Let’s begin by introducing the participants in today’s story.
Brown-Forman Corporation is the largest American-owned spirit and wine company, selling a variety of brands in more than 170 countries, and of course with headquarters in Louisville.
Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) is distributor of fine wines and spirits in North America, with operations in more than half the states in the union, as well as Washington DC.
APRON, Inc. dates to 2011, when it began an odyssey of organizing support for independent restaurant employees in Louisville beset with financial distress in times of crisis.
On Tuesday, these three entities announced a welcomed initiative to help extend APRON’s reach from its Louisville base to the state of Kentucky in its entirety.
An information release spelled out the scope of this effort.
Brown-Forman and RNDC have pledged $100,000 in December to support these workers during this important time of need. The amount pledged is in addition to donations each company has made to support hospitality workers across the country over the last several months.
Gary Fox, APRON’s president, commented in the release.
“APRON, Inc. is excited to announce our partnership with Brown-Forman and Republic National Distributing Co. to help feed families of Independent Restaurant Workers in need during this challenging Holiday Season. APRON is grateful to Brown-Forman and RNDC, without whose support and generosity this program would have never happened.”
Added Brown-Forman’s Les Thomas (general manager for Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina), “We are pleased to provide support to those impacted by the current pandemic. With restrictions continuing to impact these workers, we want to do what we can to help them and their families.”
RNDC Executive Vice President-Kentucky Don Wolz added, “Restaurant and bar workers are the heart of the service industry. Through no fault of their own, they are at the mercy of a pandemic that impacts how they make a living. Many continue to face uncertainty about the long-term impact of this catastrophe. We at RNDC are proud to support the Kentucky service industry and their families who are carrying the heavy financial burden of this pandemic.”
Eligible workers can go now to www.aproninc.org to apply.
