PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia community action organization has received a $5 million grant from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. The group’s goal is to help families experiencing homelessness.
Impact Services Corporation has been working in the Kensington section of Philadelphia since 1974 to help people re-enter the workforce and find stable housing. Over the last 20 years, it has also been dedicated to ending homelessness. Like with most nonprofit organizations, funding is always a challenge for Impact — which is why President and CEO Casey O'Donnell was shocked to learn it was awarded several weeks after applying.
“I was stunned, almost in tears. This is sizable. Our annual revenue is between $15 million and 20 million, depending on what year it is and what grants are available,” O’Donnell said, “and we are constantly pursuing funding, and it is never enough.”
For seven years, the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund has awarded grants to organizations across the country that fight family homelessness. This year, it awarded $110.5 million to 40 groups nationwide, including four in New Jersey.
The $5 million donation is one of the largest gifts in the history of the fund. O'Donnell says the money will be put to good use.
“This funding will support a renovation of an existing property to create a shelter space for families, but it is part of a more comprehensive approach,” he explained. “We've been developing a campus in one of the tougher sections of Kensington.”
About $1.2 million will go toward the renovations, which will include a school, a day care and a gym. Last year, Impact opened 48 units of affordable housing for lower-income families.
More than 5,000 people experienced homelessness in Philadelphia this year alone, according to the city’s Office of Homeless Services, which is a 10% increase over last year. O’Donnell says the $5 million grant should allow Impact to serve 35 families a year over the next five years, with 15 families a year to be housed in the Kensington campus.
“I think we're going to probably touch 500 families a year, although not all of those families will come to us for temporary shelter,” said O’Donnell, “so the idea is partnerships with other organizations. We will do direct outreach to families.”
Impact isn’t the only organization in the region to receive a Bezos Day 1 grant. The YWCA of Bucks County, in Trevose, received $1.25 million from the fund.