More COVID-19 relief is coming: Florida has been awarded another $28 million in federal funding to help those financially impacted by the pandemic.
Gov. Ron DeSantis made the announcement Tuesday morning, saying the additional funds are through the U.S. Department of Labor's Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant.
This grant is managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and "will provide disaster-relief employment in the form of temporary jobs, employment and training services, and supportive services to eligible Floridians," according to the governor's office.
The DEO was awarded $12 million earlier this year with the grant in response to the coronavirus pandemic's impact on the state's economy and workforce. Disaster relief employment includes humanitarian assistance and cleanup activities like the following:
- Providing medicine, food and other supplies to those in need.
- Assisting with setting up quarantine areas and providing assistance to people in quarantine.
- Working at food distribution centers and other community-support organizations.
- Cleaning schools or sanitizing quarantine or treatment areas
- Other activities related to organizing and coordinating recovery and quarantine efforts.
Those who qualify for disaster relief employment include
- Dislocated workers
- Those who have been furloughed or laid off as a result of the pandemic
- Self-employee workers who have lost work due to the pandemic
- People who have been unemployed long-term
“As our state and local communities continue to recover from the pandemic, I am proud to announce $28 million in additional funding for disaster-relief employment,” DeSantis said. “I look forward to putting these dollars to use right away to give Floridians in need an opportunity to work.”
The Florida DEO works with CareerSource Florida to coordinate disaster-relief efforts when it comes to getting people back to work amid the pandemic. For more information about the funding and applying for relief, visit CareerSource Florida's website to find your local team.
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