Hourglass: United Way of King County

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Good news happens. This week's episode is the third in a series about civic engagement leading up to this year’s midterm elections.

Hourglass sat down with young people who are already of voting age and those who will be eligible to vote in our next presidential election for a conversation about why many young people are eager to cast ballots and why others believe voting doesn’t make a difference.

We will also spotlight our new giving program, United Circle, as well as an upcoming Happy Hour and Hellos event at Nordstrom Bellevue.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about our young professionals’ group, Emerging Leaders 365, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Emerging Leaders commit to giving $1 a day (or $365 a year), then come together to participate in volunteer projects and connect with like-minded residents at issue-focused events.

For this episode, we chatted with Emerging Leaders members and United Way staff about the group's 10-year impact.

We will also spotlight another upcoming Emerging Leaders outing, Happy Hours and Hellos, as well as our new giving program, United Circle.

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Good news happens. This week's episode is the second in a series about civic engagement leading up to next month’s midterm elections.

We sat down with United Way president and CEO Blair Taylor for a conversation on topics including why it’s important for organizations like United Way to have a presence in the public policy/civic engagement arena.

We will also discuss our new giving program, United Circle, as well as an upcoming Happy Hour and Hellos event.

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Good news happens. This week's episode is the first in a series about civic engagement leading up to this year’s midterm elections.

Hourglass sat down with Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and Amanda Sandoval, United Way director of Systems change and public policy, for a conversation on topics including what the Secretary of State’s office anticipates amid federal attempts to change the electoral process and how the work of United Way and the Office of Secretary of State intersect?

We will also spotlight our new giving program United Circle, and an upcoming Happy Hour and Hellos event.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about a workforce development partnership for youth and young adults in South Seattle.

United Way-supported grantees Reclaiming our Greatness and Glover EmpowerMentoring are teaming up to launch the GEM to Greatness Collaborative. The partnership will equip youth and young adults with the knowledge, skills, relationships, and support needed to build healthy and financially secure lives.

We’ll chat with Reclaiming Our Greatness founder and director Marshaun Barber and Glover EmpowerMentoring founder and director Kendrick Glover about their partnership and each organization’s current work current work to support and empower communities in South Seattle.

And we will spotlight our new giving program United Circle and our upcoming Conversations for Change virtual event, From Crisis to Community.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about the sport of ultimate frisbee with staff from All Girl Everything Ultimate Program (AGE-UP), a Seattle-based, United Way-supported organization that uses the sport to foster community, build leadership, and teach social justice.

Hourglass sat down with AGE UP’s Co-Executive Director Ash Escobar and program manager Anthony “Zig” Ziegler to discuss the local origins, growth, and impact of ultimate frisbee. We will also chat with United Way director of Education Strategies, Joy Sebe, about AGE Up’s work as part of United Way’s Racial Equity Coalition, which delivers youth programming that promotes positive cultural identity and helps youth succeed in school.

And we will spotlight our new giving program, United Circle, and our upcoming Conversations for Change virtual event, From Crisis to Community.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about our Engagement Coordinators and highlights Brendlyon Linton, who is stepping down from the role after 26 years in the role.

United Way’s Engagement Coordinators help us strengthen relationships with our workplace partners, support campaigns and events, and connect more people to United Way’s work throughout King County.

In this episode, we will chat with Brendlyon about topics including how she and other Engagement Coordinators inspire and challenge communities to do more to care for their neighbors in need.

We will also chat with Magdalena Ruiz, United Way Engagement Manager, about Brendlyon’s impact as an Engagement Coordinator and the role’s importance at United Way.

We will also discuss an upcoming in-person Happy Hour and Hellos event and our Conversations for Change virtual event, From Crisis to Community.

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Good news happens. This week's episode is our monthly commentary and perspective from United Way president and CEO Blair Taylor.

This month, Blair will discuss his take on the state of American education from the perspectives of a parent, an adjunct professor, and the leader of a nonprofit organization. And he’ll also discuss how United Way of King County is working to make quality education affordable and accessible to young people in our county.

We will also discuss an upcoming Happy Hour and Hellos event, and an event sponsored by United Way grantee FEEST.

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Good news happens. United Way of King County joined more than 350 attendees from other United Way agencies at the West Regional Conference in Portland, OR.

Members of United Way of King County staff led discussions on many facets of our work, including our public-private partnerships that generate resources and support for community-based organizations running early learning programs.

For this week’s episode, we sat down with our education strategies director, Joy Sebe, and community impact manager, Holly Lackey, for a conversation on topics including the importance of sharing best practices with like-minded organizations and ways we’ve built trust across sectors through our public/private partnerships.

We will also discuss our Community Partnership Kit Offerings and an upcoming volunteer opportunity at United Way supported by grantee El Centro de la Raza.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about the past and future of the Seattle Indian Services Commission.

The United Way supported commission was launched in 1972 to provide housing and planning services and programs to address the needs of Indigenous residents in King County.

For this episode, we’ll chat with Commission chair Iris Friday and its Development Manager Demarus Tevuk about the commission’s history and its plans for a Native Village and Gateway project that will provide affordable housing holistic family services, and economic opportunities for Indigenous people all while celebrating Indigenous Native cultures.

We will also discuss our Community Partnership Kit Offerings and an upcoming volunteer opportunity at United Way supported grantee El Centro de la Raza.

