Yes, Amazon founder, CEO Jeff Bezos gave Fresno $5 million. Here’s what happened
Jeff Bezos’ Day 1 Families Fund on Wednesday announced Poverello House and Westcare in Fresno would receive a total of $5 million to fund homeless efforts in Fresno.
“It’s sad that our community needs this much housing support, but it’s exciting that two agencies like Westcare and Poverello House would be picked out of the 42 organizations representing 24 states,” said Shawn Jenkins, deputy chief operating officer at Westcare. “I think that speaks a lot for us.”
The Day One Families Fund, launched in 2018 by the multi-billionaire CEO of Amazon, announced donations totaling $105.9 million to 42 organizations across the country working to shelter families in need. Each Fresno facility received $2.5 million to be used over five years. The money was made available in Amazon stock, Jenkins said.
Zachary Darrah, CEO of Poverello House, said they would use the grant to launch as early as March the Family Hope Shelter, an innovative multi-unit low-barrier shelter for about 10 families at a time. The larger units will house families with up to nine or more family members, he said.
The center will be located in Fresno’s Chinatown on Mayor Avenue, near the Frank Ball Community Center. Renovations were already underway when Bezos announced the grant recipients.
The dollars will mostly fund case managers over the next five years to help the families who stay at the shelter. They plan to provide childcare, family enrichment opportunities, help with the job searches and life skills classes, as well as housing services, Darrah said.
“The reality is there are just not enough beds for those going through crisis. That has only been magnified by COVID and the pandemic,” he added.
The annual point-in-time count conducted in January, just before the pandemic hit, found at least 3,251 people experience homelessness throughout Fresno County.
Jenkins said Westcare plans to provide navigation services, housing, and motel vouchers for Fresno families experiencing homelessness, but the exact action plan remains up in the air. Westcare will carry out conversations with county and city leaders, the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care, and Poverello House to determine where the money will go and to ensure they don’t duplicate efforts.
“How do we affect the most families as possible? We want to see what the community has and doesn’t have and make sure we’re using the money to the best advantage of our community,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said Bezos emailed him to thank him for his organization’s efforts to ”provide transitional housing and assistance support to unsheltered families.”
“I hope that this grant allows you to continue to serve your community, especially during these challenging times,” Bezos wrote in the Dec. 8 email Jenkins shared with The Bee.
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 2:23 PM.