Fight homelessness by donating to United Way

Homelessness is a persistent and troubling problem that touches every community in King County. By supporting the United Way, community members can join forces with city and county officials who are working to change that reality.

A proven partner in tackling poverty, United Way of King County helped bring 584 people out of homelessness last year through its Streets to Home program. Some of that work involved helping people pay security deposits on apartments, or paying for bus tickets to reunite them with family. The idea is to reach people before they end up in the local shelter system, freeing up those public resources for others in need.

United Way has a new goal of moving 1,000 more people into housing through the program in the coming year. That could make a significant dent on the region’s growing homeless population, which a point-in-time count in January pegged at more than 11,600 people countywide.

A gift to United Way is one donors can trust won’t go to waste. The organization entered an agreement with Seattle and King County last year to hold homelessness programs accountable for how well they are working. Part of that meant agreeing to stop the flow of money to programs that aren’t.

Workplace giving is a key source of funding for United Way, but organizers are also looking to ramp up donations from some of the individuals who have benefited from Seattle’s economic boom. The co-chairs of this year’s United Way campaign, Ethan and Angela Stowell, are inviting patrons of their restaurants to donate in celebration of their company’s tenth anniversary.

The Stowells say the success they’ve found in Seattle means it is time to pay it forward. They’re hoping that others who have found themselves on top during Seattle’s boom time will do the same.

For more information or to donate, go to uwkc.org.