Lt. Governor Zuckerman Supports The Essential Worker Grant Program

PRESS RELEASE: April 25, 2020

Lt. Governor Zuckerman Supports The Essential Worker Grant Program 

Today, in an email to supporters, Lt. GovernorDavid  Zuckerman called Vermont leaders and the Vermont state legislature to pass an  Essential Worker Grant Program.

Lt. Governor Zuckerman described the need for Vermont to support essential workers and stated: “we must recognize the efforts of Vermont's essential workers. During this pandemic, we’ve come to see the absolutely essential work provided by grocery store workers, custodians, pharmacy workers, trash collectors, child care workers, and assisted living and nursing home caregivers, among others.”

The Essential Worker Grant Program would tap into some of the federal money coming to Vermont through the CARES Act. This program would give tens of thousands of Vermont's essential workers up to a $1,000 monthly bonus for April, May and June. More specifically, according to an analysis from The Legislature's Joint Fiscal Office, more than 33,000 Vermonters could be eligible for this bonus. Lt. Governor Zuckerman, stated that this program is both “an important way to recognize the risk our hard working Vermonters are taking while also giving our state's economy a needed boost.”

The Zuckerman campaign also pointed out that “For many, all of this money will be used to pay for critical bills like food, utilities, car payments, rent, and mortgage payments, which will make our recovery stronger when we get to the other side of the pandemic.”

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