'Night Life Line' fund will aid Allegheny County workers in need

Financial help may soon be on the way for some Allegheny County workers in industries hard hit by the pandemic.

In conjunction with the 1-year anniversary of covid-19 shut-downs, an online fundraiser has launched to raise funds for hospitality, entertainment, service and related workers in the county.

The campaign, called Night Life Line, seeks to raise $250,000 to provide need-based grants of up to $500 per person for unemployed and underemployed workers still struggling to make ends.

Night Life Line is a collaboration of local advocates and members of Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Independent Venue Association, Restaurant Opportunities Center of Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, The Giving Back Fund and state Rep. Sara Innamorato.

Night Life Line is a project of The Giving Back Fund.

Funds will support workers involved in all night life-affiliated jobs, including entertainers, servers, dishwashers and security personnel, said planning committee member Taylor Stessney.

According to fund organizers, the 2018 U.S. census showed that 1 in 10 Allegheny County workers are employed in nightlife-related jobs.

“Speaking from the restaurant workers’ side, they’re still relying on unemployment, or they’re working but not making what the used to,” said Stessney, also a co-founder of PRWA, a volunteer-run group that supports restaurant workers in need. “The goal is for these grants to bridge the gap until other funds designated to help come through.”

“Since our launch nearly a year ago, we’ve had thousands of requests from restaurant workers who need help with paying their rent, securing diapers for their children, or finding food for the week,” said Kacy McGill, founder of PRWA. “Many cannot access their unemployment payments. We still get requests daily.”

The donation portal is open now, with the fundraising push continuing until June. The portal for grant applications will open March 31.

To generate first gifts, PRWA has committed to a $10,000 matching fund running through Friday.

Funds will be disbursed “on a rolling basis” as donations are received, Stessney said. “There will be a jury system to evaluate (the applications), and they’ll be prioritizing the most vulnerable (applicants).”

For information on donations or grant applications, visit nightlifeline.org.