In April 2020, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP) applied for a DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Grant from the DeKalb County Community Foundation. The $2,300 grant provided FLAP with additional dollars to serve the Latino and Hispanic populations of DeKalb County and beyond.

FLAP reached out 2,500 very low-income Latino individuals in DeKalb County and provided them with COVID-19 educational material. These materials directed them to locations nearby that provided a variety services including: unemployment assistance, food pantries, safety at work, affordable health care and/or shelters and legal assistance. To aid in their outreach efforts, FLAP created a bi-lingual webpage, launched a short video series, and participated in media activities in Spanish. Overall their goal was to inform their clients about the free community resources available for COVID-19 relief.

Ongoing needs includes support for: children and families who are impacted by childcare and school closings, supplement lost wages, and ongoing communication and resources.

Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project is dedicated to ensuring clients are educated on their rights, treated with dignity, and have equal opportunities in the workplace.

Thank you to the many donors whose gifts make grants like these possible! And thank you to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund for the multiple grants that boosted the amount we were able to give in response to local needs. 

Funding for this grant program is made possible by the DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund, a new component pass through Fund created in collaboration with various local funding partners. The Fund’s purpose is to be a depository for contributions intended to respond to the effects of COVID-19 in DeKalb County by distributing grants that address preparedness, response, recovery, and/or rebuilding efforts.