Seattle CEO and Philanthropist Announces $100,000 Grant to Two King County Charities
Dwayne J. Clark, CEO and Founder of the Bellevue-based senior living community Áegis Living announced today an initiative to support senior citizens throughout King County, Washington. Mr. Clark has partnered with two Seattle-based charities, Sound Generations and Pike Market Senior Center, and is providing each charity a $50,000 challenge grant.
"I know that these charities were incredibly hard hit by COVID-19. They lost a good portion of their volunteer base due to the isolation. After our teams connected and we understood each charity's needs, we realized that providing them challenge grants was going to do so much more than a one-off donation."
A challenge match grant is funded as individuals and businesses in the communities make donations to the charities. From now through May 31st, each and every individual donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000. This makes each donation worth twice as much. No matter how much individuals are able to contribute, they will be helping to secure the larger grant for each charity.
"I saw the need, and instead of waiting for others to take action, I decided to do something about it now," says Mr. Clark. According to the CDC, the elderly are far more susceptible to contracting the virus and are less likely to recover from it. "The charities that we have partnered with remain open, continuing to serve seniors throughout this pandemic. We need to do more than praise their heroic actions. They need our support more than ever."
The Pike Market Senior Center has served homeless and housing insecure for over 40 years in the world famous Pike Place Market. They serve hot meals, host daily events and activities, and provide a trained staff, including 5 social workers, to help meet the needs of the community where they are. They also operate a food bank which serves over 6,000 people per year.
Sound Generations has been a staple of King County for over 50 years. They are "constantly striving to expand Food Security, Transportation, Health & Wellness, and Assistance Services to meet the diverse needs of our growing aging population in King County." They implement the Meals on Wheels program for King County and operate a daily shuttle, which has been temporarily suspended throughout this crisis.
Look forward to comments from our charity partners throughout our 60 day challenge.
To contact Mr. Clark or the staff of Seattle Seniors Strong, please use the contact form at the bottom of the page. Your inquiry will be responded to promptly. We thank you for your interest.