FFWR Updates

03/01/2024: California & Washington Application Closure

As of March 1st, 2024, the UFW Foundation has closed applications from people who live and work in the states of California and Washington.

We are closing these applications to shift our focus to other under-represented states. This is a national program and farm workers from all 50 states and 3 U.S. territories deserve a chance to apply to this program.

If you live in California or Washington, you can apply for the program with other organizations that are assisting. Please look at the directory list on our website, ufwfoundation.org/ffwrdirectory

 


07/22/2023: California Phaseout

The UFW Foundation will be closing phone applications for the Farm and Food Worker Relief (FFWR) for those who live in the state of California.

As a major organization facilitating this program, the UFW Foundation serves all 50 states and 3 US territories and our attention must turn to those states who have been underrepresented. We are proud to have completed and approve almost 30,000 applications throughout California. Through our efforts and the support of our constituents, we were able to secure federal funding for farm workers throughout the nation.

We continue to pledge our support for the expansion of this program by the US Department of Agriculture. We urge all those who have yet to apply for this program to apply with the 15 other organizations that are still operating in California. For a list of those organizations, click here to visit our directory. Thank you for your understanding.


06/09/2023: Application Intake Pause

In order to process applications that have already been submitted to the UFW Foundation for the Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) program, we will temporarily pause new applications from June 12-21, 2023. We apologize for any inconvenience and we ask for your patience as we process the applications currently in our systems. Our call center team will be back to continue assisting workers submit initial applications starting on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Thank you & Si Se Puede. During our temporary break from new applications, we can assure you that you can still sign up for the FFWR program. The following organizations will continue to accept applications during our break: ufwfoundation.org/ffwrdirectory.


04/19/2023: Application Process Improvements

Since the UFW Foundation began accepting applications for the Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) Program, more than 17,000 applications have been processed. The UFW Foundation is committed to providing the best and most efficient application process possible for those interested in applying. To that end, we have made significant updates to our call center in order to work more efficiently. Here's what we’ve done to improve the application process for you:  

  • We’ve improved our phone system allowing workers to select from a menu of services. 
  • We’ve established a team dedicated to assisting applicants with their activation codes.    

As a reminder, please make sure you do the following steps before calling our call center: 

  1. Assess eligibility
  2. Prepare your documents 
  3. Photograph your documents 

The UFW Foundation has advocated tirelessly since the start of the pandemic for health protections and financial relief for farm workers who sacrificed so much during the pandemic. The first of its kind, FFWR is a USDA federal program that provides eligible workers a unique $600 relief payment for expenses they incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is one example of our success in advocating for relief for farm workers, but we know it's not enough. We continue to advocate for additional relief, including systemic change to ensure the continued recognition of farm workers’ contributions. 

Please know we are still receiving a high volume of calls and that we really appreciate your patience. Our goal is to make the application process as seamless as possible and we appreciate your patience as we work toward that goal. 


01/09/2023: Application Opening

Farm workers across the U.S. can now apply for the $600 COVID-19 pandemic relief payments through UFW Foundation.

The UFW Foundation has worked tirelessly to advance legislation empowering USDA to support farm workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The USDA Farm and Food Workers Relief Program provide much-needed relief to farm workers affected by the pandemic. Farm workers by in large, 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, 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. Additionally, unlike other workers, at the federal level, farm workers do not qualify for overtime pay, typically receive low wages, and experience poor working conditions. The USDA FFWR Program provides a one-time relief payment to help farm workers and their families recover from these lost wages. 

Applications for the Farm and Food Worker Relief (FFWR) Grant Program will open through the UFW Foundation. UFW Foundation will be distributing a one-time $600 relief payment to farm workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic who qualify. There is no cost to apply for the program. You can only apply once; additional applications will be denied. 

The UFW Foundation will have 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), Centro De Servicios Para Campesinos. Potential applicants are reminded not to provide personal documents or identification to unapproved organizations.    


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