One of the more under-reported obstacles for people experiencing homelessness is the sheer number of social service agencies they must visit not just to get their lives “back on track”, but simply to guarantee day to day survival. The labyrinthine route to housing or employment or affordable healthcare often involves multiple trips to different locations spread throughout the city. This constant trekking from agency to agency is especially difficult when you consider a homeless individual’s limited transportation options, especially if they are aged or disabled.…

Just thought it was time to share a few links with our readers:

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I may be able to take credit for starting the United Way of King County blog, but I can’t take credit for making it awesome. That would be Yuri Kim.

Yuri started at United Way of King County as an Americorps VISTA volunteer with our ending homelessness team. He provided key support to the Community Resource Exchange and the Free Tax Preparation Campaign.

A year and a half ago, he was one of the first contributors to our fledgling blog, and…

*UPDATE* Check out our Facebook page for more photos of the event!

As I’ve mentioned numerous times in the past, one of United Way of King County’s biggest projects of the year is our Community Resource Exchange (CRE).  The CRE is a huge one-day event where we bring a wide variety of services to people experiencing homelessness all in one place and in one day.  We connect with dozens of organizations to provide resources that are vital (health…

At our Community Resource Exchange, we had a station where our guests could come and get their feet washed (and get a fresh pair of socks) by volunteers. As volunteer positions go, this is an extremely humbling and admirable one. I stumbled upon a blog post done by one of these volunteers. Her name is Cathy and I reproduced the post below. It’s really a great read!

Last Friday I joined United Way in a day of caring for the homeless. When…

Did you know that right now there are over 8,000 people experiencing homelessness in King County?  And in these tough economic times, even more folks are losing their homes.

One way United Way of King County is helping is by hosting its fourth Community Resource Exchange (CRE) on September 11th, 2009.  The CRE is an event where people experiencing homelessness can come and receive a wide variety of services all in one place and in one day.  In the past, over 1,000 families and individuals…

A lot of people probably don’t know this but along with being a strong fundraiser, United Way of King County also provides direct service around its priority areas (ending homelessness, meeting basic needs, volunteerism, and getting kids ready for school).

With our “ending homelessness” priority, our big event is the Community Resource Exchange (CRE) – a really powerful event that helps people experiencing homelessness. We’ll be hosting our fourth CRE on September 11th, 2009.

Most people have no idea what the CRE is…

Every day people across King County’s suburbs, cities and towns live without shelter and hope. On September 11, United Way of King County’s Community Resource Exchange will connect people experiencing homelessness in our region with the services and resources they need—in one place, on one day. Join United Way of King County to help those individuals and families who never expected that they would need a hand.

Here are 4 easy ways you can step up and make a real difference:
• Organize…

KOMO 4 News ran a great story about our Community Resource Exchange, which featured Rick Mascarenas, a man who lost his job, became homeless and is working to get back on his feet. Click here to watch the clip.

You may notice a guy in an orange shirt with glasses who seems to be helping out Rick. That’s Michael Benneke, our communications director at United Way of King County. Here’s more about Rick, as told by Michael.

I had the privilege of…

Qwest Field is usually the home of raccous Seahawks fans or Sounders FC supporters. But today, a different crowd of people will be walking through the doors.

Today Qwest Field Plaza will host United Way of King County’s Community Resource Exchange. The event connects thousands of people experiencing homelessness in our region with the services and resources they need, in one place, on one day.

It’s an amazing event that makes a real and lasting difference in people’s lives.

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