Amazon donates $1 million to help families in the DMV
ARLINGTON, VA. — Wednesday, Amazon gave a big gift to four community foundations in the DMV.
These four groups are on the front lines fighting the Coronavirus pandemic in our community.
Now, they have $1 million to help families in need.
Jennifer Owens, President and CEO of the Arlington Community Foundation, said it couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Even a week ago the conversation was so different it’s evolving so quickly so getting this money out is gonna help a lot of people to not fall off that cliff that so many do during times of crisis,” Owens said.
Arlington Community Foundation, ACT for Alexandria, The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and Greater Washington Community Foundation are all recipients.
The goal of the donation is to help vulnerable communities.
Some nonprofits that help people get food have seen their supply go down since the pandemic hit the U.S.
“Normally we are able to do fresh produce and meat and that supply is not there because the grocery stores are empty because other people went out and bought their supplies,” Jennifer Ayers said.
Ayers works with ALIVE! In Alexandria.
Some of the money may flow to the Arlington Food Assistance Center too.
They said the pandemic has caused chaos in their operation.
Forty percent of the food they distribute comes from grocery stores according to, AFAC Executive Director and CEO, Charles Meng that supply has dried up.
“Almost two and a half million dollars worth of food that we will not be getting from the grocery stores so obviously we need to be prepared to replace that,” Meng said.
Amazon's donation is meant to help people who need shelter, emergency financial assistance and food.
These organizations will meet weekly to plan their next step forward.
“Even though we are seeing this tremendous outpouring of support we can’t let our foot off the gas pedal we need to really be thinking about the short term and the long term so that we are here over the months to come to support our community,” Heather Peeler said.
