Billionaire Amazon philanthropist gifts $3.5M gift to local Habitat for Humanity
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Habitat for Humanity moves into 20,000 square feet of storage at Mercantile Center in Worcester.
Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester, which is based in Worcester, received a $3.5-million unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott, the author, philanthropist, and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos.
The gift will go toward HFH MWGW’s mission to build homes for families in the region, according to the organization’s Tuesday press release. Habitat for Humanity is an international non-governmental organization based in Georgia, and is dedicated to building affordable housing.
“In Greater Worcester and MetroWest, the median sales price of homes has increased substantially while homes for sale are in short supply, keeping ownership out of reach for low-to-moderate-income families,” said HFH MWGW Executive Director Debbie Maruca Hoak in a written statement. “We are grateful for the generosity of this gift that allows us to transform the lives of local families through affordable housing."
HFH MWGW’s gift was part of a total grant of $436 million, which Scott allocated to 84 Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the country.
MacKenzie Scott has a 4% stake in Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon, and is worth more than $62 billion, making her the third-wealthiest woman in the United States. In 2020, she donated a $5-million gift to United Way of Central Massachusetts in Worcester, which has gone toward a variety of initiatives supporting Afghan refugees, COVID-19 vaccine efforts, and youth programming.
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