United Way of King County’s free Lunch & Learn series connects you with experts on the issues you care about most. Bring your lunch and join us for these fun and engaging one-hour information sessions on a variety of topics.

All sessions will be held at United Way of King County’s downtown Seattle building located at 720 Second Avenue between Cherry and Columbia Streets. Click here for a location map.

Thursday, February 18, 12:00 p.m.
Can you spare any change?
Responsible ways to help people experiencing homelessness

How many times have you passed a homeless person on your rush to get to work or when you are out running errands? If they’ve asked you for money, food or other forms of help, you may have felt unsure of how to respond. Come join us for an informative session on how to handle these kinds of situations and learn about the ways you can help people experiencing homelessness in our community.

Presenter: Vince Matulionis, Director, Ending Homelessness/Meeting Basic Needs, United Way of King County
RSVP at lunchnlearn@uwkc.org.

Thursday, March 18, 12:00 p.m.
Quality child care:
What it is and how to find it

The value of good child care cannot be overestimated. Learn about the types of care available and how to go about finding the right fit for your child and family. We’ll discuss what constitutes quality care and potential causes for concern.

Presenter: Deeann Burtch Puffert, CEO, Child Care Resources
RSVP at lunchnlearn@uwkc.org.

Thursday, April 15, 12:00 p.m.
Connecting to volunteerism:
How to find your perfect match

You may think volunteering means picking up a paintbrush, planting trees or working in a soup kitchen. But many nonprofits need professional services like writing a business plan, doing their books, developing a Web site, board governance or software training. The possibilities for getting involved in your community are endless. At this session, learn how to effectively search for the perfect individual, family or group volunteer opportunity, and the best ways you can get involved with your ideal organization.

Presenter: Louis Mendoza, Volunteer Initiatives Manager, United Way of King County
RSVP at lunchnlearn@uwkc.org.

Thursday, May 20, 12:00 p.m.
Caring for older family members

At some point in our lives, most of us will experience a change in roles with an older family member. Often this can be a difficult transition, especially if you aren’t sure when to step in and help your loved one. If you don’t know about the kinds of help available in the community, the responsibilities of caring for someone can seem overwhelming and exhausting. This session helps you to recognize signs and symptoms that may indicate an older person is in need of help. You will also learn more about the resources available to assist you and your relative, whether they live next door or across the country.

Presenter: Tanya McGee, Lead Advocate for Information & Assistance, Senior Services
RSVP at lunchnlearn@uwkc.org.

For more information or to RSVP for a session, contact us at (206) 461-3700 or lunchnlearn@uwkc.org.

Here’s a sad stat: in July 2009, there were over 1,600 foreclosures filed in King County alone.  This economic downturn is continuing to take a toll on many individuals and families who have fallen behind, lost their jobs, or have been victims of predatory lending.

As a response to these staggering numbers, the City of Seattle and a group of nonprofits are taking action by hosting a Free Foreclosure Prevention Workshop.  They even got Mayor Nickels to do a PSA for the event (embedded above).

The workshop will take place on December 5th from 9am to 5pm at Cleveland High School (5511 15th Ave South, Seattle WA).

At this event, homeowners will be able to discuss refinancing or modifying their loans, they’ll be able to learn about foreclosure prevention programs, and they’ll learn about the foreclosure process so that they can avoid scams.

The reason I’m posting this is two-fold: to spread the word about a great event and to get volunteers.

Volunteers:
If you fortunate enough to not have to worry about unaffordable mortgage payments, you should consider taking some time off to help your neighbors in need by volunteering at this event.  Volunteers are needed on 11/20 for outreach (going around town putting up posters in storefronts) and on 12/5 at the day of the event.

If you’re interested in volunteering, you can contact Nick Zar at ZarNick95@msn.com.

Event Details:
If you plan on attending this event, you’ll need to bring copies of the following documents:

• Photo ID
• Social Security card
• Last 2 years W-2′s & tax returns
• Last 2 months pay stubs
• Last 2 bank statements
• Monthly mortgage statements
• Household budget
• Layoff notice from employer (if you have one)
• Medical letter from doctor (if you have one)

If you have any questions about the event, you can call the Urban League at (800)368-1455.

Please make sure you tell people about this useful event!

As we all know, housing foreclosures have become a pandemic in the US.  Millions of people are losing their homes and many more are hanging on the edge.  If you or some one you know is falling behind on their mortgage payments, there is some help available.

There is going to be a FREE Foreclosure Prevention Workshop at the Cleveland High School (5511 15th Ave S.) on Friday, July 24th from 11am to 7pm.
 

Homeowners will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with HUD-certified mortgage counselors and learn about loan modification and refinancing options to lower their monthly mortgage payments.  Wells Fargo, Chase/WaMU, Ocwen, Freddie Mac, and American Home Mortgage also will be participating to work one-on-one with their borrowers to work out mortgage modifications on-site.
 

Plus, there will be workshops on the foreclosure process, avoiding foreclosure scams, improving your credit, and budgeting.  Translators will be available.
 

The workshop is being organized by the Office of Housing and the Human Services Department and is being administered by the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and Solid Ground.
 

This is a great chance to get support during really rough times.  If you’d like to register, you can call the Urban League at (800)368-1455.  For more information, visit their website.
 

Also, similar events will be happening on July 23 at Cascade High School in Everett and on Saturday July 25 at Evergreen College in Tacoma.