Miriam’s House, an organization that serves homeless families and individuals based in Lynchburg, received $1.25 million in a grant from Jeff Bezos’ Day 1 Families Fund — essentially doubling its budget in a year.
“It was sort of unbelievable,” said Sarah Quarantotto, executive director of Miriam’s House, adding that her team had a small celebration after the news was out.
In 2023, the nonprofit housed 537 individuals, including 165 children. That year, 94% of households it served obtained stable housing and didn’t become homeless again, Quarantotto said.
The fund, started by Amazon founder Bezos and his fiancee, Lauren Sanchez, has distributed nearly $750 million to organizations combating homelessness in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico since 2018. This week it announced 40 grants, totaling $110 million.
Miriam’s House isn’t the first Virginia shelter to receive this grant. In the past few years, shelters in Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Richmond, South Boston, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Henrico and Oakton have also been awarded up to $2.5 million each.
Miriam’s House’s yearly budget, Quarantotto said, is about $1.5 million. She said the organization will receive the entire grant in November, but the intent is to use the money over the course of five years. She said it’s “probably the most flexible funding” the nonprofit has received.
She said the grant will go toward expanding the Community First program, which works with homeless families to help them get into stable housing. This includes paying security deposits and first-month rent and offering case management services and financial literacy programming. Quarantotto said her staff usually works with families for six to nine months before they’re back on their feet.
“We’ve always been really committed to best practices and addressing homelessness in a way that’s really thoughtful based on data and the input of those who have experienced it,” she said. “Our work has been really respected over the years.”
On Wednesday, Sanchez spoke on the “Today” show about the Day 1 Families Fund.
“I’ve never been more proud of something as walking into a shelter and seeing not just the people that they’re helping but the people that are helping these people,” she said. “They’re so prideful, and they take so much pride in what they’re doing.”
In November 2023, Miriam’s House received the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference Award for Best Housing Program in Virginia.
