CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte announced Tuesday it had received a $5 million Day 1 Families Fund grant, thanks to Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos.
The couple has donated $97.5 million to 24 nonprofits across the country working on family homelessness.
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Salvation Army officials plan to use the funds to launch a robust access-to-employment program and expand shelter options for families.
“This investment from Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos and the Day 1 Families Fund here in Charlotte – and across the nation – is going to make a tremendous impact in supporting families experiencing homeless,” said Maj. Larry Broome, area commander for The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. “We are immeasurably grateful for this partnership in our aim to end homelessness, one family at a time.”
The Salvation Army has a long, storied history of serving Charlotte’s homeless population, and as a result, it has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally as a leader.
“Ultimately, our goal, with the help of this grant, is to reduce the demand for emergency shelter in our community,” said Broome. “We will be able to enhance our existing services, including the addition of housing navigators to help clients identify and apply for housing. We will also be able to add more robust programs, including GED classes, job training, resume building and more, to help our shelter clients increase their income.”
“One vital aspect missing in our community is dedicated shelter space to serve intact families,” added Deronda Metz, The Salvation Army’s director of social services. “These funds will allow us to evaluate our capital needs and determine an actionable plan for serving these families.”
The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte is one of 24 nonprofits to receive the first Day 1 Families Fund grants, totaling $97.5 million. Recipients from around the country include: Abode Services, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Catholic Community Services of Western Washington, Community of Hope, Community Rebuilders, Crossroads Rhode Island, District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH), Emerald Development & Economic Network (EDEN) Inc., FrontLine Service, Hamilton Families, Heartland Family Service, Housing Families First, JOIN, LA Family Housing (LAFH), Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), Primo Center for Women and Children, Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA), SEARCH Homeless Services, Simpson Housing Services, The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, The Salvation Army of Greater Houston, UMOM New Day Centers and Urban Resource Institute (URI).
“This funding allows us to add even more strength to what we currently do for families and the flexibility to do much more, including collaborations across our community to tackle the deep-rooted, systemic problems that keep people in poverty,” said Metz. “We know we cannot end family homelessness on our own, but we can end homelessness for one family at a time and give them hope for the future.”
Founded by Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, the Bezos Day One Fund consists of two programs: the Day 1 Families Fund that provides grants to nonprofit organizations fighting homelessness, and the Day 1 Academies Fund that will fund and build a network of preschools in low-income communities across the country.
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