About the Farm & Food Workers Relief (FFWR) Program

A Program of the USDA

The Farm & Food Worker Relief (FFWR) Program is a program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides eligible workers a $600 relief payment for expenses they incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our Advocacy

The UFW Foundation has worked tirelessly to advance legislation empowering USDA to support farm workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vast majority of farm workers do not receive paid sick leave, but were classified as “essential workers” during the pandemic, exposing many to the virus at their workplace. Many employers did not provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), social distancing requirements, and, in later days, vaccinations to prevent the spread of the virus, causing farm workers to take time off to quarantine, losing out on several days' pay. Additionally, the COVID-19 Congress relief packages failed to provide pandemic assistance to millions of undocumented persons, many of whom pay taxes through Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. Unlike other workers, at the federal level, farm workers do not qualify for overtime pay, typically receive low wages, and experience poor working conditions.

This program exemplifies our success in advocating for farm workers, but it's not enough. We continue to advocate for additional relief and systemic change to ensure the recognition of farm workers’ contributions.

Our Proven Track Record

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected the UFW Foundation to receive funding for this program because of our proven track record of farm worker support, our strong partnerships with worker-serving organizations, and our ability to provide services in critical geographic areas to ensure nationwide coverage under the program collectively.  

Our Subrecipient Organizations

The UFW Foundation has nine sub-recipient organizations providing workers with critical outreach and application support. They are CIERTO, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, Farmworker Legal Services, Bienestar Oregon, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), United Farm Workers (UFW), Farmworker Association of Florida, North Carolina Focus on Increasing Education Leadership and Dignity (NC FIELD), and Centro De Servicios Para Campesinos.

Notice: Potential applicants are reminded not to provide personal documents or identification to unapproved organizations. Click here to view fraud prevention tips.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 
fns.usda.gov/es/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-other-fns-programs