Our Community Inc. Granted $1.25 Million from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez to Connect Wiregrass Region Families Experiencing Homelessness with Stable Housing and Critical Services
DOTHAN, Ala. – (November 20, 2024): Our Community Inc., a nonprofit affiliate of the Dothan Housing
Authority, today announced that it has received a $1.25 million grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren
Sánchez through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This donation is the largest gift in the organization’s
history. This is the seventh year that the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded grants to organizations across
the country that are leading the way to move the needle on family homelessness with the goal of
ensuring that no child sleeps outside.
“This grant is not just about funding; it’s about restoring hope and dignity to our community members
experiencing homelessness,“ said Samuel P. Crawford, President and CEO of Our Community Inc.
Family homelessness in the U.S. rose dramatically from 2022 to 2023, and families now represent more
than 28 percent of the country’s homeless population, according to a 2024 report from the National
Alliance to End Homelessness. With its one-time Day 1 Families Fund grant, Our Community Inc. will
work to reverse this national trend by serving families experiencing homelessness in the Wiregrass.
Specifically, Our Community Inc. plans to use its funds to create more affordable housing units and to
provide outreach and rapid rehousing assistance in partnership with The Southeast Alabama Coalition
for the Homeless (SEACH).
A group of national advisors who are leading experts on family homelessness and its solutions, including
the intersection of homelessness and housing policy, child welfare, racial equity and service provision,
identified the organizations selected for funding.
“We believe that every individual deserves a place to call home, and with this grant, we’re one step
closer to making that belief a reality for all in our community,” said Tera Wells, Director of strategic
initiatives at Our Community Inc.
Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded 248 grants totaling nearly $750 million to
organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The grants are
uniquely flexible and enable organizations to support families experiencing homelessness—including
those who are unsheltered or staying in shelters—to regain safe, stable housing and achieve well-being.
This year, the Fund issued a total of $110.5 million in grants to 40 organizations, and for the first time,
nonprofits in Kansas and New Jersey are among the awardees. The full list of awardees is available at
bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund.
About Our Community Inc:
Our Community Inc. is a nonprofit affiliate of the Dothan Housing Authority, with a mission to rebuild
lives and revitalize neighborhoods through the power of stable housing. OCI aims to make significant
strides in combating homelessness and improving housing accessibility in the Wiregrass. OCI serves
Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Houston, and Henry Counties in Southeast Alabama.
About the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund:
Launched in 2018, the Bezos Day One Fund made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making
meaningful and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing nonprofits that help families experiencing
homelessness, and creating a network of new, nonprofit tier-one preschools in low-income
communities. The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic
groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness—
including those who are unsheltered or staying in shelters—regain safe, stable housing and achieve wellbeing.
The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For
more information, visit Www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.
