Nonprofit gets boost from Amazon
Online giant agrees to $1M match to St. Mary’s
Amazon is giving St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children the biggest corporate gift in the Dorchester nonprofit’s 24-year history.
The online retail giant will match donations up to $1 million to St. Mary’s Center, which will use the proceeds to help fund a new resource center.
St. Mary’s works with families — mostly young mothers and their children — who have experienced homelessness, poverty, trauma, abuse and profound neglect. It has five residential and three employment, education and prevention programs.
“We build their emotional well-being, educational achievements, economic opportunities and ultimately self-sufficiency and independence,” CEO Deirdre Houtmeyers said.
Amazon also will help raise funds for St. Mary’s, which will be a “spotlight charity,” on smile.amazon. com today. It will donate 0.5 percent of the price of eligible purchases made on the site for customers who choose the center.
“We found that St. Mary’s was just a very effective organization and worthy one that was making a very significant contribution already in the community,” said Mike Touloumtzis, site leader for Amazon’s Boston and Cambridge businesses. “There are more than 1,200 Amazonians who make their homes in the Boston area, and I am excited for them to have the opportunity to get to know many of the families and staff here at St. Mary’s Center.”
Amazon also collected donations for the center’s families this week from its employees in Washington, D.C., northern Virginia, Boston and Cambridge.
St. Mary’s is the third nonprofit to benefit from Amazon’s $1 million match offer.