Amazon founder Jeff Bezos donates $2.5M to fight homelessness in Hawaii

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Published: Nov. 17, 2021 at 12:57 PM HST|Updated: Nov. 17, 2021 at 1:01 PM HST
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A fund launched by Amazon founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos donated $2.5 million to a Hawaii nonprofit in an effort to end homelessness in the state.

Family Life Center, Inc., which operates on Maui, Molokai and Kauai, said it is one of 32 organizations across the country that received a portion of $96.2 million in grants from Bezos Day 1 Families Fund.

This donation comes as Bezos recently bought a new estate on Maui in the area of La Perrouse Bay for $78 million.

The nonprofit said this is the second year in a row it has received funding from Bezos. With the donation last year, it was able to expand outreach from Maui and Kauai to Molokai.

The organization said it hopes to continue expanding its programs to help underserved homeless populations as well as develop an adaptive shelter model for families.

So far, the organization has helped over 1,270 families in the last three years.

The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund was created in 2018 to provide shelter and hunger support for children and families in need.

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