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During this unprecedented time, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association and, Oklahoma Travel Industry Association in partnership, continue to respond to the challenges COVID-19 presents across Oklahoma's hospitality industry. We remain in close and constant communications with our state and national leaders and support organizations, including the Governor’s office, Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce, our legislative leaders both statewide and federal, NRA, AH&LA, and others. We will vigorously fight for our industry and are always available for your questions, comments, and concerns at helpdesk@okrestaurants.com.
 

EMPLOYEE JOBS & SUPPORT
MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE:

Especially during these times of stress and unrest, mental health is a real concern. We’d like to tell you about an organization that may be able to help those in need.

Pier 34 is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation focused on providing the best quality mental health to those in need and unable to afford such care. Dr. Jennifer Cox and her team are dedicated to providing a network of highly qualified and compassionately driven professionals, and connecting those professionals with would-be donors that have the same passion for mental health as we do. Reach out to Pier 34 at 405.562.7970 or get more information at http://www.pier34.org/ 

Gaining assistance is simple:

1. The prospective client applies directly to Pier 34 for an initial 6 sessions. Approval is based on factors such as household income and size.

2. Upon approval, the client chooses a provider from a carefully screened network of mental health professionals who have contracted with the foundation. These providers have been strategically chosen based on various locations around the Metro area to allow for greater ease of access to services for our clients.

3. We feel there are benefits to therapy clients who are also investing in their own care so therefore, the client agrees to a $15 copay paid to the provider at the time of service.

NorthCare
is a leading provider of integrated behavioral health services for Oklahomans living with mental illness, trauma, and addiction. NorthCare offers a variety of services for children, adults, and families, designed to help you, your child, and your family recover from mental illness, substance use, trauma, or crisis to live a life in recovery. NorthCare is a place for hope and recovery.  Known locally and nationally, the center delivers innovative and effective services for individuals and families. They provide more than 20 trauma-informed programs for Oklahomans of all ages throughout all of central Oklahoma and neighboring counties. The NorthCare philosophy, guided by the five trauma-informed principles, is to provide expert, comprehensive behavioral health treatment to Oklahomans by offering:
Choices for an individualized approach that addresses specific concerns and needs. Empowerment by setting individual goals to increase personal responsibility and achieve objectives. Collaboration to ensure that you and our team of experts are real partners. Safety to support a safe and welcoming environment. Trust that we will provide continuity of care and navigation to address your whole health needs. This COVID outreach program is a free service and they can be reached at (405)858-2727 Mon-Thurs 8-5 and Fri 8-3. More details here.

Testing sites for COVID-19 Regional COVID-19 testing sites are open in multiple cities in Oklahoma as a result of a cross-county, city and state health system partnership. COVID-19 testing is open to everyone; people no longer need to exhibit symptoms to be tested for COVID-19. Click here to view the full list. 6/5/20
OKC Restaurant Employee Relief Fund Last Friday, the first round of checks were mailed to recipients of the OKC Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. In the first round, we were able to distribute 278 relief checks. A big thank you to the Cresap Family Foundation for providing the lead $100,000 gift. Other donors include: Bank of America, Boston Beers (Samuel Adams and Truly Hard Seltzer), Capitol Distributing, Corona Beers, Shiner Bock and White Claw Hard Seltzer. We also received donations from several individual friends in the OKC restaurant community. Thank you to all those who have provided funds to help with relief efforts for unemployed hospitality workers! 5/11/20
ORA Job Postings & Resumes To further assist members, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association's Job Bank, as well as social media platforms, will feature available job postings that have been submitted to our online ORA Job Bank. Any member or nonmember can post a job to the ORA Job Bank by clicking here. If you know someone who is currently looking for a job, please send your resume to Chandy Rice. We're here to help! 4/30/20
OKC Employee Relief Fund: Applications are Open Applications opened today and will close Wednesday, April 29th at 5:00 pm. We will update you once the application process is live. Applicants must also live in Oklahoma, Canadian or Cleveland Counties. Click here to apply. 4/27/20 
OKC Employee Relief Fund The Cresap Family Foundation has offered a $100,000 matching challenge to kickstart a relief fund managed by the ORA's Hospitality Foundation. Funds will be dispersed as $500 grants directly to restaurant and beverage workers to spend on their immediate needs whether that is food, rent, gas, medical expenses, etc. Applications will open Monday, April 27th at 8:00 am and close Wednesday, April 29th at 5:00 pm. We will update you once the application process is live. Applicants must also live in Oklahoma, Canadian or Cleveland Counties. Click here to learn more. 4/22/20 
Another $100,000 Raised for Tulsa Employee Relief Fund Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation (LTFF) and Mother Road Market (MRM), in partnership with the ORA, created the Tulsa Employee Relief Fund. LTFF is donating another $100,000 for this relief fund managed by the ORA's Foundation to support Tulsa restaurant workers. Funds will again be dispersed as $1,000 grants directly to workers to spend on their immediate needs whether that is food, rent, gas, medical expenses, etc. We can't thank Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation and Mother Road Market enough for all their help through this process! These funds will directly impact Tulsa employees who have lost their jobs. For more information on donating, please apply here4/14/20 
Food & Essentials Assistance for Employees In an effort to support the Oklahoma City metro hospitality community, Feed the Children and Discovery Church of Yukon has partnered with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association to offer assistance to any Oklahoma City member, restaurant or hotel employee who is now unemployed or lacking resources for non-perishable food and essentials due to COVID-19. Each employee confirmed through Feed the Children will be provided a food and essentials care package with one (1) 25 lb box of non-perishable food and (1) 12 lb box of personal essentials. If you wish to help provide assistance to your OKC metro employees, please forward this outreach opportunity to them. The process is simple:

