Guy Fieri reveals what he's doing to help restaurant workers during coronavirus crisis: 'My heart breaks'

Video by Becky Horvath

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing, restaurants and the people who work in them have been hit particularly hard financially. Now, celebrity chef Guy Fieri wants to help.

Fieri has partnered with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to help raise funds for workers who have found themselves unemployed and in dire financial straits.

“We're going to try to get $500 to every employee,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle from his home in Northern California, where he’s currently self-isolating with his family.

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation estimates that between five and seven million restaurant workers may lose their jobs due to the pandemic.

“I've been in the restaurant business my whole life,” says Fieri. “Never in a million years could I have anticipated, forecasted or believed this would ever take place,” he added.

According to Fieri, 100% of donations from the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund will go to those in need. “No red tape, no B.S.,” he says.

“They still have cell phone bills. They still have power bills. They still have food bills. They still have credit card bills. We're at a point now where I just—my heart breaks thinking of the hopelessness that people could start to experience,” says Fieri.

He added, “Right now, the wind needs to swing toward the people that have been serving us for so many years. Now it's time for us to serve them.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.

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• What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

• Glossary of public health terms to stay informed

• The most common ways the coronavirus is transmitted

• How to maintain your physical and mental health during the pandemic

• Taking care of a loved one with COVID-19? Here’s how to stay healthy

• COVID-19 and pregnancy: What we know so far

• How to find a job, unemployment insurance

• Q&A with Dr. Kavita Patel: How to keep your family safe and maintain your mental health

• Opening and cleaning delivery packages

• Tips for grocery shopping

• How to deal with potentially contaminated money

• How to do your laundry safely

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