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Good news happens. This week's episode is the first in a monthly series that will feature commentary and perspective from United Way president and CEO Blair Taylor.

In July, Blair became United Way’s third president and CEO since 2000, and we’re excited to have Blair speak directly to our listeners on topics including his vision for our organization and the unique impact we can make to address concerns in our communities.

We will also spotlight our Community Partnership Kit Offerings and an upcoming Seattle Storm game that will benefit United Way grantee Filipino Community of Seattle.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about our partnership with Puget Sound Energy, a Bellevue-based company that for more than 150 years has been synonymous with providing power to residents and businesses.

We sat down with Carol Wallace, Puget Sound Energy’s director of customer operations, and Carrie Bates, United Way director of institutional philanthropy, for a discussion on topics including our partnership that helps customers save on their energy bills and Puget Sound Energy’s energy assistance programs that folks can take advantage of right now.

We will also spotlight our Free Summer Meals program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about storytelling.

We chatted with Loren Niemi, lifelong storyteller and founder of the Minneapolis-based American School of Storytelling, about topics including his four storytelling techniques for social change and whether those techniques have been used to address an issue our county has been grappling with for years—homelessness and housing.

We also chatted with United Way chief impact officer Regina Malveaux, our Senior Director of Philanthropic Engagement, Gary Rubin, and marketing strategist Kayla Dunn about how our organization uses storytelling to convey the impact of our work beyond facts and figures.

We will also spotlight our Free Summer Meals program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about our partnership with the Stolte Family Foundation.

The foundation’s support for United Way and our programs, like ParentChild+, has enabled us to invest in maternal wellness, early learning, and the strengthening of parent-child relationships.

For this episode, we will chat with Kim Wright, executive director of the Stolte Family Foundation and Stolte Family Organizations/Joy Sebe, United Way director of education strategies, on topics including the Stolte Family Foundation’s commitment to ParentChild+ and its partnership with United Way.

We will also spotlight our Free Summer Meals program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

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Good news happens. Perhaps you’ve seen or heard about the outdoor and indoor murals that recently went up at United Way’s Second Avenue office. For this week’s episode, we’ll tell the story behind those murals.

We sat down with mural artists Teddy Stat Phillips and Maya Milton, Alexandra Nason of Urban Artworks, the organization that partnered with United Way on the project, and Taylor Roberson, United Way’s associate director of Marketing, who led the project.

We will also spotlight our Free Summer Meals program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

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Good news happens. As the FIFA men’s World Cup wrapped up on July 19, this week’s episode closes out our coverage of the tournament’s impact on local communities and organizations.

We spotlight El Centro de la Raza, a local United Way-supported nonprofit that sent two dozen youths from its middle and high school programs to the final World Cup match via free tickets from the City of Seattle Mayor’s office.

We chatted with El Centro youths and staff about the once-in-a-lifetime World Cup experience and about how the organization, located in Seattle and Federal Way, keeps youngsters engaged in its programs year-round.

We will also spotlight our Free Summer Meals program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

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Good news happens. This episode features a conversation with Nneka Payne of CHOOSE 180, a United Way-supported, Burien-based organization that works to transform systems of injustice and support young people impacted by those systems.

CHOOSE 180 recently expanded its work into Pierce County and has plans to go statewide. We chatted with Nneka about topics including an update on CHOOSE 180’s expansion, the organization’s efforts to connect with local youths, and an upcoming CHOOSE 180 outdoor event in Pioneer Square.

We will discuss an event celebrating the return of the annual Summer Meals Program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about civic engagement with NAWDIM, the Native American Women’s Dialog on Infant Mortality.

NAWDIM is a Seattle-based, United Way-supported collective of Indigenous care providers, community members, grandmothers, and allies who provide advocacy, education, and support for Indigenous infants, mothers, and families in Washington State.

NAWDIM is currently working with the Seattle-based Native Organizers Alliance on a national research project to amplify concerns of Indigenous people before, during, and after elections.

We’ll chat with NAWDIM co-coordinators Shelley Means and Leah (LEE) Tanner about their efforts to ensure that state and local Indigenous voices are heard, particularly on the eve of this year’s August Primaries and the November General Elections.

We will discuss an event celebrating the return of the annual Summer Meals Program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation with our new president and CEO, Blair Hamilton Taylor, who once served as chair of United Way’s Board of Directors. We will chat with Blair about topics including his decision to return to United Way, his time on the board, his vision for the organization, and the words of wisdom he lives by.

We will discuss an event celebrating the return of the annual Summer Meals Program and our Community Partnership Kit Offerings.

Thanks for tuning in!

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Good news happens. The FIFA Men’s World Cup has taken our area by storm, and on July 1, six youths from the United Way-supported nonprofit 4-C Coalition will take part in the flag-bearing ceremony for the Round of 32 World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium.

For this episode of Hourglass, we sat down for a chat with 4-C director Hazel Cameron and Toroid Ryan, Community Strategies Consultant for 4-C, who will serve as a chaperone for the youths during the Flag Bearing Ceremony. The two discussed the importance of being part of the World Cup and how it’s already had an impact on the youth who will participate in the festivities.

We also have an announcement about United Way’s new president and CEO, and we will discuss ways you can still get your taxes prepared for free by United Way.

Thanks for tuning in!