Question 1

What is Cracker Barrel Cares?

Accepted Answer

Cracker Barrel Cares is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded by employee donations. The program provides financial assistance to eligible employees facing emergencies or hardships caused by unexpected, unforeseen, or unavoidable events. 
Assistance is only available for specific qualifying events, and documentation is required. Employees must meet program requirements and submit required documents to be eligible.

Question 2

Do I need to be employed to apply for Cracker Barrel Cares?

Accepted Answer

To be eligible, an individual must be employed by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.® ("CBOCS") or any affiliated company of CBOCS in a full or part-time capacity and actively working or on an approved leave of absence ("Employee" or "Applicant") when submitting an application and when payment is made.

Question 3

How long do I have to apply for Cracker Barrel Cares?

Accepted Answer

An employee needs to apply within sixty (60) days of the qualifying event.

Question 4

How often can I receive a grant from Cracker Barrel Cares?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

What if my situation does not fall under one of the qualifying events?

Accepted Answer

The Cracker Barrel Cares grant program only provides assistance for specific qualifying events. Situations outside of the following are not eligible.
Qualifying Events:
Critical health condition (self or employee's spouse, child or parent)
Natural  Disaster (Residential Fire or Federally Declared Widespread)
Death of an employee or employee's spouse, child or parent
Intimate partner violence
If your situation does not fall within one of these qualifying events or cannot be supported with the required documentation, it will not be eligible for a grant under this program.

Question 6

I do not have a computer or smartphone; how can I apply?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

How will I know the outcome of my application?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

How long does the process take?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 9

If approved, how do I receive the funds?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 10

Can you send funds through Payroll?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, Cracker Barrel Cares cannot disburse funds through Payroll. The program uses PayPal to send payments, which can be accessed immediately upon transfer.

Question 11

I need financial assistance due to homelessness or an eviction.

Accepted Answer

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).

Question 12

I need help with automobile repairs or I have transportation issues.

Accepted Answer

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.