Amazon is throwing a summer barbecue for families, staff, and volunteers from homeless shelters operated by the non-profit Mary’s Place.
In April, the two organizations partnered to open a temporary homeless shelter in a vacant Amazon building in the Denny Triangle neighborhood. The “Fun in the Sun” barbecue will be held at that facility on Aug. 18.
Mary’s Place and Amazon also worked together on Seattle’s GiveBig day of philanthropy. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos pledged to match up to $1 million in donations to Mary’s Place, which supports homeless women, children, and families.
Homelessness has reached a state of emergency in Seattle due to a housing affordability crunch, driven in part by the tech boom. Amazon’s corporate headquarters are in Seattle and the company is aggressively hiring large numbers of high-paid tech workers. Recent efforts to fight homelessness are part of Amazon’s ongoing strategy to be a better corporate citizen.
More than 300 attendees, as well as firefighters and their firetrucks, are expected at the event Thursday. In addition to food, guests can enjoy live music and outdoor games for the kids.
