{"id":11881,"date":"2020-03-23T09:53:38","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T14:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gnof.org\/?p=11881"},"modified":"2020-04-02T09:55:12","modified_gmt":"2020-04-02T14:55:12","slug":"gnof-launches-the-louisiana-service-and-hospitality-family-assistance-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.communify.me\/gnof\/gnof-launches-the-louisiana-service-and-hospitality-family-assistance-program\/","title":{"rendered":"GNOF Launches the Louisiana Service and Hospitality Family Assistance Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Orleans, LA\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Today, The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) launched the Louisiana Service and Hospitality Family Assistance Program, an initiative to support negatively impacted\u00a0Louisiana service and hospitality workers who are supporting their dependent children and elderly parents and need help to continue meeting their basic needs during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

The program is the first initiative to launch with resources contributed by Mrs. Gayle Benson through the Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund at GNOF. \u00a0Five hundred thousand dollars from the Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund and $100,000 in newly contributed money from McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco\u00ae Brand Pepper Sauce, will be the catalysts to kick this program off with an initial $600,000 in funding. This program is launched in partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association which will be promoting the initiative alongside its ongoing advocacy for the region\u2019s restaurants and workers.<\/p>\n

To support this program\u2019s expansion, please donate to the Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund at the Greater New Orleans Foundation by visiting\u00a0www.gnof.org\/benson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cService and hospitality workers are the backbone of this region\u2019s economy,\u201d said GNOF President & CEO, Andy Kopplin. \u201cThanks to the generosity of Mrs. Benson, the Tabasco\u00ae brand and the McIlhenny family, we have the opportunity to support hospitality workers and their families and help them make ends meet in these difficult times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day, it is these individuals who do whatever it takes for our restaurants, bars, and hotels to operate at peak performance, and now we must do our part to return the favor,\u201c said Mrs. Gayle Benson, team owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. \u201cWe are excited to partner with GNOF because we knew they have the tools to effectively get these resources to the families who need them both quickly and efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this current state of emergency, the service and hospitality workers so essential to our local economy are among the most adversely affected, particularly those who are caring for children and elderly family members,\u201d said Harold G. Osborn, president and CEO of McIlhenny Company. \u201cWe invite everyone in the community in a position to help to donate to this fund to ensure the service and hospitality industry workers and their families who need our help the most get support.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the Greater New Orleans Foundation, Mrs. Gayle Benson, and McIlhenny Company, some of the most vulnerable families who depend on the earnings of service and hospitality workers will get much needed help,\u201d said Stan Harris, CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association.<\/p>\n

The program will award grants of up to $1,000 to support service and hospitality industry employees who are primary caregivers for dependent children and elderly parents.<\/p>\n

To qualify, individuals applying must also:<\/p>\n