Amazon.com Inc.

08/27/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/27/2024 06:44

Amazon in the community: Here’s what’s happening in Arlington, Virginia

Learn how we invest in the community, help power the local economy, and support our employees in Arlington, Virginia.
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43 minutes ago
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Amazon Fresh cultivates healthy eating habits and educational opportunities in the Washington D.C. metro region

Amazon Fresh has teamed up with Whole Foods Market Foundation by donating $250,000 to fund 83 school gardens across the country, including local schools across the Washington D.C. metro region. This initiative aligns with Amazon Fresh's long-term vision of positively impacting local communities by promoting healthy eating habits and educational initiatives.
Among the beneficiaries are Montessori Public School of Arlington, Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary, Oakridge Elementary, and Gunston Middle School in Arlington, as well as Herndon High in Herndon, Virginia. Hillcrest Heights ES Planet Protectors in Temple Hill, Capital City Lower Public Charter School in Washington, Takoma Park Elementary in Takoma Park, East Silver Spring Elementary School, and New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring will also receive Whole Kids Garden Grants. These grants will enable the schools to establish or enhance their edible gardens and engage students in hands-on learning about growing and enjoying fresh produce.

Amazon's new grocery delivery subscription offers big savings to Prime members and EBT customers

All Prime and Prime Access members and customers with a registered EBT card in the U.S. can get a low-cost subscription with unlimited grocery delivery on orders over $35 from Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and other local grocery and specialty retailers-a benefit that pays for itself in as little as one delivery order per month.

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"We're thrilled to support these local schools and their efforts to cultivate a love for nutritious foods among students," said Jim Gillespie, regional manager for Amazon Fresh in the HQ2 region. "By providing access to edible gardens, we aim to inspire a new generation of kids to develop an appreciation for where their food comes from."
"When kids have a hand in growing fruits and vegetables, they are more likely to try them, enjoy them, and inspire other kids to do the same. Additionally, kids who grow up enjoying fruits and vegetables are more likely to continue eating them through adulthood," said Carol Medeiros, executive director of Whole Foods Market Foundation. "We're so grateful to Amazon Fresh whose generous donation in the Whole Kids Garden Grant program this year will allow more students to get a jumpstart on a lifetime of enjoying healthy food."
Through this collaboration, Amazon Fresh reinforces its commitment to investing in the well-being of local communities in the HQ2 region. By nurturing a love for fresh produce and sustainable practices from an early age, the company hopes to inspire positive change and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.
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13 hours ago
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Highlights from Amazon's Affordable Housing Summit at HQ2

When Amazon chose Arlington as the home of HQ2, we made a commitment to be a trusted business and community partner in the region. The work to become a part of the fabric of this community reflects that commitment daily.
We partner with many community leaders and organizations to ensure we're making the most impactful contributions-our Housing Equity Fund (HEF) is a powerful example of how we can address community needs through innovative partnerships. In an effort to bring together and celebrate our community and public-sector partners, Amazon recently hosted an Affordable Housing Summit at HQ2's Amazon Visitor Landing. The summit gathered policymakers, affordable housing partners, and community leaders for a discussion about housing challenges, and how we can work together to identify and implement solutions. The event came on the heels of Amazon's announcementthat the company's HEF would extend its commitment to include an additional $1.4 billion to create and preserve an additional 14,000 homes in our hometown communities, including Arlington.
Since the HEF launched in 2021, positive impacts in the HQ2 region have been significant. To date, we have:
  • Committed $1.1 billion to help create and preserve more than 9,400 affordable homes across the National Capital region
  • Amazon's funding has helped increase affordable housing by 23% in Arlington, VA
  • 58% of Amazon-funded affordable homes across the region will serve households earning less than 60% of the area median income (AMI)
More than 80 community leaders and affordable housing advocates attended the Affordable Housing Summit, which included a fireside chat with Senator Mark Warner (VA) and a panel discussion with Amazon Housing Equity Fund's Managing Principal Senthil Sankaran, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing President Carmen Romero, and LEO Impact Capital President Brian Allan "AJ" Jackson. Participants focused on the importance of public-private partnerships to make a meaningful difference for thousands of families across Virginia. Both discussions were moderated by WTOP's Capitol Hill Correspondent, Mitchell Miller.
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July 5, 2024 9:58 AM
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Explore the Met Park Butterfly Garden at Amazon's HQ2

