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Published 03/23/2020 | Reading Time 4 min 34 sec
TULSA, Okla. — Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation (LTFF) and Mother Road Market (MRM), in partnership with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association (ORA), announce the Tulsa Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. LTFF pledged $100,000 as a matching challenge that will kickstart the relief fund managed by the ORA’s Foundation to support Tulsans in the food and beverage industry who are unable to work as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Funds will be dispersed as $1,000 grants to individuals in the industry who can spend the funds on their most pressing needs. In turn, LTFF is challenging the community to make a tax-deductible donation to the relief fund so that additional funds are raised to support this group of hard-working people in the Tulsa community!
“As the state’s largest private-sector employer, Oklahoma’s foodservice industry employs over 185,000 people or 11% of the total job base. This fund will help employees keep their heads above water,” said Chandy Rice, ORA, Director of Education. “We want our “hospitality family” to be able to put food on their tables and keep a roof over their heads during this extremely difficult time.”
“In addition to the distressing public health threat, the COVID-19 pandemic causes extreme financial distress for employees in Tulsa’s food and beverage industry. Most of these non-salaried servers, cashiers, bartenders and dishwashers don’t have savings to sustain them if their employer has to reduce their hours or close because they are struggling to make ends meet under normal conditions,” said Elizabeth Frame Ellison, President & CEO of LTFF. “Now more than ever, we need to serve those who serve us!”
Additionally, LTFF has committed to paying the hourly staff at Mother Road Market for up to 60 days to insure their financial security and has pledged financial support to the Tulsa Area United Way/Tulsa Community Foundation relief fund. LTFF encourages other businesses who can to do the same.
For more information on donating to the Tulsa Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, please visit www.motheroradmarket.com/relief. For information on applying for funds, please visit www.okrestaurants.com or apply here. Applications can be completed by potential recipients or a supervisor can fill out the application on behalf of their employees.
ABOUT LTFF: Founded in 1997 by Bill Lobeck and Kathy Taylor, the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation (LTFF) has grown into a second-generation investment in making Tulsa an innovative, collaborative and thriving city. Under the leadership of CEO Elizabeth Frame Ellison, LTFF aims to decrease the barriers associated with Tulsans achieving their goals. To fulfill this mission, LTFF acts as a grantmaker, innovator, and convener. LTFF supports the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems in Tulsa through its owned-and-operated programs including Kitchen 66, Kiva Tulsa, Mother Road Market and Tulsa StartUp Series, as well as through grants to organizations. For more information about LTFF, visit www.lobecktaylor.com.
ABOUT ORA: The Oklahoma Restaurant Association was founded in 1933; now representing more than 4,000 members, and is the state trade association of food service and restaurant operations. The mission of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association is to serve its members by advancing and protecting Oklahoma’s foodservice and hospitality industry. The Association, led by foodservice owners and operators across the state, is collectively working together to help address some of the crippling issues facing the restaurant community during this time. For more information about ORA, please visit www.okrestaurants.com.