Amazon keeps on giving! Jeff Bezos (Amazon’s founder and CEO) announced a One-Day Match Challenge for Mary’s Place Annual Spring Benefit Luncheon. Jeff Bezos will personally match any donation made on May 3rd (including donations already made to the luncheon) up to a total of $1,000,000.
This luncheon is one of Mary’s Place’s biggest fundraisers, and this matching challenge just doubled its effectiveness. I’ll be in attendance, along with the other Agents of Change, and I can’t wait to see how much we can raise for Mary’s Place. The goal: $1 million from us and other donors, and another $1 million from Jeff Bezos.
This matching challenge is on top of Amazon’s already-huge donation: a free year in their 60-unit building. This facility will become a homeless shelter for up to 200 women, children, and families, and Amazon is donating that space completely rent-free.
All these donations could do huge things for homelessness. I’m seeing firsthand how housing keeps getting more and more expensive in Seattle, and as a result, I’m watching our city’s homeless population grow larger and larger. At a time when an entry-level house goes for $500,000, those who live with mental illness, health care issues, no support system, or any of the other reasons that can make homeless a sudden, abrupt reality need our help. They need a hand up in this difficult environment, and Mary’s Place does just that.
If you want to join me in supporting Mary’s Place with a donation on Tuesday, May 3rd, you can do so here. And if you work in real estate (Realtor, home lending, etc.), you can do more! You can talk to me about joining a community of other real estate professionals who care about giving back. I formed Agents of Change for that purpose a year and a half ago, and we’ve been proud and happy supporters ever since.
I’ll leave you with Mary’s Place’s own thoughts about Jeff Bezos’ One-Day Match Challenge:
Since we learned of this match I haven’t stopped thinking about how many more families we will be able to bring inside with two million dollars. Or how many more meals, showers, doctor’s visits – and housing and employment assistance we will be able provide, and how many more dreams of safety, stability and hope will come true!