PRESS RELEASE: AACI Receives $2.5 Million Bezos Day 1 Families Fund Grant to Help End Homelessness for Families in California’s Santa Clara County

November 17, 2021

AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement) Receives $2.5 Million Bezos Day 1 Families Fund Grant to Help End Homelessness for Families in California’s Santa Clara County

Day 1 Families Fund grants $96.2 million to 32 nonprofits across the country to provide shelter for children and families in need

AACI Contact: Sarah Guertin | Sarah.Marr-Guertin@aaci.org | (408) 975-2071| aaci.org

SAN JOSE, Calif. – (November 17, 2021): AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement), a large community-based organization in Santa Clara County serving marginalized and ethnic communities with cultural humility, sensitivity and respect, today announced that it has been selected to receive a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. Launched in 2018 by Amazon founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos, the Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families.

“Stable housing significantly improves the physical and mental health of our community members; particularly for survivors of domestic violence, stable housing brings safety and dignity and sets them on the path to self-sufficiency. Support from the Day 1 Families Fund will make it possible for hundreds of families to be healthy and thrive,” said Sarita Kohli, President and CEO of AACI.

This one-time grant will allow AACI to pilot an integrated approach to providing housing services for all clients, ensuring that the organization’s Asian Women’s Home program can continue helping survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking while expanding to meet the housing needs of low-income families in AACI’s Health Center, Behavioral Health and Wellness programs.

AACI was selected as a Day 1 Families Fund grant recipient by an independent advisory board comprised of homelessness experts with experience in policy, advocacy, racial equity, child welfare and housing and service delivery, as well as firsthand experience in homelessness.

This year, the Day 1 Families Fund issued a total of $96.2 million in grants to 32 organizations across the country. The 2021 Day 1 Families Fund grant recipients are: ACLAMO; Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches; Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.; All Chicago Making Homelessness History; AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement); Building Changes and Africatown International; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa; Colorado Coalition for the Homeless; Covenant House Alaska; Destination: Home; Doorways; Family Life Center; Family Service League; Friends of the Family; Homeless Action Network of Detroit; Homeward; LifeMoves; Lubbock Open Door; Mesilla Valley Community of Hope; Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter & Services; Mississippi United to End Homelessness; Newcap, Inc.; Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA); Portland Homeless Family Solutions; Project Community Connections, Inc.; Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP); Sacramento Steps Forward; SHELTER, Inc.; Texas Homeless Network; The Link; Tri-County Community Action Agency, Inc.; and Union Station Homeless Services.

“Our AACI Asian Women’s Home program serves survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking who often have limited options that deter them from leaving an abusive relationship due to increasing scarcity of affordable housing in the Silicon Valley. At AACI, we will continue to open new paths for those faced with homelessness so they may escape abuse and secure a safe and peaceful living environment where they can flourish,” said Ganlin Chen, AACI Asian Women’s Home Shelter Manager.

The Bezos Day One Fund made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making meaningful and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing non-profits that help families experiencing homelessness, and creating a network of new, non-profit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families. Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has issued 130 grants totaling more than $398 million to organizations around the country working to combat homelessness and help families gain housing support and stability. 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 AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement)

Founded in 1973, AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement) serves individuals and families with cultural humility, sensitivity, and respect, advocating for and serving the marginalized and ethnic communities in Santa Clara County. AACI’s mission is to strengthen the resilience and hope of our diverse community members by improving their health and well-being. Our many programs provide care that goes beyond just health, but also provides people a sense of hope and new possibilities. Current programs include behavioral and primary health services, substance abuse prevention and treatment, center for survivors of torture, shelter and services for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, senior wellness, youth programs, and community advocacy.

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