United Way of King County Blog

Volunteer round up for the week of January 30th

It’s Friday (and gloriously sunny out, if you haven’t noticed), and you know what that means? Volunteer round-up time! This is where we tell you about all the new volunteer opportunities that were posted on the United Way Volunteer Website in the past week. If you don’t see anything on this list that strikes your fancy, fear not! There are hundreds more volunteer listings for you to peruse at www.uwkc.org/volunteer. Yeehaw!

Tutor/Mentor Refugee Youth

Sponsor: Coalition For Refugees…

Time for some professional development? 8 trainings & events for Volunteer Managers

Whether you’re looking to grow your volunteer management skillset, learn how to more strategically engage volunteers at your organization, or you just want to get together with other volunteer management professionals, there are a number of great trainings and networking events coming up in the next few months!

February 9th “Leveraging Volunteer Engagement to Accomplish Your Mission” 8:30-10:30am Cost: $25 Details and Registration

February 22^nd VAN (Volunteer Administrators Network) Professional Gathering @ Noel House in Seattle. Free

February 24^th 2012…

MLK Day Volunteers are no Snow Wimps!

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…

Know a volunteer rock star? Nominate them for a Jefferson Award!

The Jefferson Awards honors ordinary people who do extraordinary things for others. Initiated in 1972 to create a “Nobel Prize” for public service, awards are presented both nationally and locally. Five volunteers from Washington State will receive the Washington State Jefferson Award for their outstanding volunteerism. The winners will be judged by a panel of community leaders and their stories will be told on Evening Magazine the week of March 12th.

If you are a volunteer manager, or work with volunteers in any capacity, this…

Bridge to Basics: Bridging Immigrant and Refugee Communities to Basic Needs and Across Cultures

This post was written by Anisa J. Khaleel, Community Outreach Specialist/AmeriCorps at WithinReach

For over two decades, WithinReach, a statewide non-profit, has helped Washington families take steps towards healthier lives by connecting them with health and food resources while promoting health education and disease prevention among vulnerable populations. Two years ago WithinReach partnered with the United Way of King County to build the Bridge to Basics program – a volunteer effort that trains community members in public benefits eligibility and places them…

Why do Home Visitors love their work?

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…

Update on priority bills affecting homelessness

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)…

Are you ready to get your Finances in SHAPE?

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…

BE A VIP In 2012

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…

Best Illustrated Books of 2011

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/