Local farmers and food workers are eligible to apply for a one time relief payment of $600.
The funding is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm and Food Worker Relief (FFWR) Grant Program which has awarded approximately $670 million to fourteen non-profit organizations and one Tribal entity.
The purpose of the program is to defray worker expenses incurred preparing for, preventing exposure to, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Workers may receive a one-time $600 payment if they were hired for and worked in an eligible front-line job in the U.S. or territories during the public health emergency, which officially started on January 20, 2020 and ended on March 11, 2023.
Workers must provide proof of identity and employment to one of the USDA approved grant recipients or their local partners.
The grant recipient handling applications from American Samoa is the UFW Foundation.
COVID-19 expenses you can claim include face masks, hand sanitizers, and loss of income due to illness. The program does not require receipts for these expenses.
You can also be eligible if you are or were a frontline worker in farming activities. These include:
- Planting, tending, or harvesting crops
- Tending livestock or
- Milking cows
This work must have been performed at some point between January 27th, 2020 and May 11th, 2023.
Immigration status is not one of the eligibility criteria under this program. While assertions and/or documentation regarding citizenship status are not required, workers must provide proof of identity and proof of employment.
The number to call the UFW Foundation is 877-881-8281, Monday – Friday from 5 am to 3 pm, and Sunday from 5 am to 1 pm. The Call Center is closed on Saturdays.
