United Way of King County Blog » United Way News

MLK Day Volunteers are no Snow Wimps!

Erica Ellis — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:37:24 +0000

MLK Day volunteers with Senator Patty Murray at YouthCare

A Los Angeles Times article recently dubbed Seattleites “snow wimps” after our mid-January wintry blast shut down much of the city. Clearly, what the LA
Times didn’t know was that despite the snow, ice, and generally nasty weather, nearly 1,300 volunteers (and volunteer managers!) throughout King County left the comfort of their warm homes to spend the day serving the community in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Students from Seattle University and the University of Washington came out in force, along with members of the local business community. Senator Patty Murray even got into the spirit of the day, volunteering at both YouthCare and the VA Fisher House. While some projects were forced to cancel due to the weather (pulling blackberries in the snow is a hard sell for even the most enthusiastic volunteers), over 60 agencies benefited from $100,000 in volunteer labor. Not too shabby for a bunch of snow wimps.

Volunteer Impact Program: Be Part of the Success!

Lydia Rava — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:24:24 +0000

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 community newspaper Real Change, for example.

With its regular staff of only 11, volunteers are essential to the newspaper’s capacity to deliver on its mission. Last year, 240 volunteers contributed more than 7,000 hours of service, worth about $105,000, says Jenn Pearson, Real Change volunteer coordinator. After participating in VIP this year, Real Change has already improved the way it screens and matches volunteers, introduced a culture of appreciation for volunteers, and invested in a volunteer database that has significantly improved efficiency, Pearson notes.

If you’d like this kind of success for your organization, participate in VIP. Applications are due Jan. 16, 2012, for the upcoming February 2012 session.
Learn more about VIP and the application process >>
See how VIP has helped strengthen volunteer programs for 19 hunger and 17 early-learning groups >>

State Senator Scott White

Jared Erlandson — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:03:37 +0000

Everyone at United Way is deeply saddened by the sudden death this weekend of state senator Scott White. Scott was not only a committed public servant, but someone who was smart, funny and kind. He served on United Way’s public policy advisory group, and we will miss his wise counsel. Our hearts go out to his children and to his wife, Alison Carl White, a member of the United Way board. Go here for details of a memorial fund.

Volunteers take over King County on September 16th!

Erica Ellis — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:35:06 +0000

As you may have heard, United Way of King County’s Day of Caring is the single largest day of volunteering in Washington State, and this year we anticipate over 10,000 people will spend the day volunteering with local organizations. That’s huge! Already, 9,000 people have signed up to volunteer all over King County, including groups from Microsoft, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, AT&T and many more. Use the search box on the map below to see where your favorite local company will be spending Day of Caring.

View Day of Caring Project Sites in a full screen map

United Way funds will connect 1,600 to Employment Services

Lauren McGowan — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:51:41 +0000

United Way of King County is launching a new effort to increase the economic stability of 1,600 members of the immigrant and refugee community. Six local service providers were selected though a highly competitive process to provide employment connections and job training to immigrants and refugees living in King County. United Way is investing $454,000 in this effort in each of the two next years.

In addition to providing funding, United Way convene the cohort of direct service providers on a regular basis to share best practices, develop employer connections and address barriers to employment and economic stability. We anticipate that the cohort will help us indentify existing and emerging issues clients face in finding and maintaining employment. By working collaboratively and convening the appropriate partners we hope to be able to better address these barriers.

United Way funding will support a diverse group of people including Latino day laborers, immigrants and refugees from southeast Asia and East Africa living in public housing, Somali, Latina, Vietnamese and Chinese childcare providers. The agencies that have been awarded funding include:

Port Jobs
Casa Latina
El Centro de la Raza
Hopelink
Neighborhood House
Childcare Resources

Background

United Way is committed to increasing the economic stability of very low income and low income unemployed people. We do this by investing in strategies that connect people to the public benefits they are eligible for and connecting very low income people to employment opportunities.

Lack of income is a leading cause of homelessness in King County and throughout the country. When people lack income to meet their needs, they are forced to choose between housing, utilities, transportation, childcare, healthcare, and food. The high cost of housing in our community and the high rate of unemployment (8.7%) make it especially challenging for people to increase their incomes and become financially stable.

Immigrants and refugee populations face significant barriers to gaining economic stability. These range from language and job skills to struggles with mental health, transportation, childcare, housing and meeting basic needs. Recent government funding cuts to programs that support this population are going to significantly increase these barriers.

Over the next two years we will closely monitor the impact of these investments and evaluate the strategies that each agency uses. This information will help inform future investments in this area.

Outcomes of FY2011-2013 state budget

Carol Wood — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:36:26 +0000

Thanks to the combined advocacy of our United Way constituents nd partner organizations, United Way of King County was able to achieve many of its legislative asks even in one of the most challenging economic years on record. Below is a summary of the outcomes of our main advocacy efforts for FY 2011-2013.

