SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon today announced that it is surprising hundreds of charities – which support causes from STEM education, to homelessness, hunger, disaster relief, youth organizations, sustainability and more – across the U.S. by fulfilling products requested on each of their AmazonSmile Charity Lists. Amazon is donating hundreds of thousands of items to charities from their AmazonSmile Charity Lists through the end of the year to ensure they have what they need to round out the holiday season, and to get a jump start on the new year. Some of the total items donated include:
- More than 5,000 blankets, sheets, and pillows.
- More than 30,000 toys and educational items for kids.
- More than 40,000 socks, outerwear, pajamas, shoes, and other apparel items.
- More than 60,000 food and pantry items from water to canned goods.
Customers can get in the spirit too by donating to an organization of their choice by visiting smile.amazon.com/charitylists. To shop with AmazonSmile to support your favorite charity start with smile.amazon.com.
“This is a season of giving and we are thrilled to deliver smiles and surprise hundreds of charities with the products they are most in need of right now,” said Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer, Amazon. “AmazonSmile and Charity Lists are two amazing programs that help inspire customers to shop with a purpose. I shop with AmazonSmile and it’s great to see the continued donations Amazon has made to Make A Wish Foundation, Boys & Girls Club, and PATH - People Assisting the Homeless over the years.”
“We are enormously grateful to Amazon for fulfilling our Charity List,” said Chris Bailey, Executive Director of the Mona Bailey Academy. “We believe philanthropy can reform the educational system, and receiving this type of product donation allows us to continue our mission of delivering cutting edge and creative educational programming to underprivileged elementary age students in the Seattle area and beyond.”
"Amazon's generosity will allow us to meet a portion of the great needs of people experiencing homelessness on our borough's streets, in the ferry terminal, in our churches, and especially the children and families in our Staten Island shelter,” said Reverend Terry Troia, President and CEO of Project Hospitality. “We are grateful to have a compassionate partner in the midst of great human need."
"We are so grateful that AmazonSmile’s Charity Lists program is helping disaster-impacted families rebuild their homes and lives, including those in the New Orleans area,” said Elizabeth Eglé, Chief Development Officer, SBP. “Having the ability to request specific products allows SBP to get what we need to rebuild homes quickly and affordably, and gives donors a direct view into how they've helped a family in need."
“AHC Inc. is thrilled to be surprised by Amazon to receive donations of educational games and electronics from AHC’s AmazonSmile Charity List,” said AHC President & CEO Walter D. Webdale. “The low-income families we serve in Arlington and the surrounding areas are especially struggling during the holiday season, and contributions to support the girls and boys in AHC’s afterschool and teen tutoring programs will not only brighten the holiday but help keep learning front and center.”
“We are so grateful that Amazon has fulfilled our AmazonSmile Charity List,” said Nancy Keil, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “The holidays are a difficult time of year for families struggling with hunger and we are working tirelessly to ensure that every family in our community has enough to eat. Thanks to Amazon, we are one step closer to achieving this goal.”
In addition to fulfilling hundreds of AmazonSmile Charity Lists, Amazon is surprising several organizations whose mission is to support those experiencing homelessness across the country with more than $1M in monetary and in-kind donations for the holidays. Winter is the hardest time for the homeless community – a monetary donation provides nonprofits with the flexibility to fund existing gaps including emergency shelter, medicine, food and supplies, and seasonal staffing. Along with the donation, 10,000 “Boxes of Smiles” gift packages will be delivered for individuals, children and families at A Journey Home, Bethany House Services, Central Arizona Shelter Services, Domestic Abuse Women’s Network, and SEARCH Homeless Services. Packed by thousands of operation employee volunteers, these boxes contain popular products such as toys, electronics, personal care products, and books.
AmazonSmile Charity Lists
There are thousands of AmazonSmile Charity Lists supporting causes from STEM education to homelessness, hunger, disaster relief, pets and animals, youth, health, veterans, and more, with each Charity List carefully curated based on the needs of the respective organization. Plus, many non-profits have been able to get donations quickly since the program was unveiled. For example, Purrfect Pals, a local cat shelter based in Arlington, WA, posted a request on Facebook asking for donations to restock their food pantry. Within just two days of the post, customers placed 300 orders worth of $20,000 in pet food. In addition, after Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas in September of this year, Amazon customers purchased relief items, worth over $200,000, from AmazonSmile Charity Lists created by The American Red Cross, Save The Children, and SBP, to support communities affected by the hurricane. To learn more visit, smile.amazon.com/charitylists.
How to shop AmazonSmile Charity Lists:
- Visit smile.amazon.com/charitylists.
- Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials (customers who are not already signed-up for AmazonSmile will receive a prompt to do so).
- Shop your favorite organization’s Charity List.
- Select and donate items from the list.
- Ship to the charity.
AmazonSmile
Amazon launched AmazonSmile in 2013 as a way for customers to easily support their favorite charity when they shop, at no cost to them. Customers who start at smile.amazon.com will find the exact same Amazon they know and love – including incredible deals throughout the holiday, a wide selection of products across every department, fast and free delivery options and more – with the added bonus that AmazonSmile will donate a portion of eligible purchases to the non-profit of their choice. There are over a million organizations to choose from on AmazonSmile – everything from school PTA’s or local pet shelters to international non-profits that provide clean drinking water to people in developing countries and nationally recognized cancer research institutions. Thanks to our customers, AmazonSmile has donated more than $155 million, to hundreds of thousands of charitable organizations like United Way, Feeding America, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The American Cancer Society, The Nature Conservancy and many more so they can expand their meaningful work.
Amazon in the Community
Amazon is committed to helping more children and young adults, especially those from underrepresented and underserved communities, have the resources and skills they need to build their best future. Amazon focuses on building long-term, innovative, and high impact programs that leverage Amazon’s unique assets and culture. Initiatives include Amazon Future Engineer, designed to inspire and excite 10 million children and young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities each year to pursue an education in computer science, as well as programs that support immediate needs, including addressing family homelessness through donations and housing a homeless shelter in its Seattle headquarters, as well as global relief efforts for people in need following natural disasters.
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Landing Page: smile.amazon.com/charitylists
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
