Veterans Day is a bit of an anomaly of a holiday. Unlike its fellow Federal Holidays, Presidents Day and Columbus Day, that recognize people who have made important contributions to our country, Veterans Day is unique in that many of those being honored are still alive, and virtually all of us have some connection to them. That’s pretty neat if you think about it. Maybe it’s your uncle who served in Vietnam, or your little sister stationed overseas, or a parent of a…

One of my favorite things about working here at United Way of King County is hearing the stories from people that are out there doing good work.  11,000 volunteers worked at projects for United Way of King County’s Day of Caring on September 16, and I’ve had the pleasure of hearing about a number of their experiences.  I thought I’d share some of them with you from volunteers who have blogged about their day of volunteering  Here are some of the ones that I’ve found so far.  If you’ve got…

United Way celebrates the extraordinary volunteers who are doing more to make our community stronger. From preparing meals at a neighborhood food bank, to skipping lunch to read to kids at a pre-school, to organizing a beach cleanup, to contributing skills as a board member, graphic artist, or camp counselor, the range of voluntary efforts is immense. And so is the impact. A better community – it starts with you. And it often starts with volunteering.

Volunteer at Solid Ground’s Marra Farm

National Volunteer…

United Way of King County awarded AT&T the Spirit of Puget Sound Award—our top honor for corporate philanthropy—at the Spirit of Caring Celebration on March 8.

The Spirit of Puget Sound Award honors outstanding community involvement, sustained campaign excellence, and the promotion of volunteerism.

Here are just a few reasons why we presented AT&T with this prestigious honor:

…

Help us connect more people to the great volunteer opportunities in the community!

Every day, the United Way website has hundreds of ways to get involved, including:

reading to refugee kids in daycare

stocking up a neighborhood foodbank with local produce

helping an arts group make smarter use of Facebook

cooking the evening meal at women’s homeless shelter

restoring bird habitat along the Duwamish River

There’s a powerful way you can help us spread the word:

Put our Volunteer Search Widget…

The following article is from Talk about Kids, a monthly newsletter that focuses on early learning. To subscribe to Talk about Kids or view past issues click here.

The Washington state legislature is back in session and our representatives have been charged with approving a plan to balance the current state budget and approving a budget for the next biennium (2011-2013). In both cases, there will be devastating cuts to health and human services that will deeply affect the most vulnerable people in our community, including…

Last September, over 2,400 people experiencing homelessness came to the Community Resource Exchange at Qwest Field for a day of hope and help.

View a KOMO 4 News video about the event here.

The demand far exceeded our supplies, and many had to leave empty-handed. We don’t want that to happen again—and with your help, it won’t.

Our next Community Resource Exchange will take place at Qwest Field this April. 

Each year, we ask…

While most people are aware that MLK Day is a Federal holiday in the U.S. and have enjoyed a day off from school or work, what many don’t realize is that in 1994 Congress designated the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service. Each January, people across the country “make it a day on, not a day off” by participating in service activities in their communities. Last year in Philadelphia, more than 70,000 volunteers served on…

It’s that time. . . time to start making promises to better ourselves in the coming year. We set lofty goals like “I’m going to get up and go jogging everyday at 5 am, rain or shine” (unlikely) or “I am going to quit consuming all of the things that are potentially harmful to my health” (what is left to eat?). Alas, only about 46% of resolutions make it past the 6 month mark. When resolutions don’t pan out, we feel like…

To celebrate its grand opening in Bellevue, the Microsoft Store is holding a “Week of Thanks,” and Microsoft will donate up to $280,000 in software grant donations to local organizations. We’re thrilled to be one of the organizations chosen! The best part? YOU will be able to vote to help us reach our goal. Just “Like” the Microsoft Store Facebook Page and cast a vote for United Way. You’ll get a 10% off coupon for Microsoft Store purchases. And share this opportunity…