Big Bend Cares Receives $5 Million Grant from Bezos “Families Fund”

Big Bend Cares, a nonprofit celebrating 40 years of providing health care, housing and supportive services throughout the Big Bend, announced on December 1 that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are recognizing the organization with a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This investment is the largest private gift in the nonprofit’s history. Big Bend Cares is part of the eighth annual cohort of organizations across the country receiving funding from the Day 1 Families Fund to deepen their work to help every family have a safe, stable place to call home.

“This investment from the Day 1 Families Fund allows Big Bend Cares to do what our community has needed for far too long: create real, lasting housing solutions for families,” said Amber R. Tynan, CEO of Big Bend Cares. “For decades we’ve believed that housing is critical healthcare. With this support, we can ensure families have both the stability and the wraparound care they need to thrive, building a healthier and more resilient Big Bend.”

Big Bend Cares will use its Day 1 Families Fund grant to serve even more families experiencing homelessness in Big Bend, with the goal of ensuring no child in our community sleeps outside.

Specifically, Big Bend Cares plans to use this one-time grant over the next five years to help families living in shelters, hotels, cars or outdoors with their transition to safe, affordable housing, long-term stability and better health.

Big Bend Cares was identified to receive this grant by a group of national advisors who are leading advocates and bring expertise on homelessness, housing policy and effective approaches and solutions to family homelessness.

“This transformational investment reinforces Big Bend Cares’ long-standing commitment to meeting people where they are,” said Amy Thorn, president of the Big Bend Cares Board of Directors. “For decades, this organization has stepped up to fill critical gaps in care, and this new program is no exception. By pairing housing with health care, we are ensuring that families in our region not only have a safe place to live but also the support they need to build stronger, healthier futures.”

Since its inception in 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded 280 grants totaling more than $850 million to organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.

The Day 1 Families Fund grant recipients have tremendous flexibility to use the funds in the ways that are most impactful in their communities, making the grant a game-changer for organizations on the frontlines of the family homelessness crisis. Recipients will use their funds to support families experiencing homelessness to access critical services, regain stable housing and achieve well-being.

This year, the Fund issued a total of $102.5 million in grants to 32 organizations. The full list of awardees is available at https://bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund. Case studies of the impact selected grantees have made with their funds are available at https://www.bezosdayonefund.org/case-studies.

About Big Bend Cares

Big Bend Cares provides a range of health care, housing and supportive services to residents of our eight-county area. Big Bend Cares is also the local HIV Lead Agency, a provider of HIV prevention and testing services and the operator of a full-service clinic called Care Point Health & Wellness. Care Point provides primary care, dentistry, lab work, pharmacy and radiology to the community at large and has special programs to assist low-income uninsured residents.

Our housing programs range from rapid rehousing, long-term tenant-based rental  assistance, general housing assistance, and supportive services linking people to employment, benefits and educational programs. We specialize in homeless prevention as well as assisting people who are exiting homelessness. Supportive services offered range from assistance with food, helping with medical expenses, providing medical transportation and more.

About the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund

Through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos issue annual leadership awards to organizations doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.