Jobless restaurant workers can get paid for shifts at El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank
Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times
Published 12:04 p.m. MT April 7, 2020 | Updated 1:15 p.m. MT April 7, 2020
Restaurant workers who lost their jobs due to closings sparked by the coronavirus can get paid for doing shifts for the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank.
The El Paso Community Foundation on Tuesday announced the Get Shift Done for El Paso initiative, which will provide pay of $10 an hour to hospitality workers left jobless by the pandemic.
The program started April 4 with the first of 40 daily shifts.
El Paso is the second city to roll out the initiative. The first one was launched by a Dallas business and community leaders with the support of various restaurant owners and nonprofit organizations.
“Thanks to an incredible team in North Texas, we were able to adapt this innovative program,” said Eric Pearson, president and CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation. “This helps hospitality workers — who represent 31% of unemployment claims in the area — fill essential, caring jobs, and maintain the dignity of hard work.”
El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, El Paso’s only food bank, distributes food to more than 130 partner agencies and programs, including pantries, churches and shelters in El Paso, Culberson, and Hudspeth counties.
Workers can register and schedule shifts at getshiftdone.org/el-paso-worker-sign-up.
To donate to the program, visit payments.epcf.org/getshiftdone.
