Officials with St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Georgia, a nonprofit based in DeKalb County, recently announced that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos awarded the organization a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. The grant is the largest gift in the nonprofit’s history, stated officials.
“We are tremendously grateful for the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund award. 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,” said Mike Mies, executive director of SVdP Georgia. “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 other places not meant for human habitation.”
Officials with SVdP Georgia stated they will use the Day 1 Families Fund grant to expand service to families experiencing homelessness throughout the state, with the goal of ensuring no child in the community sleeps outside. “Specifically, SVdP Georgia plans to use this one-time grant over the next five years to work one-on-one with unhoused families to rapidly identify and address barriers to housing stability and sustained self-reliance,” added officials. “Our very personalized approach will combine housing solutions with life skills support, income advancement counseling and a complement of wraparound casework and support services to align with the specific needs of families.”…