Carriers Announce Funding to Aid in COVID-19 Recovery

Friday, May 1, 2020 | 0

The Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. and Colorado’s Pinnacol Assurance both announced plans to make more than $1 million available to aid in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. said it would make $1.1 million available while Pinnacol said it is donating $1.825 million to Colorado businesses and workers.

LWCC said its “Louisiana Well Again” initiative is a three-part response package that includes a $100,000 gift to Feeding Louisiana, a statewide nonprofit that supports food banks.

The carrier also announced a $500,000 grant program to help hospitals support the work of frontline health care workers. Funds will be distributed by June.

And LWCC announced a second $500,000 grant program to fund initiatives focused on improving the health and safety or Louisiana workers in the wage of the COVID-19 peak. This program will start later in the year when there is more clarity about the impact of the pandemic on the state’s workforce.

Pinnacol Assurance announced a $1 million donation to the Help Colorado Now fund to assist organizations working with communities that are disproportionately impacted by the outbreak. The Colorado Health Foundation matched Pinnacol’s gift to enable a total donation of $2 million, the carrier said.

Pinnacol also donated $250,000 to the Denver Small Business Relief Fund to help businesses that had to temporarily close, are struggling with paying rent and utilities, or have had to lay off staff. The carrier donated another $250,000 to the Downtown Colorado Springs Business Relief Fund to provide grants of $2,500 to $25,000 to eligible businesses that face financial catastrophe because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And Pinnacol contributed $125,000 to the Greeley Recovery Fund to help businesses in the city cover costs that aren’t addressed by any federal assistance programs.

Pinnacol also announced a $125,000 donation to the Restaurant Association Angel Fund to provide restaurant and hospitality workers with financial assistance and access to support services that provide federal, state and community resources for housing, transportation, mental health, medical, childcare assistance and more. And the carrier gave $75,000 to the Grand Junction Covid-19 Responders Loan Fund to provide funds for working capital, equipment or inventory to be used to directly support companies responding to the COVID-19 crisis.