HIAWATHA, Kan. – (November 20, 2024): NEK-CAP, Inc., a Community Action Agency that provides services and stabilization to families experiencing homelessness, today announced that it has received a $2.5 million grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This is the seventh year that the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded grants to organizations across the country that are leading the way to move the needle on family homelessness with the goal of ensuring that no child sleeps outside.
“On behalf of the families experiencing homelessness, who we will now be able to serve through this grant opportunity, we express our sincere gratitude to the Day 1 Families Fund,” said Jeanette Collier, executive director of NEK-CAP, Inc. “NEK-CAP, Inc. is devoted to ending family homelessness and ensuring no child sleeps outside.”
Family homelessness in the U.S. rose dramatically from 2022 to 2023, and families now represent more than 28 percent of the country’s homeless population, according to a 2024 report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. With its one-time Day 1 Families Fund grant, NEK-CAP, Inc. will work to reverse this national trend by serving families experiencing homelessness throughout its 16 county service area, including Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Leavenworth, Marshall, Mitchell, Nemaha, Osborne, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, Smith and Washington Counties.
Specifically, NEK-CAP, Inc. plans to use its funds to develop partnerships and collaborate with other entities to address short-term and long-term strategies related to ending family homelessness by employing a whole-family, strengths-based model of service delivery.
A group of national advisors who are leading experts on family homelessness and its solutions, including the intersection of homelessness and housing policy, child welfare, racial equity and service provision, identified the organizations selected for funding.
“We are looking forward to this opportunity and the ability to expand some of our services in the next few years to include counties and families who may typically fall outside the scope of our current homeless program funding,” said Belinda Estes, director of community services at NEK-CAP, Inc.
Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded 248 grants totaling nearly $750 million to organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The grants are uniquely flexible and enable organizations to support families experiencing homelessness—including those who are unsheltered or staying in shelters—to regain safe, stable housing and achieve well-being.
This year, the Fund issued a total of $110.5 million in grants to 40 organizations, and for the first time, nonprofits in Kansas and New Jersey are among the awardees. The full list of awardees is available at bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund.
About NEK-CAP, Inc.
NEK-CAP, Inc. is a Community Action agency that has provided services to low-income families since 1965. Programs have included housing and homeless stabilization assistance, Head Start and Early Head Start, Weatherization, and various other programs aimed at removing barriers to economic opportunity and creating financial resilience. As part of the Community Action Promise, NEK-CAP, Inc. is dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.
About the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund
Launched in 2018, the Bezos Day One Fund made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making meaningful and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing nonprofits that help families experiencing homelessness, and creating a network of new, nonprofit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness—including those who are unsheltered or staying in shelters—regain safe, stable housing and achieve well-being. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.
