Prioritize and focus on a specific group of workers that are oftenoverlooked in times of need

The Cherokee Nation received a $45.9 million block grant award from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program (CFDA 10.181). The funding will support the Cherokee Nation's FY22 Farm and Meatpacking Workers Relief Program, which will provide one-time $600 payments to over 81,000 Cherokee Nation citizens nationwide and all farm and meatpacking employees within the Cherokee Nation's 14-county reservation between October 2022 and October 2024. These payments are intended to help offset unexpected costs associated with COVID-19 for farm and food workers, such as protective equipment, testing, and quarantine requirements. Outreach efforts will promote this program and help eligible individuals apply through the Cherokee Nation's online portal system.

Cherokee nation s FY22 farm and meatpacking workers relief programwill benefit 81,748 cherokee nation CN citizens nationwide and all farm and meatpacking employeeswithin the 14-county cherokee nation reservation by providing a one-time flat payment of 600BETWEEN may 2022 and may 2024. These payments are intended to help offset unexpected costsbrought on by covid-19, such as purchasing protective gear, paying for testing, and costs associatedwith quarantine requirements for both farm and meatpacking workers. Cherokee nation hasexperience in disbursing payments to a large number of individuals using its online system, the gadugiportal, to accept applications. This portal system has various other service applications and there arealready a large number of citizens registered, approximately 283,604 as of march 1, 2022. Additionally, by collaborating with localorganizations such as tahlequah farmers market, outreach efforts will bedeveloped and expanded. Activities related to outreach efforts include promoting this program at localmeetings, working with partners to distribute information to their contacts, and helping eligibleindividuals without internet access with their applications. An overall goal of this project is to develop anetwork that will reach a specific subset of cherokee nation citizens and community members who arefarm and food workers throughout the united states, so that future support in relief efforts for theseindividuals can be quickly and easily provided.