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My name is Robb Kantor and I live in South Florida.  I was watching a news report on the impact of COVID-19 on Philadelphia hospitality workers. The pandemic has made it increasingly difficult for people to keep up with their rent and bill payments when there are no jobs to be found. I was very moved by the interview with Kat Payne as she was very eloquent and had a primary mission to keep a roof over herself and her two children. 

I was very sad to hear the impact of the pandemic on hotel occupancy rates and especially hit hard was the Philadelphia area hospitality rate of 27%.  Which is way under the national average of 50% occupancy.  As a person who had travelled for over 8 years for my work. I appreciate the work that all hospitality workers provide to each guest in front and behind the scenes that we sometime take for granted.

Ms Payne has been furloughed since April 2020 and she has lost two jobs due. Both due to the shutdown and continuing unemployment because of the downturn in business and personal travel. Locally held conventions enabled the Philadelphia hotels to stay full. These events have all been cancelled for this year and possibly extending into next year.

Marriot  Hotel worker Kat Payne is an advocate for the need for fair workweek scheduling and the impact current scheduling methods have on poor working families. She was also part of the 2019 Netroots Nation Speaker Series.  Kat has been a voice for fairness and better work conditions for all.

This GoFundMe is to assist Kat Payne and her two children to pay for their rent primarily and then any extra monies to assist her to pay any past due bills.

This link is an April interview regarding the lockdown earlier this year CBS Philly Channel 3   
This is the most recent September 28 news story CNN Channel  

I want to thank you in advance for your support of the Payne family.