Jeff Bezos and his wife donated millions of dollars to D.C.-area organizations for their fight against homelessness this Giving Tuesday.
“It is mission changing; it provides the resources to make a significant difference in the lives of the families that we serve,” said Tim Jansen, CEO of Community Crisis Services Inc. (CCSI), one of the four organizations to receive the donation from the Amazon cofounder and the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund.
For decades, CCSI has been on the frontlines in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and throughout the D.C. region. Housing, crisis and suicide intervention, and emotional support are priorities for those who have fallen on tough times. Their mission of providing hope hasn’t changed even through recent funding constraints.
“There are significant changes at the federal level in funding, which affects what the state can do and what the county can do locally,” Jansen said. “And so, those changes in funding affect the way in which we can help.”
While budgets have gotten tighter, need has significantly increased.
“The calls to our organization for food assistance, for financial assistance and specifically, for shelter and housing assistance are at all-time highs,” Jansen said.
When he learned CCSI would be receiving the largest donation in the agency’s history, his mind zeroed in on the amount of people $5 million could help.
“It provides the resources to make a significant difference in the lives of the families that we serve,” Jansen said.
“Helping homeless families who have members with physical disabilities or intellectual disabilities,” he said.
Friendship Place, Harford Family House and Lifestyles of Maryland also received some of the $11.25 million in local grants. The four organizations are among 32 around the country receiving grants totaling $102.5 million.
“So, these funds are going to help us cure homelessness for a significant number of folks,” Jansen said.
