Haitian workers in the hospitality and travel industries as well as restaurant services of Florida were among the first one to lose their jobs due to the coronavirus economic crisis. With the poor performance of the State unemployment agency's online system, hundreds of thousands of Floridians have not been able to file for unemployment benefits, including many Haitian workers who are the most vulnerable due to lack of outreach, language barrier and limited access to technology. Leaving Haitian families in great despair and out of the conversations about the economic impact of the coronavirus on minority communities.

To raise awareness on the State's unemployment crisis within the Haitian community, and to assist Haitians who are unable to claim their unemployment benefits, a group of Haitians from diverse backgrounds has launched the Haitian Campaign for Reemployment Assistance. The goals of this statewide volunteering initiative are to educate Haitians on the process to claim for unemployment benefits; And to recruit volunteers for a two-day Marathon for Reemployment Assistance.

"We urge Governor Desantis and the leadership of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to increase outreach efforts within minority communities, while they are working diligently to improve the reemployment assistance system," said Shelley Lozier, a financial educator and one of the spokespersons of the campaign.

On Saturday, May 2nd and Sunday, May 3rd, 2020, during a marathon, volunteers will be helping remotely Haitians in their national language, Creole, to file for unemployment benefits.

HL/ HaitiLibre