Restaurants Care Launches Statewide Volunteer Network To Support California’s Restaurant Workforce

Backed By The Restaurant Giving Circle Grant, The Program Equips Volunteers To Deliver Essential Resources To Restaurant Workers In Need

Sacramento, CA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Restaurants Care®, a California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) signature program that provides hope and stability to California’s food and beverage workers in crisis, is activating a new statewide volunteer network made possible by a $70,000 Restaurant Giving Circle, Inc. (RGC) grant awarded at the end of 2024. This notable  contribution is now being used to launch a formal volunteer initiative that will expand Restaurants Care’s reach and impact in communities across California.

With the new volunteer network, Restaurants Care will host one virtual volunteer training each quarter. After completing the training, volunteers will receive resource packets by mail and will be encouraged to distribute all packets within their local communities over the following two to three weeks. The effort will help ensure that more restaurant workers are aware of the financial relief resources available to them during times of crisis.

“Being selected by the Restaurant Giving Circle is an incredible honor, as it elevated our nonprofit on a national stage and provided the critical funds needed to create a long-awaited volunteer network,” said Alycia Harshfield, President of the California Restaurant Foundation. “This program allows us to more seamlessly reach restaurant workers in times of crisis and financial need. We’re grateful to the RGC for believing in the work we do at Restaurants Care and for supporting our vision for a more resilient restaurant community statewide.”

The RGC is an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization led by veteran hospitality executives dedicated to uplifting restaurant workers through philanthropy. Since its inception, RGC has distributed nearly $400,000 to nonprofits addressing the needs of hospitality employees nationwide.

“We were impressed by several elements in Restaurants Care’s proposal, and are delighted to make our 2024 donation of $70,000 to this impactful organization,” said Michael J. Hufler, president of RGC. “We respected and recognized its clearly focused objectives, efficient management structure and innovative approach to reaching more restaurant workers in crisis, and have full confidence Restaurants Care will make the most of this donation.”

For those interested in joining the Restaurants Care Volunteer Network, visit RestaurantsCare.org/volunteer. For more information about Restaurants Care, visit RestaurantsCare.org. To learn more about the Restaurant Giving Circle, visit RestaurantGiving.com.

About the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF)

The California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering California’s restaurant community. Since 1981, CRF has provided critical support to restaurant workers facing hardship, delivered job and life skills training to 14,500 high school students and awarded scholarships to future hospitality leaders. By investing in people, CRF ensures that California’s restaurant industry continues to thrive while fostering opportunity, resilience and growth. For more information, visit CalRestFoundation.org.

Media Contact:
Kelly Itatani
Powerhouse+Co.
kelly@powerhouseandco.com