United Way of King County’s Happy Hour & Hellos event descended on the Amazon Spheres recently, giving young professionals opportunities to learn about our work while enjoying their favorite refreshments.

The quarterly event is one of many during the year that brings together United Way giving communities, which connect donors, provide education and collectively drive impact. The Amazon Spheres event was staged by Live United @ Amazon, a group of like-minded Amazon employees who are involved with community impact activities through United Way.

The evening focused on United Way’s work around housing equity. Wayne Wilson, United Way impact manager for housing and homelessness, offered insights and data about the local homelessness crisis and its impact on communities of color. He also informed the group about United Way’s program Streets to Home, which aims to reduce homelessness in King County by quickly connecting people with housing and income.

Attendees took part in an activity led by Birthday Dreams, a Renton-based organization dedicated to bringing hope and joy to children experiencing homelessness. Guests helped create 75 gift bags for kids either experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

Happy Hour & Hellos demonstrates that people are ready to go back to attending events in person, volunteering and staying connected with United Way of King County. People trust us, appreciate us and want to rally behind us as we work toward a racially just community where all people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable.

For more information about United Way giving communities, click here. To learn about future United Way events, click here.