  • Applications for OKC relief closed as of 4/20/20
  • Feed the Children will email directly to the employee with an April 15 pick-up time at Discovery Church in Yukon when their care package has been confirmed.

Virtual Town Hall for Unemployment Claimants Set For April 10thThe state agency responsible for processing unemployment insurance claims is hosting a virtual town hall for the general public at 1:00 pm on Friday, April 10. In the past three weeks, OESC has received more than 135,000 claims for unemployment compensation. The flood of new claims has swamped phone lines as individuals seek relief to make up for wages lost through the closing of businesses. Click here to learn more about the virtual town hall meeting. Click here to participate. *This link may not be live yet. Please check back later to open .4/8/20 
Unemployment Insurance: How to Apply
The CARES Act allows for both self-employed and unemployed individuals to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. We understand that filing for unemployment benefits is a big process, and filing for unemployment insurance is even more of a process. Attached is a fact sheet for guidance. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or need further assistance. 4/2/20 

SBA "PPP" Guidelines Released
Attached are the first "official" guidelines released by the SBA. We ask that you look these over and get in touch with your financial institution. Please note, you can't apply until April 3rd. The Treasury Department is still shaping some of the rules, but this gives you a good idea of how it's going to work. Please contact us if you need further assistance. 4/1/20 

NRA Restaurant Employee Relief Fund: Applications are Still Open The Restaurant Employee Relief Fund was set up to help restaurant industry employees experiencing hardship in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Through this Fund, grants will be made to restaurant industry employees who have demonstrated being financially impacted by COVID-19, whether through a decrease in wages or loss of employment. Please click here to read the criteria and more details. Applications for the fund open Thursday, April 2nd. 4/1/20 

•  CARES Act: An Update  • The National Restaurant Association has developed a CARES Act "Frequently Asked Questions” document for your use found here. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have further questions. 4/1/20 

• ORA and OH&LA partner with Feed the Children and Crossings Community Church to provide more than 400 Hospitality Relief Packages to hospitality workers in Oklahoma City. To apply for assistance complete this application. Our giving link to support future distributions for hospitality workers. https://www.feedthechildren.org/ora 3/27/20 
  • Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation (LTFF) and Mother Road Market (MRM), in partnership with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association (ORA), announce the Tulsa Employee Relief Fund: Food and Beverage. LTFF will be donating $100,000 to start this relief fund managed by the ORA's Foundation to support Tulsa restaurant workers. Funds will be dispersed as $1,000 grants directly to workers to spend on their immediate needs whether that is food, rent, gas, medical expenses, etc.  In turn, LTFF is challenging the community to donate so that additional funds are raised to support this group of hard-working people in our Tulsa community! As of 3/28/20 the application process has closed. 3/20/20 
  • ORA launches "Keep Calm Carry Out" media campaign, and Carryoutok.com online dining site. 3/19/20 

 If you have any questions about this email or the above resources, please don't hesitate to contact Jim Hopper by email or at 405-942-8181. 
 
COVID-19

What's Happening
08.18.22
The ORA has partnered with Adesso Capital to help our members and non-members file for their ERC funds. To date, Adesso has helped Oklahoma restaurants claim $4.6 Million dollars and counting! Adesso will even pay your initial ORA membership dues if you are not a member, and your next renewal dues if you are already a member. The Adesso team has helped hundreds of restaurants across the U.S. and is prepared to help you. Click this story to get connected with an Adesso team member today!
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