City Care, a local non-profit providing low-barrier shelter, supportive services and affordable housing to address the root causes of homelessness, today announced that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are recognizing the organization with a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This investment is the largest gift in the nonprofit’s
history. City Care 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. “We are thrilled by this opportunity to expand our support for families experiencing homelessness, one of the fastest-growing populations facing housing instability,” said Rachel Freeman, CEO of City Care. “This funding will greatly increase our capacity to meet families the moment they need help, surround them with care and guide them quickly into safe, stable housing and a place to call home.”
City Care will use its Day 1 Families Fund grant to serve even more families experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City and Norman, with the goal of ensuring no child in our community sleeps outside. Specifically, City Care plans to use this one-time grant over the next five years to create lasting infrastructure that streamlines resource referrals, enhances wraparound supports and increases housing stability outcomes for hundreds of families over the next several years.
City Care was identified to receive this grant by a group of national advisors who are leading advocates and bring expertise on homelessness, housing policy and effective approaches and solutions to family homelessness.
“It is devastating to witness families struggling to survive right here in our own community. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between a roof over their children’s heads and the other essentials of life, but too many face that reality every day,” said Carole Tear, chair of the board of directors at City Care. “This incredible support allows us to respond quickly and provide the right services at the right time. We are positioned to help more families turn a moment of crisis into an opportunity to thrive.” Since its inception in 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded 280 grants totaling more than $850 million to organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The Day 1 Families Fund grant recipients have tremendous flexibility to use the funds in the ways that are most impactful in their communities, making the grant a game-changer for organizations on the frontlines of the family homelessness crisis. Recipients will use their funds to support families experiencing homelessness to access critical services, regain stable housing and achieve well-being. This year, the Fund issued a total of $102.5 million in grants to 32 organizations. The full list of awardees is available at https://bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund. Case studies of the impact selected
grantees have made with their funds are available at https://www.bezosdayonefund.org/case-studies.
