Samaritan House receives $1.25M Bezos-funded grant

Virginia Beach-based charity supports homeless families

Published December 9, 2020 by Kate Andrews

Virginia Beach-based Samaritan House has received a $1.25 million grant from the Day 1 Families Fund, which was launched in 2018 by Amazon.com Inc. founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the organization announced Wednesday.

Samaritan House is one of 42 nonprofits across the country (and the only Virginia nonprofit) to receive a grant in the $2 billion fund’s third annual round of leadership awards. Bezos started the fund to assist families struggling with homelessness and to fund new preschools in low-income communities. Samaritan House will use the money to expand its services and make improvements to its shelters. The Day 1 Families Fund issued a total of $105.9 million in grants in 2020.

Founded in 1984, Samaritan House provides shelter for people experiencing domestic violence or homelessness. The organization owns 14 safe houses and houses about 110 people a night, and its children’s program teaches young people about building healthy relationships, increasing their self-confidence, improving their academic performances and ultimately breaking the cycle of homelessness and violence.

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