Jeff Bezos’ Day 1 Families Fund gave Mary’s Place a $5 million grant in 2020. (Photo: Instagram)
A $5 million grant from Jeff Bezos ’ Day 1 Families Fund in 2020 has helped Seattle-based nonprofit Mary’s Place strengthen its efforts to support families experiencing homelessness. Five years later, the organisation has helped 2,668 families secure safe and stable housing, while more than 6,000 families have received assistance through emergency shelter and mobile outreach services, according to a case study published in December 2025. Its mission also inspired the establishment of the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, which supports organisations working to address family homelessness. Mary’s Place received its first $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund in 2020. The grant also enabled Mary’s Place to increase staffing capacity at its Family Center in The Regrade, which opened in an Amazon office building in 2020 and remains the organisation’s largest shelter. The additional resources proved particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when an unprecedented number of families approached the organisation for immediate assistance. The organisation assisted 2,668 families in securing safe and stable housing during the five-year grant period, according to the December 2025 case study. More than 6,000 families were also served through its emergency shelter and mobile outreach programmes. Mary’s Place helped 2,668 families secure safe and stable housing over five years. (Photo: Mary’s Place) Despite the progress, homelessness remains a major challenge across the Seattle region, with shelters operating at full capacity. With its 2025 Day 1 Families Fund grant, Mary’s Place plans to pilot an Intensive Acute Outreach Program to reach families with complex needs, including those living in cars, tents and other precarious situations. The organisation also plans to invest in 200 shelter beds with wraparound services for families experiencing homelessness. More than 6,000 families received emergency shelter and mobile outreach support. (Photo: Mary’s Place) The December 2025 case study also highlights the experience of Paula, a military veteran who found herself homeless with her five-year-old daughter, Alayla, after a series of devastating setbacks. Within hours, the organisation arranged transportation and welcomed Paula and Alayla into its 24-hour family shelter.
CEO Dominique Alex said the organisation’s first grant helped it respond to the unexpected needs of families during the pandemic and play a leading role in the community during an exceptionally difficult period. “Our first Day 1 Families Fund grant in 2020 allowed us to meet the unanticipated needs of families during the pandemic and be a leader in our community during this difficult crisis,” Alex said. Alex said the organisation had learnt valuable lessons from its pandemic response and was now better positioned to reach families in difficult circumstances. “We can’t do it alone; we need our community to come alongside us,” she said, describing the collective effort as “the magic of Mary’s Place”. “I just started calling places and saying, ‘Hey, I’m sitting outside of a motel on the street with my daughter, she’s five, we have nowhere to go,’” Paula recalled. Reflecting on the support they received, Paula said, “She’s resilient, she’s strong, and she’s beautiful, and we got through it together.
For more than two decades, Mary’s Place has been working towards its mission of ensuring that no child sleeps outside. Based in Seattle, Washington, the nonprofit provides emergency shelter, mobile outreach and homelessness prevention services, while partnering with other organisations in the community to help families find a way out of homelessness. The funding allowed the organisation to expand its homelessness diversion programme, which helps families explore alternative housing arrangements and avoid entering emergency shelters whenever possible. A significant part of the investment went towards strengthening its partnerships with landlords and property owners to help families secure stable accommodation. With increased demand for emergency accommodation, Mary’s Place expanded its capacity to respond to the crisis and help families transition into permanent housing. It will further expand housing navigation services and flexible funding options to help more families find permanent accommodation. Reflecting on the organisation’s future, she added, “We’ve learned so much. We’re in a position to meet families where they are and help them find stability. Ending family homelessness is possible—but it takes all of us. After leaving an unhealthy marriage, Paula and her daughter had moved to Louisiana to start afresh. However, two hurricanes destroyed their home, leaving Paula with little to rebuild their lives. Determined to find a new beginning, she travelled to Seattle in search of employment and housing. Initially, she managed to keep them in a motel while looking for work and permanent accommodation. But when her money ran out, she found herself without anywhere to go. One of those calls connected her with Mary’s Place. The support went beyond providing them with a roof over their heads. youth services and the opportunity to connect with other children, Paula worked with housing specialists to secure permanent accommodation While Alayla benefited from a trauma-informed environment. The staff at Mary’s Place were so caring. I always tell them they gave me my life back. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Today, the mother and daughter have a stable home.
