Gisele Bündchen pledges $1M to new Lotus House facility

Lotus House Women's Shelter broke ground yesterday on a new five-story building that will offer educational and wellness resources to local kids.

Why it matters: By helping sheltered children and Overtown youth "blossom into who they are meant to be," Lotus House founder Constance Collins is expanding her ambitions from seeking to end homelessness to trying to prevent it in the first place.

Details: The new project, called Children's Village, will offer health and social services, community resources and educational programming.

• Lotus House secured $32 million in tax-credit financing to build the 71,000-square-foot facility across from its 500-bed shelter by next fall.
• The nonprofit also launched a $25 million fundraising campaign to operate the facility.
• Brazilian supermodel and local resident Gisele Bündchen attended yesterday's groundbreaking and donated $1 million to fund educational programming and the construction of a playground.

What they're saying: "We are investing in the future of our community by putting children first, so that they can blossom into who they are meant to be," Collins said in a statement.