The Japan Times - Bezos grant helps Seattle nonprofit move thousands of families toward housing

Seattle’s nonprofit organisation Mary’s Place is a place which supports families who are homeless. They provide emergency shelter to the needy and partner with different organisations so people should have shelter and they don't remain homeless. Jeff Bezos’ Day 1 Families Fund in 2020 provided a $5 million grant to Mary’s Place to expand its support for families facing homelessness. Five years after receiving the funding, the organisation has helped 2,668 families find safe and stable housing, while over 6,000 families have benefited from its emergency shelter, as reported by a case study published in December 2025.

The funding helped Mary’s Place expand its homelessness diversion programme, which works with families to identify alternative housing options and prevent them from having to enter emergency shelters. The organisation also used a significant portion of the grant to strengthen its network of landlords and property owners, making it easier for families to access permanent accommodation. The investment further supported an increase in staffing at the organisation's Family Center in The Regrade. Located inside an Amazon office building, the centre opened in 2020 and continues to serve as Mary’s Place's largest shelter.

A case highlighting a mother and daughter duo shows the experience of Paula who was homeless with her five year old daughter, Alaya. She left an unhealthy marriage, then she moved to Louisiana with her daughter. In a sad turn of events her home was destroyed by hurricanes. After that she moved to Seattle to find a place to live and a job.

Initially, Paula managed to stay with her daughter in a motel while searching for a job and permanent housing. However, after running out of money, the mother and daughter were left without a place to stay. "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.

One of her calls led her to Mary’s Place, which arranged transportation within hours and welcomed the family into its 24-hour shelter. Beyond providing accommodation, the organisation offered support tailored to their needs. While Alayla received care in a trauma-informed environment and access to youth services, Paula worked with housing specialists to find a permanent home.

Today, Paula and her daughter have a safe and stable place to live. Grant helped organisation during COVID-19 pandemic

These resources became more valuable during the COVID pandemic, when Mary’s Place experienced a sharp rise in the number of families seeking immediate support. As demand for emergency accommodation increased, the organisation was able to expand its services, respond to the crisis and help more families move towards permanent housing. CEO Dominique Alex said the initial grant enabled the organisation to address the unexpected challenges families faced during the pandemic and take a leading role in supporting the community through an exceptionally difficult time.

Mary’s Place plans to expand support with new grant With its 2025 Day 1 Families Fund grant, Mary’s Place plans to launch a pilot Intensive Acute Outreach Program to support families with complex needs, including those living in cars, tents and other unstable conditions. Despite the progress, homelessness continues to be a pressing issue across the Seattle region, where shelters are operating at full capacity.

The organisation also intends to fund almost 200 shelter beds equipped with support services for families experiencing homelessness. Additionally, it plans to strengthen its housing navigation services and introduce more flexible funding options to help families secure permanent homes. Alex said the organisation's experience during the pandemic had provided important lessons and improved its ability to reach families facing 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".

M.Sugiyama--JT