By Communications Department - Archdiocese of Miami
WILTON MANORS, Fla. – (Nov. 21, 2023): Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc., one of the largest non-governmental providers of social services in South Florida, today announced that it has received a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This is the sixth round of annual Day 1 Families Fund grants, which recognize leading organizations doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness secure housing and achieve stability. This grant will build on the $5 million Day 1 Families Fund grant Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami received in 2018.
“Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami is truly blessed and grateful to have been chosen for the Day 1 Families Fund grant. It permits Catholic Charities to continue its work of providing shelter and rapid re-housing services to families struggling with the rising costs of living in South Florida,” said Peter Routsis-Arroyo, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami. “These monies will assist in changing the lives of hundreds of families now finding themselves homeless in these challenging times. We are deeply touched by this kindness and privileged to be able to assist those most in need.”
This one-time, uniquely flexible grant will support Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami in serving as a critical lifeline to children and adults in families experiencing homelessness, who represent more than a quarter of the homeless population nationally. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami plans to use its Day 1 Families Fund grant to provide rapid re-housing services to homeless families in Broward, Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties. This includes providing 50 beds for unsheltered families in Miami-Dade County along with case management to guide families back to stable housing and financial self-sufficiency.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami was selected as a Day 1 Families Fund grant recipient by a group of national advisors who are leading advocates and experts on homelessness and service provision. National advisors brought expertise on housing justice, advancing racial equity and helping programs employ resources effectively to assist families out of homelessness.
Over the past six years, the Day 1 Families Fund has provided 208 grants totaling more than $630 million to organizations around the country working on the frontlines to identify unsheltered families, help families regain housing and connect families experiencing homelessness to vital services. A selection of more than half of the Day 1 Families Fund grantees who received funding between 2018 through 2021 report that, to date, they have used their grants to divert more than 28,000 families from experiencing homelessness, connect more than 30,000 unsheltered families with safe shelter and help more than 75,000 families access the services they need.
This year, the Fund issued a total of $117.55 million in grants to 38 organizations. The Day 1 Families Fund has now granted this award to organizations in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. New states this year include Arkansas, Vermont and Wyoming. The full list of awardees is available at bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund.
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 well-being. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.
About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami (CCADM) has been providing social services in the Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe tri-county area since 1931. Since our inception, the agency has continuously adapted services to meet the changing needs of South Florida’s most vulnerable populations. Today, CCADM is still devoted to meeting the ever-changing needs of vulnerable youth and families in South Florida through the provision of caring professional services, the support of community outreach for those in need, and advocacy in matters of social justice. Our agency currently provides a variety of services including adult day care and senior centers for the elderly; shelter and care for unaccompanied children and youth; quality early childhood education for low-income families; housing and homeless services for individuals and families; homelessness prevention services; counseling and substance abuse treatment; hunger prevention; and acculturation services for refugees and new entrants.
