United Way of King County awarded the prestigious Spirit of Caring Awards on March 3 in front of a crowded ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. Honorees included individuals and corporations who represented the best in giving and volunteering.

Costco Wholesale received the Spirit of Puget Sound Award, recognized as King County’s highest achievement in corporate philanthropy. The award honors outstanding community involvement, sustained campaign excellence, and the promotion of volunteerism.

For the 2009-2010 campaign season, the…

What do you get when you take 270 local organizations and match them with nearly 9,000 volunteers? Over $1,000,000 worth of volunteer time and one HUGE day of service. On Friday, September 11th, United Way of King County held its 17th annual Day of Caring event, which coincided with the first annual 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, as declared by President Obama earlier this year. I had the opportunity to visit a handful of the hundreds of projects that took place on Friday, and…

Day of Caring volunteers not only get to enjoy free food, drinks, Sea Gals and the fresh grooves of DJ Tecumseh at the Day of Caring After Party, they have the chance to win some really cool prizes. Two tickets to the September 15 Pink concert at Key Arena, a Microsoft Zune, a Holland America cruise for two and more are up for grabs.

Volunteers: be sure to wear your Day of Caring t-shirt. It’s your ticket to the After…

On Friday, September 11, take part in a day of hope and unity—a day of change and action. Sign up now to be part of United Way of King County’s Day of Caring!

Day of Caring is the largest single day of volunteering in Washington state. Last year, we connected over 8,600 volunteers from 109 companies with 417 service projects throughout King County.

Your team might build affordable housing, add a fresh coat of paint to a daycare center or clear a path on a hiking trail.

And after…

So, we’ve had a number of people ask why we are holding Day of Caring on September 11th this year. The short answer is, because it’s the second Friday in September and Day of Caring always takes place on the second Friday in September. So, technically, it is a coincidence. However, this year volunteering on 9/11 is especially significant. Why? Because on April 21st, President Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which for the first time includes federal authorization to establish September 11…