household cleaning and personal care products to staff at hospitals across the five boroughs. These deliveries alleviate the burden on workers who often do not have access to supplies or time to shop after working back-to-back shifts caring for COVID-19 patients in hospitals and facilities across the city.
The Mayors fund also supported NYC Health + Hospitals with a $400,000 donation to purchase critical personal protective equipment. The donation was made possible through Peg’s Cure, an initiative created by Cedar Mills LLC in honor of Peg Broadbent, former CFO of Jeffries Group LLC who died due to complications from COVID-19.
Aid for restaurants and immigrants was also included in funding from the Mayor’s fund, this includes collaborations with One Fair Wage, NYC Opportunity, and the Human Resources Administration to launch the Restaurant Revitalization Program. The program is providing short-term payroll support to an initial 100 restaurants committed to paying full minimum wage with tips on top, in addition to providing hardest-hit communities with approximately 53,000 meals over 6-12 weeks.
“As our city unites to build a future that is fairer and more equitable, it is essential that New Yorkers in the hardest-hit neighborhoods can access the resources they need to support themselves and their families,” New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray said. “Thank you to our generous partners who have answered the call to provide this critical relief for frontline workers and communities of color during this unprecedented crisis.”
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