Georgia nonprofit receives $5M from Bezos to fight homelessness

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FILE - Lauren Sanchez (L) and Jeff Bezos attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California.  (Karwai Tang/WireImage)

GEORGIA - Georgia’s oldest and only statewide social services organization has received a $5 million donation from Jeff and Lauren Bezos.

What we know:

St. Vincent de Paul Georgia said it was one of 32 organizations nationwide selected to receive funding from the Day 1 Families Fund, a nonprofit launched by the Amazon founder and his wife. The group said this is the largest gift it has received since its founding in 1903.

The organization said the money will help families facing homelessness overcome the barriers keeping them on the streets. The funds will be distributed over the next five years and will combine housing solutions with life-skills support, income-advancement counseling, and wraparound casework tailored to the specific needs of each family.

What they're saying:

"We are tremendously grateful for the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund award," said Mike Mies, executive director of SVdP Georgia. "It affirms the value of our mission and will greatly expand our capacity to walk alongside families in crisis, moving them to stable housing and helping to build pathways to long-term stability. We are counting on this award to be a catalyst for other individuals and organizations to join us in prioritizing assistance to families who are sleeping outside, in cars and places not meant for human habitation."

Big picture view:

Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has issued 280 leadership awards totaling more than $850 million to organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.