NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter (NOWCS), the region’s leading shelter for intact families, has announced that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are recognizing the organization with a $1.25 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This investment is the largest gift in the nonprofit’s history. NOWCS is part of the eighth annual cohort of organizations across the country receiving funding from the Day 1 Families Fund to deepen their work to help every family have a safe, stable place to call home.
“This generous gift from the Day 1 Families Fund is truly transformational,” said Dawn Bradley-Fletcher, NOWCS chief executive officer. “It means more families will come in from the streets and into safety, more children will fall asleep in warm beds instead of cars and more parents will have the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. We are deeply grateful to the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund for believing that every family deserves a place to call home — and for helping us make that a reality in New Orleans. This support strengthens our foundation and expands our ability to bring more families home.”
NOWCS will use its Day 1 Families Fund grant to serve even more families experiencing homelessness in New Orleans, with the goal of ensuring no child in our community sleeps outside. Specifically, NOWCS plans to use this one-time grant over the next five years to strengthen and expand vital programming and holistic support for women, men and children experiencing homelessness…