Salem, Mass. — Behind You is pleased to announced that they have recently surpassed $100,000 in funds raised for their COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fun. Behind You, a Salem-based organization that is entirely volunteer run, previously provided financial support to food service industry employees who found themselves out of work due to illness or injury for a period longer than four weeks.
In the wake of COVID-19, Behind You made the decision to launch an additional fund, the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, focused on giving stipends to for service industry employees who would not work due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Emergency Fund grew in large part thanks to local breweries, three of which quickly became the biggest champions of fundraising efforts.
Bent Water Brewing Company (Lynn, Massachusetts) joined Behind You’s fundraising efforts, raising $1,500 through the sale of their All Together beer, which quickly sold out.
“The North Shore is our home, so the efforts of Behind You really resonated with us by providing us with an opportunity to help service professionals in our own backyard,” stated Robin Leopoldo of Bent Water Brewing.
Gentile Brewing Company (Beverly, Massachusetts) found a way to support Behind You, despite having to completely shift their service to take-away at the start of the pandemic, by donating $2 for every growler fill. Gentile has raised $1,130 to date for Behind You.
“When our taproom was shut down due to COVID, we were fortunate that we were able to remain open for to go sales. We are grateful we had that income opportunity to support those less fortunate in our community that were completely closed and out of work.”,” state Paul Gentile, founder of Gentile Brewing.
Notch Brewing (Salem, Massachusetts) has become the single largest donor to Behind You’s efforts from the sale of their Salem Lager and a valuable resource: face coverings. “Notch decided to donate 100% of profits from their branded buffs (also known as neck gaiters), which fulfilled local requirements for face coverings. To date, combined with the sale of their Salem Lager, Notch has surpassed $10,000 in funds raised for Behind You,” state Dan Donato, president of Behind You’s board of directors. “When the pandemic hit, we knew our ability to make charitable contributions would be greatly impacted. We decided to go all in with one organization that means the most to us — Behind You. Half of Notch’s business is generated through restaurants and bars and their staff promote and serve our beer on a daily basis. It was an easy decision to support Behind You,” said Notch Brewing founder Chris Lohring.
“We’ve seen local breweries steps up in major ways and make meaningful contributions to Behind You. The fact that businesses like Bent Water, Gentile and Notch Brewing have chosen to prioritize support for the service industry when they have had to completely rethink their own operations in the wake of COVID-19 speaks volumes about their commitment to the community,” shared Erin Truex, Vice President for Behind You.
To date, Behind You’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund has disbursed nearly $50,000 to 199 individuals who found themselves out of work due to COVID-19 restrictions. Eligible individuals received $250 stipends to provide immediate assistance. Over 66 unique businesses have been supported through these stipends and include bars, breweries, cafes, distilleries, and restaurants. Funds are still available for individuals that liver work in Behind You’s service area of Beverly, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. For more information on eligibility, visit www.behindyouinc.org.
About Behind You, Inc.
Behind You is an organization (501c3 status pending) with the mission to provide financial assistance to food service employees who are unable to work due to illness or injury in Beverly, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. Behind You is a needs-based emergency assistance fund designed to support employees when they have a medical hardship and are unable to work for at least four (4) weeks. Behind You defines eligible employers as restaurants that serve food, catering companies, food trucks or concessions and taprooms, cafes and bars. Tax-deductible contributions can be made through Behind You’s fiscal agent, Workplace Giving Alliance.