Hoosier Nonprofits Awarded $1M+ from Bezos Foundation
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowINDIANAPOLIS, LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Two Indiana nonprofits that provide safe housing for families in challenging, often abusive situations have each been awarded $1.25 million from a program started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The Day 1 Families Fund awarded grants to Indianapolis-based Coburn Place and Lafayette-based LTHC Homeless Services, formerly known as Lafayette Transitional Housing Center.
The Indiana nonprofits were among a group of 32 organizations across the U.S. to receive the grants which totaled $98 million nationally.
Coburn Place, which provides transitional housing for survivors of interpersonal abuse, is the first Indianapolis nonprofit to receive the award.
“This is an amazing opportunity for Coburn Place to focus on something it’s been trying to accomplish for quite some time — shorten the wait time that Indianapolis survivors endure to gain access to safe and stable housing,” said Julia Kathary, executive director of Coburn Place.
Kathary says the organization’s wait list is three to five times its capacity. Some families often wait up to a year for the assistance.
“While Coburn Place has grown in the last three years the fact remains that there is not enough affordable housing in Indianapolis that is safe, accessible and sustainable for survivors,” said Kathary.
The Bezos Day One Fund was launched in 2018 with a commitment of $2 billion. The organization’s website says it is focused on support for two areas: funding for nonprofits that help homeless families and the creation of a network of preschools in low-income communities.