Cracker Barrel Cares is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The grant is funded by employee donations. Cracker Barrel Cares provides assistance for eligible employees who face a financial emergency/hardship caused by an unexpected, unforeseen, or unavoidable event. The program covers specific qualifying events and documentation is required. Employees do not automatically qualify for a grant when they experience a covered qualifying event. An employee must meet program requirements and provide the required documentation for the qualifying event, to be eligible.

You must be actively employed or on an approved leave of absence when submitting an application and when payment is made.

An employee must submit an application within sixty (60) days of the qualifying event.

An employee may only receive a grant once within any (6) six-month period and can apply for up to $2500 per application, with a lifetime maximum of $5,000.

Anything outside the following qualifying events would not be covered by the grant program (critical health condition, natural disaster, death of employee or immediate family member, intimate partner violence).

An employee may use the store computer to apply for Cracker Barrel Cares, including the store office computers and the employee is solely responsible for deleting any personal documents that may have been uploaded to or saved on company computers during the application process. You may want to ask a family member or friend with a computer or smartphone to help you complete the application.

Decisions are made by the Cracker Barrel Cares Grant Committee and will be communicated by email.

Processing times vary depending on the completeness of the application. Program administration understands that every situation is urgent and therefore reviews applications in the order received as quickly as possible. Processing can take up to several weeks if required documentation is missing. Applications that are complete with all of the required documentation can take up to 7 business days to fully process.

Grant funds will be disbursed via PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, the award email will include instructions to set up a free PayPal account.

Unfortunately, Cracker Barrel Cares cannot send funds through Payroll. Cracker Barrel Cares is a separate entity from Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and does not have access to Payroll information.

While we truly wish we could assist with a wide range of needs, the program focuses on specific qualifying events and unfortunately does not cover homelessness or eviction-related situations. We understand that this is a challenging time. Please consider reaching out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1-800-96-HELPS, (1-800-964-3577).

While we truly wish we could assist with a wide range of needs, our program focuses on specific qualifying events and unfortunately does not cover automobile repairs or transportation issues. We understand that this is a challenging time. Please consider reaching out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1-800-96-HELPS, (1-800-964-3577).

To create an account and submit your application, you will need an email address. You can use a free email service like Gmail or Yahoo. Please note that all communication regarding your application will be sent via email, so ensure you have access to the email address you provide to receive important updates.

The program utilizes a third party application site called GrantsConnect for applications. You will need to create an account before you can submit an application. Click here www.crackerbarrel.com/crackerbarrelcares Direct link https://apply.yourcausegrants.com/apply/programs/8caf552a-6e69-4374-a985-fe747348c98a Go back to the website Home page and click on Apply Here

Prior to accessing the application, you must complete and eligibility quiz. If in error you answered one of the questions incorrectly you may resubmit the quiz. Are you a current employee of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, or applying on behalf of a Cracker Barrel Employee? Yes – eligible No – not eligible as you must be actively employed or on an approved leave of absence. Are you applying for assistance due to one of the following qualifying events that has occurred within 60 days. Qualifying events: Critical Health Condition (employee or spouse, child, parent); Death of an immediate family member (spouse, child or parent or employee); Natural Disaster (residential fire or widespread federally declared); Intimate partner violence Yes – eligible No – not eligible because these are the only qualifying events Have you received assistance from Cracker Barrel Cares in the last six months? No – eligible Yes – not eligible because an employee may receive a grant once within any six (6) month period. Have you received the maximum lifetime amount of $5,000 from Cracker Barrel Cares? No – eligible Yes – not eligible because an employee has a lifetime maximum of $5000

You may not be eligible if: 1) You are not a current Cracker Barrel Old Country Store employee 2) Your reason for applying is not due to a covered qualifying event 3) You have already received assistance for this event, or another event, in the past six months and/or 4) You have already received the lifetime limit of $5,000 from

Once your application is submitted, you will receive an automatic email confirming that your submission has been successfully received. If you did not receive a confirmation email, please double-check that your application was successfully submitted.

Please ensure you fully log out of the GrantsConnect application site after completing your tasks. Whenever you need to access the system again, please use one of the options listed below. Click here www.crackerbarrel.com/crackerbarrelcares Direct link https://apply.yourcausegrants.com/apply/programs/8caf552a-6e69-4374-a985-fe747348c98a Go back to the website Home page and click on Apply Here Link to GrantsConnect (YourCause) Help Center for assistance with applying. https://webfiles-sc1.blackbaud.com/files/support/helpfiles/grantsconnect/content/gc-applicants.html

Please click the link to access the GrantsConnect online help center. https://webfiles-sc1.blackbaud.com/files/support/helpfiles/grantsconnect/content/gc-applicants.html

There are a few reasons why you may not be able to upload documents. The program uses conditional logic to guide you through the application. Based on your answers, it determines the next set of questions, so make sure you answer them correctly. The application may be in a workflow that you do not have access to. If you've answered all of the questions correctly and are still unable to upload the documents then you may email your documentation to cbcares@crackerbarrel.com.

For technical issues while applying, email: crackerbarrel-support@yourcause.com.