Met Park is home to many things-over a dozen women- and minority-owned small businesses, works of artthat honor the National Capital Region, world-leading sustainable buildings, and more. Now it's home to butterflies, too.
Met Park's Butterfly Garden opened on June 20 to a crowd of Amazon employees and their families, children from the Celebree School of National Landing, and members of the community, who all showed up to see these little natural wonders. The Butterfly Garden is a deeply precious community attraction that sits at the crossing point of two of Amazon's priorities: being a leader in sustainabilityand being a good neighbor to the Arlington community.
"Our 2.5-acre public park is home to a diverse range of native plants that both beautify the surrounding area and nourish the soil in which they are planted," said Lead Horticulturist Dillan Clark. "Once we realized that our park grounds already included many of the attributes and native plants that are needed to foster a home for butterflies, we partnered with the North American Butterfly Association to explore an expansion of Amazon's horticultural attractions and bring the butterfly garden to life."

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Met Park was planned with native and adaptive plantingsthat are conducive to the Arlington climate-the soil is engineered to retain water and promote root growth while smart and low-flow irrigation systems are optimized to reduce water consumption by providing only what the native plants need. The garden currently includes ten Painted Lady butterflies that are currently in their chrysalises metamorphosing from caterpillar into butterfly-but they'll be spreading their wings soon.
Amazon's second headquarters was built with sustainability at its core, including two acres (or nearly 100,000 square feet) of green roofs with native plantings where visitors and employees alike can find respite and connect to nature. The Amazon Horticulture team leads a program in partnership with the local Love and Carrotsorganization, grows fresh produce that gets delivered to the local nonprofit Kitchen of Purpose, with 800 pounds of produce contributing to over 600 meals per week.
Thank you to the horticulturists, volunteers, and employees, who have been pivotal in the launch of Met Park's Butterfly Garden.
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June 11, 2024 2:38 PM
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Amazon adds $1.4 billion to the Housing Equity Fund to create and preserve more affordable homes in the National Capital region

We're now extending our commitment to the Amazon Housing Equity Fund with an additional $1.4 billion in funding to create and preserve 14,000 more homes in three of its hometown communities-Washington State's Puget Sound region; the Arlington, Virginia/National Capital region; and Nashville, Tennessee. This brings the total to more than $3.6 billion to fund more than 35,000 affordable homes across these three regions. The extension of the Housing Equity Fund underscores our commitment to affordable housing and to helping thousands of families live closer to where they work or near transportation hubs, removing a major barrier to success. To date, Amazon's Housing Equity Fund has helped create and preserve 9,500+ homes across the National Capital region and increased Arlington, VA's affordable housing stock by 23%.
Learn more about this extension of the Housing Equity Fundand how the Amazon Housing Equity Fund is helping create affordable housing across communitiesthat Amazon calls home.
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May 22, 2024 6:11 AM
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HQ2 receives Urban Land Institute Washington's top recognition for Excellence in Sustainability

Amazon PR and HQ2's project partners accept award.
Amazon's Metropolitan Park at HQ2 was recently recognized as Urban Land Institute (ULI) Washington's Excellence in Sustainabilityrecipient during their 2024 awards for excellence. The award recognized HQ2 as a project that made outstanding contributions to development within the D.C. region, and one that exemplifies innovation and creativity that inspires vibrant communities.
HQ2 was built with sustainability at its core, and we are proud that Met Park's towers are the largest buildings in the world to be LEED Platinum v4 certifiedby the US Green Building Council. Met Park is all electric and powered by 100% renewable energy-including each of the 13 retailers on our ground floor. Sustainability-focused initiatives are prevalent throughout Met Park, including lower-carbon concrete, mass timber, advanced ways to reuse water, and even bird-friendly glass to protect wildlife on their important migratory path.
Amazon congratulates fellow ULI award recipients who are working to collectively drive transformative change across the region.
Learn moreabout HQ2's sustainability-focused construction and design.
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May 13, 2024 1:09 PM
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Isabel Guzman, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visits Amazon's HQ2 retailers

Amazon's vision for its HQ2 has been to bring together employees, local residents, and visitors to enjoy a vibrant, 18-hour neighborhood. We are proud to offer more than 50,000 square feet of retail space for 13 small businesses at HQ2's Metropolitan Park, many of which are minority and women-owned.
We were honored to welcome the U.S. Small Business Administration's Administrator Isabel Guzman to HQ2 to meet several of the business owners and employees who are part of our retail community. Administrator Guzman serves in President Biden's Cabinet as the leading advocate for America's 33 million small businesses and innovative startups. Watch the recap of Administrator Guzman's visit.
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March 11, 2024 9:27 AM
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Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) Arlington studio and store now open at Amazon HQ2

