How an Amazon Insider is Doing His Part to Combat Homelessness

Looking out his window at the vibrant skyline of a city hes helped shape, the last thing youd expect to be on John Schoettlers mind are homeless people. As Amazons vice president for global real estate and facilities, his job is to create environments for Amazon employees. Instead of an isolated corporate campus, the company made a conscious decision to locate in the heart of the city, and Schoettler takes the responsibility of being a good neighbor seriously.

I want us to stitch ourselves into the fabric of the neighborhood, he says. This means looking for synergistic opportunities.

Thats what he did after Mayor Ed Murray declared a state of emergency regarding homelessness in November 2015. I did a big What if? says Schoettler.

That led to the April 2016 transformation of one of the companys vacant properties, a former Travelodge, into temporary housing for more than 200 homeless family members served by Marys Place, along with employment opportunities for many of them. And last spring, it led to Amazons donation of 47,000 square feet of space in its newest headquarters building to serve as the permanent home of a Marys Place shelter, opening in early 2020.

Under Schoettlers leadership, Amazon also donated space and equipment for the nonprofit FareStart to open five new public eateries, helped establish a new paid apprenticeship program and launched a $1 million matching gift program, in recognition of the organizations 25th anniversary this year.

Although Schoettler is more comfortable operating behind the scenes, his it takes a village leadership has inspired teams of Amazon, community and corporate volunteers to raise funds, refurbish shelters, donate materials, and share meals and celebrations with homeless families.

Im a believer in spreading the blanket, he says.

This story originally appeared in Seattle magazine’s Most Influential Seattleites of 2017 issue.