For assistance please email: crackerbarrel-support@yourcause.com

The program is accepting new applications. If you received a message that the program is not, it is because you are trying to submit an application that was started in the previous calendar year. The application system operates on a calendar year budget cycle; therefore, you will need to cancel the application and start a new application. We apologize for any inconvenience.

In order for a household bill to be considered, the employee or the employee’s spouse’s, name must be listed on the bill as a responsible party.

The program requires a bill that shows employee name, address and current amount due. *For rent please provide either a lease agreement or an official letter from the landlord.

To be eligible for assistance an employee must provide a doctor's note that includes first day missed and a return to work date. Both dates are required because eligibility is determined by the amount of time unable to work and the amount of the essential household bill the employee is responsible for paying. The return to work date can be an estimated date and is solely used for the purpose of determining grant eligibility. However, it must be a date. The program cannot accept an open-ended date such as "to be determined" or "until further notice" or "a general number of weeks/months".

The program does not provide assistance in advance of a surgery or medical procedure. Please apply after the surgery or medical procedure.

To be eligible the program requires that an employee be unable to work two weeks or more. If an employee is able to work a reduced schedule the employee would not meet the grant program requirement.

The program tries to help with funeral or cremation expenses when an employee's spouse, child or parent passes. Extended family members are not covered by the program.

If you are not the informant on the death certificate you may provide an official obituary which shows your relationship to the deceased.

The program does not cover loss of wages or bereavement. The program tries to help with funeral or cremations expenses when the employee is listed as the purchaser / responsible party on the funeral or cremation bill.

A surviving family member (spouse, child, parent) may apply for funeral or cremation bill assistance if there is no insurance to cover all or some of the expenses and if the eligible family member is listed as the purchaser on the funeral or cremation bill. A next of kin relative may be eligible for Cracker Barrel Cares assistance if the employee had no immediate family members. The next of kin must provide a legal affidavit confirming next of kin status, along with a funeral bill showing they are the purchaser. Additional documentation may be required.

The program provides assistance for emergency travel over 100 miles roundtrip for the employee to attend the services. Receipts are required for reimbursement. Please note that the program does not offer financial assistance in advance; reimbursement is provided for specific expenses incurred. Covered expenses: airfare, rental car, hotel, and fuel if the employee drove their own vehicle.

To be eligible for funeral or cremation bill assistance, the program requires the employee to be listed as a purchaser on the bill. The bill for the funeral or cremation, showing the employee as the purchaser, indicates the need for a grant because of the financial strain caused by the sudden death of an employee’s immediate family member.

To qualify, the program requires that the employee reside in a FEMA declared natural disaster area. An employee's physical address is used to confirm eligibility.

The program requires either a fire report or a damage report from the American Red Cross. The fire report is preferred because it provided details for the pre-incident values and losses.

The grant program may be able to help with personal losses to clothing, furniture and appliances if you did not own the residence.

The program offers emergency financial assistance for federally declared (widespread) natural or catastrophic disasters. The program offers either assistance for emergency assistance for supplies (up to $750) or emergency assistance for catastrophic losses (up to $2500). Emergency Assistance for Supplies: Cracker Barrel Cares may provide money to pay for emergency supplies like water, food, first aid, breast-feeding supplies, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, or fuel for transportation. Emergency Assistance for Catastrophic Losses: An employee may qualify for financial assistance to help pay for recovery needs such as securing a new residence, help with temporary housing, and/or replacing essential items in the home that were damaged or destroyed by a FEMA Declared Natural Disaster (such as a wildfire, hurricane, tornado, etc.) Documentation for Emergency Assistance for Supplies : FEMA disaster area: The program will confirm that the employee’s physical address is in a FEMA-declared disaster area. Proof of Ownership or Occupancy: Ownership papers or a recent mortgage statement. A lease agreement or a letter from the landlord. In lieu of the ownership or occupancy documents, an employee may provide a copy of their driver's license as proof of residency. Pictures of the residence, damage, loss, or destruction are recommended but not required. Documentation for Emergency Assistance for Catastrophic Losses: FEMA declaration or a report of damage from the American Red Cross. Employee's physical address is used to confirm residence is located in a FEMA declared natural disaster area. If insured either the renter’s or homeowner’s insurance policy declaration and settlement letter. Pictures of the damaged or destroyed essential clothing, furniture, appliances, and home structure. If displaced, hotel receipts as well as documentation and pictures must confirm that the residence is unlivable. If requesting assistance for new housing, a rental agreement that includes the deposit required to secure a new residence (only if fully displaced). Unable to cover: Loss of wages. Eviction or homelessness. A generator. Insurance premiums or deductibles.

Cracker Barrel Cares is unable to cover loss of wages.

To be eligible, an employee is required to provide either a police report that details the physical abuse, order of protection or a restraining order.

Under the qualifying event, intimate partner violence the grant program tries to help an employee with a new residence when the employee must relocate to escape a living situation where the employee is subjected to physical abuse by a current or former intimate partner. The program is unable to help with rent or utilities for a current residence.

Cracker Barrel Cares is unable to offer assistance for homelessness or eviction. If you are experiencing homelessness or eviction, Please consider reaching out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1-800-96-HELPS, (1-800-964-3577).