Axess Family Services, Inc. announced Wednesday that it received a multimillion dollar grant that will go toward helping families dealing with homeless in Northeast Ohio.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez donated a $5 million grant from through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to the nonprofit organization to help serve affected families in Akron/Summit County, Portage County and Youngstown/Mahoning County.
“This is the largest gift we have ever received in my 30-plus years of running this organization,” Mark Frisone, executive director of Axess Family Services, Inc., said in the press release. “It will allow us to continue to go forth and do good for the many homeless families in need in Northeastern Ohio.”
This is the seventh year that the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded grants to organizations focused on combatting family homelessness. The Fund has issued a total of $110.5 million in grants to 40 organizations this year, and nearly $750 million since 2018.
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What will be done with the grant money?
Plans for the grants include expanding the number of beds for families in the Miller Community House, as well as build a new shelter for domestic violence survivors in Portage County, according to Matt Slater, the director of development at Axess Family Services. Funds will also reportedly be used to establish permanent housing Akron and Youngstown, as well as for outreach services to identify and help more homeless families in Summit and Mahoning County.
“This incredible award will empower us to collaborate with our community partners on a variety of initiatives aimed at transforming the future of families experiencing homelessness. By working together, we will create lasting solutions to break the cycle of homelessness, improve stability and offer families a pathway to long-term success and independence,” Slater said in the press release.
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What is Axess Family Services?
Axess Family Services was created earlier this year following a merger between AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Inc. and Family & Community Services, Inc. The non-profit provides greater access to comprehensive and behavioral healthcare, as well as social services across Summit, Portage, Trumbull, and Mahoning counties. Northeast Ohio, and parts of Pennsylvania and Michigan are also served.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ
