LEWISTON — Farmworkers and meatpackers will have a chance to submit applications for $600 COVID-19 relief payments Wednesday at the Trinity Jubilee Center at 247 Bates St., according to a press release from Trinity.

The one-time $600 payment comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Food Workers Relief Program. The program’s targets are those who continued planting and harvesting and caring for, slaughtering and processing livestock in USDA-approved facilities from Jan. 27, 2020, to May 11, 2023.

According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, Androscoggin County has 496 farms, over 55,000 acres of farmland and draws over $40 million in sales. Some 97 farms are family owned and operated, and more than 130 farms employ some 769 farmworkers — fulltime and seasonal — earning around $7,450,000 in total payroll.

Erin Reed, Trinity’s executive director, said her organization’s involvement in connecting job seekers in meat processing, orchard work, fish processing and other farm related jobs, Reed said.

“As soon as we heard about this program we knew we had to host an event in Lewiston,” said Reed. “We want to make sure our local workers can apply for these payments!”

Mano en Mano of Milbridge will have staff on hand to aid applicants throughout the process. No registration is required for the event or application process which will be on a first come, first served basis, the release said. Applicants must have photo identification with a birthdate and proof of employment which can be found on paystubs or W2 or 1099 tax forms.

The event will run noon to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Trinity Jubilee Center at 247 Bates St.

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