Hawaii nonprofit receives $2.5M to address youth homelessness

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Hawaii nonprofit received the largest donation in its history to address youth homelessness, courtesy of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos.

Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE) received a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, the nonprofit announced Monday.

RYSE was identified by a group of national advisers for its work to address family homelessness by providing comprehensive, wraparound services that include shelter, food, healthcare, education and employment support.

RYSE will use the money over the next five years to develop supportive housing programs that serve young families.

“Many of the youth we work with face the heartbreaking choice of staying on the streets rather than leaving their parents or caregivers. This grant allows us to address that directly, keeping families together and creating housing solutions that move family units off the streets and into stability within their own communities,” said Ana Eykel, RYSE senior housing manager.

The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund issues annual awards to organizations and civic groups that help families experiencing homelessness regain safe, stable housing.

Since its inception in 2018, the 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.

Last year, Hope Services Hawaii on Hawaii Island received $2.5 million to lease homes from the private rental market and sublease them to families at an affordable rate, while also establishing a street medicine program to ensure unsheltered families received the care they needed.

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