Part of the fun and inspiration of expanding the Parent-Child Home Program http://www.uwkc.org/our-focus/children/pchp/ throughout King County is hearing stories about the interactions Home Visitors have with the 2- and 3-year-olds and parents. They never fail to remind us of the power of this program– giving parents the tools they need to help their young children be ready to succeed in school from Day 1.

What inspires me is seeing the faces of the children that are really happy when I go visit them. The…

Join us on February 9, United Way Lobby Day, to advocate for these issues!

Document Recording Fee HB2048/SB 5952:

Summary:  The document recording fee supports state and county approaches to preventing and ending homelessness ncluding housing vouchers, eviction prevention services, short-term housing assistance, and emergency shelter.  The DRF bills extend the sunset of a $20 real estate document recording fee set to expire in 2013. The $20 fee will be extended for four years and a new temporary $10 fee (set to expire in 2015)…

The Seattle-King County Asset Building Collaborative will be having their annual Financial Fitness day on March 31^st. They have joined with over 40 community partners to be able to bring community members FREE financial services. These services include everything from one-on-one help filling out a tax return, printing and analyzing free credit reports, opening bank accounts, creating a household budget, working with a financial planner, applying for public benefits (food, utilities, child care, health insurance, social security), learning how to start a business, shredding…

There are many opportunities for community members to bring their skills and talents to the nonprofit community in King County.  And so many individuals in our community are ready to step up and help out!   United Way of King County is pleased to share an exciting opportunity for individuals wanting to make an impact.   You can invest your time and talent as a volunteer consultant with the Volunteer Impact Program (VIP).  Help local organizations gain the tools to effectively tap the skills and talents…

The illustrations in children’s books are often as engaging and imaginative as the stories. Many people maintain memories of Harold and his purple crayon, or the wild things among the trees. Click below for the New York Times selection for the best illustrated children’s books of 2011.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/the-2011-best-illustrated-books/

A little over a month ago, me and my co-AmeriCorps VISTA, Katherine, visited Providence Regina House food bank near White Center to supervise our Bridge to Basics volunteers, talk to food bank clients, and get those in need in touch with public benefits such as food stamps.  It was their annual Thanksgiving distribution and they were busy making sure clients were set up with enough potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry to celebrate the holiday with their families.  Turkeys were in high demand and not…

This blog was prepared by United Way Worldwide for its member organizations

In the budget that has been approved by Congress, and is expected to be signed by President Obama, we are pleased to share that the majority of programs that United Way has prioritized have stayed intact or even increased in funding. Given the conomic and political landscape, this is good news. Please see below for highlights of FY2012 program funding in our building block areas. Note: There is an additional 0.189 percent across…

On December 16th, it was announced that Washington State was one of nine states to win a collective $500 million from the federal government, part of an education initiative – the “Race to the Top” grant competition! The goal of the competition and the funds are specifically for states to invest in more children from birth to five years old so that they are ready for kindergarten. Washington State placed third among the 37 applications and will receive a four-year grant totally $60 million dollars…

Recruit and maximize your volunteers with the Volunteer Impact Program. Through this partnership between United Way of King County and 501 Commons, now in its third year, your organization can gain the tools to bring high-value volunteers on board, as well as utilize and retain them.

The free VIP program provides more than $20,000 in assessment, training and consulting services to boost your organization’s ability to engage and manage volunteers. In an era of diminishing financial resources, this is a real plus.

Take…

Last week United Way of King County was thrilled to host two special volunteer events, organized in partnership with the City of Seattle PeoplePoint program and our very own Bridge to Basics program. Together we put on two volunteer phone banking nights to call clients who had applied for City of Seattle benefits but were still missing key information from their applications after an initial letter from the City. Without completing all the information on the applications, these clients couldn’t be considered for important City…

Kathy Rossol reads as a way of “investing in our future.” As a child she loved listening to stories read aloud; later she enjoyed reading to her daughter. Now she shares her love of books with the children at Seattle First A.M.E. CWB in Rainier Valley.

A child in this program (who speaks little English) used to cry every time her mother dropped her off. However, when Kathy began reading the book Abiyoyo (by Pete Seeger), the little girl began to hop and sing along…