Lauren Sánchez shared how she and fiancé Jeff Bezos approach philanthropy in a new interview — and she said that one thing “people don’t really know” about Bezos is that he put an 8-floor, 63,000-square-foot homeless shelter inside an Amazon office building in Seattle.
The Hollywood Reporter released a conversation between Sánchez and Eva Longoria on Tuesday. Longoria asked Sánchez about her and Bezos’s approach to philanthropy, and Sánchez stated that “Jeff is extremely focused, as you can imagine.”
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“We really look for organizations that are not only addressing urgent issues but also have a clear, impactful plan for making a difference,” Sánchez said.
Longoria and Sánchez have been friends for 20 years, with Longoria winning $50 million through the Bezos Courage and Civility Award in March.
Sánchez emphasized the $10 billion Bezos Earth Fund, which focuses on climate-related innovation, nature restoration, and climate justice. She also noted Amazon’s collaboration with Mary’s Place, an organization that helps support homeless families.
“One thing that Jeff did with Mary’s Place is he put the homeless shelter inside Amazon’s offices in Seattle which is incredible,” Sánchez said. “I know. It’s crazy that people don’t really know about this that much.”
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Amazon employees just have to go downstairs to volunteer their time at the shelter, Sánchez added.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
Amazon opened the shelter in May 2020, with space for up to 200 people every night. The facility has a health clinic, kitchen and dining areas, playrooms for children, and office space so Amazon’s legal team can offer legal help.
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The shelter is kept private from Amazon offices through separate entrances.
Amazon reported that in 2020, the center provided more than 85 families with emergency housing.
Bezos has posted about the shelter on social media. In April 2021, for example, he posted a video of him and Sánchez taking Washington State Governor Jay Inslee through a tour of the facility.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index at the time of writing, Bezos is the second richest person in the world with a net worth of $221 billion. Sánchez has a net worth of $30 million, per Prestige.