The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and Glad, Oakland, California, have announced the establishment of the Sanitation Workers Support Fund to provide financial assistance to front-line solid waste and recycling collection workers in the U.S. and Canada adversely impacted by COVID-19.
Glad has provided $200,000 to the fund, which will be administered and distributed by SWANA.
Front-line solid waste and recycling collection workers will potentially qualify for assistance if they have tested positive for COVID-19; were laid off because of COVID-19 and continue to be unemployed; or if an immediate family member was a front-line solid waste or recycling collection worker and passed away as a result of the coronavirus.
Individuals directly impacted by COVID-19 by testing positive for the coronavirus or who lost their job due to the coronavirus and are currently unemployed can receive $500. Immediate family members (spouse or minor children) of a solid waste and recycling collection worker who died due to COVID-19 can receive $2,500.
“SWANA is very pleased to be collaborating with Glad to provide money to front-line collection workers and their families who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus,” says David Biderman, SWANA CEO and executive director. “We’re very proud that Glad chose SWANA as its trusted partner in this important, timely, and generous effort. We expect to distribute needed financial assistance to hundreds of sanitation workers throughout the U.S. and Canada, at a time when they really need it most.”
SWANA will begin accepting applications to the fund on May 1. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis and will be accepted until the fund is depleted. SWANA membership is not required to be accepted as a recipient.
For more information on the Sanitation Workers Support Fund, visit here.