2011-2013 Budget Outcomes

Issue	Legislative Ask	Reduction or Change	Impact	Outcome
Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) State-funded pre-school program that helps at-risk 3 and 4 year olds and their families	Maintain ECEAP funding for three olds.The Governor’s budget eliminated funding for all three year olds.	Increase	ECEAP is fully protected (serving over 8,000 3 and 4 year olds) and 165 additional slots are funded through the federal Child Care Development Fund. These federal funds would have otherwise been used for quality purposes.	HB 1087 – general operating budget signed by Governor on 6-15-11
Home Visiting In home services that help infants/young children and their parents reduce their risk for adverse outcomes	Maintain the state’s current investment in home visiting and deposit $2.35 million/year in the Home Visiting Services Account	Allocated $1.868/year for the biennium	Home visiting dollars were allocated at a level that meets federal Maintenance of Effort requirements and allows the state to draw down $1.3 million per year from the Federal Home Visitation Program. The intention is to deposit state and federal funds for community level home visiting services in the Home Visiting Services Account which will leverage additional private dollar match.	HB 1087 - general operating budget signed by Governor on 6-15-11
SB 5427 WashingtonKindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) Process that promotes teacher identification of children’s skill level/educational needs before school entry	No legislative ask	Increase of $900,000 in state funds to be matched with $600,000 in private funds	In 2011-2012, as funds are available, state-funded full-day kindergarten classrooms will administer WaKIDS on a voluntary basis. In 2012-2013, funds permitting, WaKIDS must be administered to all students enrolled in state-funded all-day kindergarten. Expansion of WaKIDS will allow identification of and support for the needs of at-risk entering Kindergarten students.	SB 5427 signed by Governor on 5-12-11
Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) State subsidized child care for low income families. Priorities are families: receiving TANF benefits, with special needs children and below 175% poverty level. Currently capped at 35,200 families (@60K children) with waiting list	Preserve eligibility for Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) at 175% of Federal Poverty LevelGovernor proposed eligibility reductions of $84.8 million.	No protection of eligibility level but ability to lift current cap of 35,200 families if savings are accrued	The Governor vetoed language that would have prohibited the Department of Early Learning from restricting eligibility below 175% of FPL. The veto message stated that limitation would infringe on her authority to manage the WorkFirst (TANF) program, which includes Working Connections Child Care. If administrative savings are accrued in the TANF/Child Care Development Fund “box.”, it requires DEL to reconsider the 35,200 cap. This veto could result in fewer low income, working families being eligible for subsided child care affecting their ability to continue work and be self-supporting.	HB 1087 -general operating budget signed by Governor on 6-15-11
ESHB 2082 – Disability Lifeline Program (DL) Provides medical care (including mental health treatment) and some assistance for low income individuals who temporarily unable to work due to physical or mental disabilities	Maintain state investment in Disability Lifeline medical and cash assistance Governor’s budget proposed elimination of program.	Eliminates the currentDisability Lifeline Program effective October 1 but preserves medical services for eligible clients. Creates 3 new programs. Eliminates cash assistance grants to all but the aged, blind and disabled program	Creates three new programs in place of DL: 1) Aged, Blind, and Disabled program (similar to the current DL-X program). Recipients receive medical care and a cash grant ($197/mo); 2) Pregnant Women Assistance Program; and 3) Essential Needs and Housing Support Program (offered to those eligible for medical care services). Funded at $64 M, will help house the homeless or those at risk of homelessness More than 21,000 will lose cash benefits (6,100+ in King County) that have supported housing and basic needs	ESHB 2082 – signed by Governor on 6-15-11
HB 2000 State Food Assistance Program State-funded program providing federal Basic Food Program benefits (food stamps) to legal immigrants and refugees	Protect funding for the State Food Assistance Program.Governor’s budget proposed elimination of program.	Benefits reduced by half to $30 million	The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS): establishes the benefits to be fifty percent of the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) or food stamp benefit amount. and will adopt rules to ensure the SFA program operates within the appropriations in the adopted budget. This will affect 31,000 WA residents including over 15,000 children.	HB 1087 -general operating budget signed by Governor on 6-15-11
Housing Trust Fund Creates and preserves affordable housing across the state	Preserve funding for the Housing Trust Fund	Reduced to $50 million (from nearly $200 million last biennium)	Creation and preservation of affordable housing will be severely limited	HB1497 capital budget bill signed by Governor on 6-15-11
SHB 1811 – Homeless Management Information System Allows for telephonic consent for access to housing and homelessness services	No legislative ask	Allows for informed telephonic consent	Streamlines access to services for homeless families and individuals by allowing people to share their information over the phone so that it can be entered into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).	SHB 1811 signed by Governor on 5-3-11
SHB 2048 (Document Recording Fee for Homelessness)	No legislative ask	Bill was not heard in Senate before session ended	Would have addressed shortfalls facing the Home Security Fund, by temporarily increasing the current $30 surcharge on document recording fees for local homeless housing and assistance to $40 from August 2011 -June 2015.	Dead
2-1-1 Statewide( internet and phone) information and referral service	UWWA: Provide $3 million in funding from the Washington Telephone Assistance Program (WTAP) to support 2-1-1	Reduced to $1 million for the biennium	Funded at $1 million for the biennium from Washington Telephone Assistance Program surplus funding. WIN 211 plans to continue statewide service at this funding level (significantly less than in previous years) which could result in cuts in service.	HB 1087 -general operating budget signed by Governor on 6-15-11