The Innovation Studio + Store showcases contemporary art and adds to a growing list of vibrant local retailers at Metropolitan Park.
Amazon is proud to welcome the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) Arlington to HQ2's Metropolitan Park. The new Innovation Studio + Store is a place for Arlington residents and visitors to learn more about contemporary art, interact with professional artists at work, participate in free public art and artist programs, explore their creativity in private classes, and shop various creative and inspiring products from the museum store.
"Community is at the heart of everything we do here at Amazon. We are honored that the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington is joining HQ2 to enrich the Arlington community by connecting residents and visitors to exhibitions, educational programming, and artist residencies," said Patrick Phillippi, senior manager of community engagement at Amazon. "This is a great new chapter for all of us who live, work, and play in National Landing."
"We are thrilled to open our new Innovation Studio + Store at Amazon HQ2," said Catherine Anchin, MoCA Arlington's executive director. "We know that contemporary art can feel intimidating to some. This space was intentionally designed to feel warm and inviting, with the hope that people will be inspired to join us for a class, participate in a workshop, or simply support local artists."
Since coming to National Landing, Amazon has prioritized providing a home for small, local businesses, with a focus on those which are women- and minority-owned. See a full list of local retailers at HQ2's Met Park.
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February 2, 2024 8:30 AM
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Amazon details community investments in newly released Community Impact Report for the National Capital Region

Nearly one year after opening the doors to HQ2's Metropolitan Park, Amazon recaps its community engagement activities and investments in the region.
We are proud to work with nonprofits, schools, and community leaders across the National Capital region to support equity in education, affordable housing development, and regional, inclusive economic growth.
We recently released Amazon's updated Community Impact Reportfor the National Capital Region, where we shared details about how we're delivering for our customers, employees, and the communities where we operate. Success and scale bring broad responsibility and as we continue to grow, we are committed to using our resources to help address important challenges that our hometown communities face.

Amazon's second headquarters comes to life in 21 photos from the official opening

Join employees, community members, and government officials as they tour the HQ2 offices and amenities that are now open for the neighborhood to enjoy.

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Here are a few highlights of our community engagement efforts and positive impact over the past year:
  • We worked with more than 100 nonprofits in and around Arlington, Virginia, which is home to Amazon's second headquarters (HQ2). Our support went to organizations like Bridges to Independence, which is working to break intergenerational cycles of poverty; the English Empowerment Center,which serves nearly 1,500 beginning-level English language and literacy adult learners; and Aspire, which helps historically underserved young people fulfill their potential through afterschool and summer learning programs that support and connect families, schools, and communities.
  • Amazon was named the top philanthropic companyin the Washington, D.C., metro area by the Washington Business Journal. Since 2018, Amazon has invested more than $161 million in local nonprofits, community groups, organizations, businesses, and public schools.
  • Amazon launched a new housing pilot initiativethat will help nearly 1,000 individuals and families from underserved communities become homeowners in Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well as Washington state and Tennessee. This is part of a broader set of initiatives from the Amazon Housing Equity Fund. Since 2021, Amazon has committed over $1 billion in loans and grants to create or preserve more than 7,500 affordable housing units in and around the National Capital Region.
  • Amazon continued to advance its commitment to equity in education through several partnerships and funding efforts, including Amazon Future Engineer, a comprehensive childhood-to-career program aimed at increasing access to computer science education for students from underserved and underrepresented communities. Amazon helped students broaden their horizons through education via:
    • $1.8 million in scholarships awarded to 45 Capital Region students by the Amazon Future Engineer program
    • 241 schools and 23,470 students across the Capital Region received STEM education and career exploration courses
    • 13,000+ students have access to three AWS Think Big Spacesin Virginia
  • Amazon has continued to support and integrate local businessesinto its Arlington headquarters, representing vibrant local favorites, women- and minority-owned retailers, and others. For example, visitors can get their bike serviced at Conte's Bike Shop, drop off furry friends at doggy daycare at District Dogs, get a workout in at HUSTLE, grab a bite to eat at Peruvian Brothers, and so much more.
Amazon will continue to strive to be a good neighbor and trusted business partner across the region.
Learn more about what we're doingfor our employees, neighbors, and the community.
Read more in our Community Impact Report for the National Capital Region.
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