We cannot begin to thank you enough for your generosity this past year. Your support of the Hospitality Workers Emergency Fund provided 2,103 families with grocery store gift cards at a critical time during the pandemic, when 90% of hotel workers were unemployed.

This fund came together quickly as a partnership between United Way and BEST Hospitality Training because we know that hospitality workers were among the first who felt the impact of COVID-19 business closures. Many will continue to feel the impact for a long time. As our region continues to grapple with the lasting impacts of the health and economic crisis, it’s going to take much more than emergency food assistance to help our hospitality community emerge stronger and more prepared for the future.

THE NEED CONTINUES

Although the majority of UNITE HERE Local 26 hospitality workers are back at work, most are working only 65 percent of the hours they used to. Tourism increased this past summer, but hotels were still at only 40-50% occupancy on average. Now hotel workers face additional challenges: the impact of the Delta variant on tourism, the slow winter tourism season, and exhausted unemployment benefits.

These are earnest people who want to work, but they face significant barriers to reemployment. They need help to improve their English and tech skills, create a resume, find a new job that pays a living wage, and apply for that job online. The long-time partnership of United Way and BEST Hospitality Training is in a unique position to help hospitality workers, which include those employed by the region’s hotels, gaming resorts, and sports facilities.

HOW WILL THE HOSPITALITY WORKERS COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND HELP?

We want to do more. With your support of United Way’s Hospitality Workers Emergency Fund, we can leverage our combined infrastructure, experience, tools, and track record to help people get new jobs. Your gift will enable us to establish re-employment services that will include:

• Assistance with setting up an email account if the individual does not have one
• Creating/updating a resume
• Navigating to employer career sites, finding relevant jobs, and submitting online applications
• Navigating telephone and virtual interviews
• Providing referrals to other career resources (e.g. MassHire)
• Providing referrals to other agencies, as appropriate, for other support

United Way is grateful to assist partners like BEST Hospitality Training to address gaps in services, and scale best practices. Together we are on the frontlines, and we need your help.

HOW CAN I GIVE TO THE HOSPITALITY WORKERS COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND?

You can donate to our fund by clicking the yellow GIVE TODAY button or by clicking here. All gifts are tax-deductible and 95% of the proceeds (net credit card fees) will go to individuals seeking assistance via nonprofits already working in our community. You may also give via your Donor Advised Fund by including “Hospitality Workers Covid-19 Emergency Fund” in your recommendation details. Our tax ID number is 04-2382233.

You can also send a check to the following address: United Way of Massachusetts Bay, P.O. Box 412866, Boston, MA 02241-2866. Please make checks out to “United Way of Massachusetts Bay” and include “Hospitality Workers Covid-19 Emergency Fund” in the memo of your check.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I NEED ASSISTANCE?

United Way is pleased to be partnering with BEST HTC to launch the Hospitality Workers Covid-19 Emergency Fund. To apply for assistance from this fund, please contact Joan Abbot, BEST Hospitality Training, 617-542-1177, x203.  If you need immediate help, please contact United Way’s 2-1-1 helpline or visit mass211.org for comprehensive information and referrals related to the virus.