Updated as of June 17, 2011

Information subject to revision as we further analyze a very complex set of budget provisions. For more information contact UWKC Public Policy Director Carol Wood, cwood@uwkc.org

Sign up to be part of the United Way Day of Caring!

Erica Ellis — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:45:34 +0000

How would you like to be part of the largest day of volunteering in Washington State? Whether you’re looking to recruit a group of volunteers to help out at your nonprofit for a day, or you’re interested in organizing a group of colleagues to volunteer, United Way’s Day of Caring is the event for you! On Friday, September 16^th, thousands of volunteers (last year over 10,000 people participated) will spend the day at hundreds of King County nonprofits, schools, city parks, and childcare centers helping with everything from beautifying a women’s shelter to reading to kids at a local elementary school to restoring habitat for native wildlife. Group sizes range from 5 volunteers to over 100, and the organizations and projects are just as varied.

Any King County nonprofit, school, park, or childcare center can submit a project to Day of Caring until July 15^th. Volunteers can begin signing up for projects on August 2^nd. For more info, visit www.uwkc.org/doc or contact us at dayofcaring@uwkc.org

Funding Opportunity-Employment Services

Lauren McGowan — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:34:48 +0000

United Way has released a Request for Proposals for funding to Ssupport Employment Services for Immigrants and/or Refugees in King County. Beginning in July 2011, United Way will invest $450,000 in programs that prepare and connect low income immigrants and/or refugees to employment opportunities. We will fund pre-employment, job training, job placement and job development services for this population. This is good news for many local agencies who are struggling to serve the growing number of people who are unemployed or underemployed.

United Way will prioritize funding for programs that have a history of successfully serving immigrant and/or refugee communities and connecting them to employment and programs that leverage other community resources—including volunteers, partnerships and public and private funding. Successful applicants will propose programs in which at least 80% of program participants are immigrants and/or refugees.

The application is available here or for more information contact: Lauren McGowan, Associate Director, Ending Homelessness -Lmcgowan@uwkc.org.

Young mothers and kids with no place to call home

Marcy O'Hara — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:11:33 +0000

Of all the events United Way of King County spearheads throughout the year, the Community Resource Exchange is by far my favorite.

In one place, on one day—so many who are struggling to just survive have a day where it’s all about them.

Throughout the day, I and dozens of other volunteers were helping to find people who would be willing to share their stories with us.

For me, the most moving moments were hearing from young homeless women and their kids.

I met a sweet and gentle 19-year-old young woman who lives in her van. Her dad lost his job, they eventually lost their housing—she recently discovered she was pregnant. Her boyfriend left, her dad is looking for work, and she is scared, alone and trying to survive. She wants to find a job and housing and prepare a safe place for herself and her baby who is on the way. She agreed to share her story so that we can better understand the struggles she and way too many others in our community face.

I met another young mother with a tiny month-old baby girl who had been born three weeks premature. She told me that everything she had for her precious daughter—literally everything—had been given to her from people who saw her standing by the side of the road with a sign pleading for help. I asked if I could hold her baby. She paused for a moment, and agreed.

She had agreed to share her story with photojournalist Dan Lamont, but as the minutes passed, she grew more anxious. She needed to be back to meet up with her group by 2 p.m. and it was 1:55 p.m. I didn’t want to add any more stress to her life, and we called the interview off. I gave her my card, and am hoping she calls so we can meet another time.

The doors to the interview room opened, and the 19-year-old pregnant girl came out. As we all made our way back down to the event, I introduced the two homeless young mothers and suggested that maybe they could share information and resources. They chatted briefly, and then the 19-year-old paused. “Can I please hold your baby? Just for a minute,” she pleaded. The other mom hesitated. She was late, she was stressed—and she was unsure. I waited and wondered what would happen next.

After a few moments, she smiled and passed her beautiful little girl over to her new acquaintance. The 19-year-old scooped her up into her arms and held her close to her heart. For that moment, there we were—just three mothers, marvelling.

Local Media Covers April 22nd Community Resource Exchange

Erica Ellis — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:17:47 +0000

Last Friday United Way of King County held it’s 6th Community Resource Exchange (CRE) at Qwest Field. While we’re still crunching the numbers, it is estimated that about 1,700 people experiencing homelessness accessed services, from foot washing to dental work, at the event. Seattle’s Q13 Fox News was on site covering the event and interviewing guests. Check out their short piece below.