Every one can do their part to stop the cycle of homelessness

We announced the launch of a new campaign called “Eat. Act. Give” to support our foodservice job training programs that alleviate homelessness and poverty. The campaign is a region-wide initiative to encourage the community to get involved through donations, volunteerism and dining at our eateries.

The goal of the campaign is to raise $2.5 million by the end of the year to support job training, life-skills programs and services for more than 500 people. To double the impact of our efforts, Amazon will match donations and restaurant revenue up to $1 million through the end of the year. This is Amazon’s second million-dollar match.

Last year, we saw a record-breaking number of youth and adults come through our doors looking for job training and help with housing. Eighty-seven percent of the people who entered our largest program, Adult Culinary Training, were experiencing homelessness or unstably housed – a 26 percent increase over the past four years. We have seen a 47 percent increase in our housing budget as we workw with partners to provide housing for our students while they gain job skills. We also provide wraparound services such as mental health counseling, substance use counseling and life skills training.

“The homelessness crisis is incredibly complex, but job training is a part of the solution,” said FareStart CEO Angela Stowell. “Ninety-percent of our students gain employment after graduating from our Adult Culinary Program. Six months later, 85% are still employed. We are grateful to our neighbor Amazon for generously investing in our students, helping them create a pathway toward a brighter, more stable future.”

“FareStart provides hundreds of youth and adults essential tools and skills to help them obtain sustainable employment and improve their lives each year,” said Alice Shobe, Director, Amazon in the Community. “We continue to support FareStart’s incredible work in the community and we hope our $1 million match donation will inspire others to enjoy a great meal at one of FareStart’s eateries and help those in need transform their lives.”

Our “Eat. Act. Give.” campaign will run through the end of the year. We encourage you to participate in a variety of ways through EatActGive.org: give direct online donations; organize a fundraising team with family, friends or co-workers; purchase FareStart student supplies from the Amazon Wish List; volunteer to prepare and deliver meals for homeless shelters in the new year; buy FareStart gift cards for holiday gifts; use FareStart Catering for holiday events and parties; and dine at FareStart eateries.