Angel Relief Fund

October is Be An Angel month!

From October 1 – 31, restaurants, bars, and businesses across the state are giving back when you dine out. “Be An Angel” and help support hospitality workers when they need it most! Proceeds are donated to the Angel Relief Fund, which provides critical hardship grants to Colorado restaurant and hospitality employees facing unexpected challenges, including serious illness or injury, the loss or catastrophic illness of a family member, natural disasters, and acts of violence.

When and where to dine out:

October 1 – 31: Ace Eat Serve will donate all proceeds from the Oaxacan Old Fashioned cocktail
October 15 – 31: Boombots Pasta Shop will provide a round-up option at checkout
October 1 – 31: All Cherry Cricket locations will donate $1 from each Burger of the Month sold
October 1 – 31: All Chook locations will donate $0.75 from all Chook for Family meals sold
October 1 – 31: All Illegal Pete’s locations will provide a round-up option at checkout
October 15 – 31: Odie B’s RiNo will provide a round-up option at checkout
October 1 – 31: Odie B’s Sunnyside will provide a round-up option at checkout
October 1 – 31: Mountain Standard will donate 10% of all beverage sales
October 1 – 31: Sweet Basil will donate 10% of all beverage sales

Interested in participating as a restaurant, bar, or business? Reach out to Laura Shunk: lshunk@corestaurant.org

The ARF is a safety net for workers who are employed but are experiencing general hardship. We provide financial assistance of $500 or $1,000 to those in crisis due to an unexpected illness, injury, or natural disaster.

Eligibility

Angel Relief Fund grants are available for any Colorado hospitality worker who:

Has a primary source of income rooted in food and beverage and is currently employed in the restaurant industry

Lives in the state of Colorado

Encounters an emergency that’s an unexpected, non-recurring crisis

Eligible Hardships

Unanticipated hardships necessitate prolonged unpaid absences from work and generally fit into one of the following categories:

Injury caused by an accident (such as a slip, fall, or crash) requiring hospitalization or other acute care

Illness requiring hospitalization or other acute care

Death or catastrophic illness or injury of an immediate family member imposing a financial or full-time caregiving burden on the worker

Disaster, such as flood, fire, or storm damage (to name a few) causing disruption of a worker’s job or ability to work

Acts of violence in which the employee is the victim

Applicants are asked to submit a signed letter on company letterhead from their employer verifying the hardship’s impact on an employee’s ability to work and that the absence is unpaid.

Required Documentation:

In order to have your application reviewed, you must upload any of the below that are applicable, with the first two being required:

Proof of Colorado residency (Required – CO Driver’s License, CO I.D., signed lease document, or any bill from electric, energy or water)

Proof of current employment in a Colorado restaurant or F&B hospitality business by way of your last two paystubs. (Required)

Signed letter from employer on company letterhead verifying hardship’s impact on employee’s ability to work and unpaid absence. EMPLOYER LETTER TEMPLATE.

Other documentation as listed below that will support your application – includes bills, death certificate, etc. as optional attachments.

Additional hardship resources:

In the greater Denver-Metro area, the CRA Mile High Chapter Hardship Fund offers grants and zero-interest loans to restaurant workers in need.
The Southern Smoke Foundation also provides grants to people in the hospitality industry in several states, including Colorado. Southern Smoke’s Emergency Relief Fund is intended for those working 30+ hours a week in the industry.
CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees) supports people in the foodservice industry who have a child experiencing an unforeseen hardship.
The Bartender Emergency Assistance Program (BEAP) helps people who are working in the hospitality industry as bartenders, barbacks, bar servers, or are otherwise engaged in the service, preparation, manufacture, or distribution of alcoholic beverages.

For mental health-care support:

For immediate support, contact Colorado Crisis Services at any time at 1-844-493-8255 or text 38225
Khesed Wellness and the Colorado Restaurant Foundation have teamed up to provide affordable mental health therapy for restaurant workers
CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach & Wellness) is a non-profit organization that provides mental health resources to people in the hospitality industry and helps restaurant workers with many health-care needs, such as finding the right health insurance, applying for a grant, locating a good yoga class, to name a few. Services include group discussion meetings, education about mental health and substance use, and a Workplace Wellness Toolkit
In the Weeds offers a variety of assistance to restaurant employees in Durango and the surrounding La Plata county