Recovery Resources: Supporting restaurants, Delco call center and child care grants

Campaign to support restaurants launched in Bucks County, Chesco, Delco, Montco
The Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, Philadelphia-based advertising agency Neff, and Main Line Chamber of Commerce member Today Media/Main Line Today are joining with Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties to launch a two-month campaign to support local restaurants. Hope for Hospitality will run from Feb. 1 through March 31 and will give diners a chance to win a $25 American Express gift card by purchasing a meal from a restaurant in any of the four counties and sharing their experience on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. To qualify, diners must tag the restaurant and include the #hopeforhospitalitypa hashtag in their posts. Individuals and companies can make a donation to support hospitality workers through the PA Restaurant & Lodging Association’s charitable affiliate, which has raised more than $400,000 toward a $500,00 goal. Main Line Today published a profile of how many Main Line area residents are adapting and proving resilient through the pandemic.

MontcoStrong Restaurant Grant Program recipients announced
The Redevelopment Authority of Montgomery County said Wednesday it has approved 194 grants totaling $1.94 million from its MontcoStrong 2021 Restaurant Grant Program. The authority is still notifying grant recipients, which are listed here with more to come. The authority also is still reviewing grant applications and plans to announce additional grants in the coming weeks.

PA Senate bill would give hospitality sector $145 million in COVID-19 relief
The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved legislation that would provide $912 million in COVID-19 relief, including $145 million to the state’s hospitality sector, if it were approved by the state House and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf. Owners of bars, restaurants and hotels would be eligible for grants of up to $50,000 from their counties through the bill, which largely allocates funding from the federal COVID-19 relief package passed last month. Publicly traded hospitality businesses would be ineligible for the aid, which would be available for businesses with as many as 500 employees in one location and a net worth of $15 million or less. The bill also would provide $570 million to counties, based on population, to help people struggling to pay their rent or utility bills, and $197 million to educational institutions not getting any of the $2.2 billion in aid from the federal relief package. House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, told the Associated Press that the House would move quickly on the bill but didn’t say whether members would seek changes to it. Gov. Wolf’s office said it would work on the bill with the Legislature but wouldn’t say whether the governor supports the bill.

Delco opens COVID-19 call center
Delaware County on Monday opened a COVID-19 call center that will help county residents determine which phase they fit into in the county’s vaccination program. It will also help residents locate testing sites that are convenient for them and respond to questions about county’s online vaccine registration form, testing and vaccinations. The center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It can be reached at 484-276-2100 and [email protected]. Chester County and Montgomery County also allow residents to register for vaccinations online. Long-term care facility residents, healthcare personnel, people age 65 and older, and people ages 16 to 64 with health conditions that give them a high risk of a bad outcome from COVID-19 are among those eligible to receive vaccinations against the disease in the current Phase 1A being administered, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Child-care workers can receive $600 grants from state
Workers at licensed child-care facilities are being encouraged to apply through Feb. 12 for one-time grants of $600 from the state under a program announced by Gov. Wolf, even though the funds have reportedly run out. Pittsburgh’s National Public Radio station in Allegheny County reports that The Department of Human Services said eligible child-care workers should apply for the grants so they can be considered for them as future funds become available. The state expects to receive its portion of the $10 billion that the recently passed federal COVID-19 relief package set aside for child care in the coming weeks.

Montgomery County shares vaccine information FAQ page
Montgomery County has updated its vaccine distribution guidelines to match revisions made by the state of Pennsylvania. Expansion of who is eligible has increased to individuals aged 16-65 who face additional risk to serious illness when contracting COVID-19. The frequently asked questions tell the story.