Last Thursday, tucked behind the suites at T-Mobile Park, hundreds of Starbucks and Mariners employees gathered to give back this holiday season by packing gift bags for college students in United Way’s Benefits Hub Program.

The Benefits Hub Program, which helps students navigate the financial challenges associated with college, is one of United Way’s three education-focused programs. To kick off the Day of Giving efforts, the Chairman of the Seattle Mariners’ board of directors, John W. Stanton, reminded volunteers why they’d gathered.

“Our ties to United Way are very deep and strong,” Stanton said. “United Way is the leader—the thought leader—in terms of philanthropic efforts in this community and solving problems.”

Stanton, who has been with the board for nine years, emphasized the important work United Way and the Mariners have accomplished together—not only through charitable giving but through volunteerism. In the past 30 years, eight different United Way campaigns have been chaired or co-chaired by people affiliated with the Mariners, including John Ellis, Frank Shrontz, Dan Wilson, and Brad Smith.

In addition to packing gift bags for the Benefits Hub Program, the Mariners also launched an employee-giving campaign to benefit United Way’s Bridge to Finish Program. The Mariners will match up to $50,000 in employee contributions to help connect students with the financial aid, housing assistance, access to groceries, or childcare needed to graduate.

“We know that education can be a pathway out of poverty,” said United Way’s President and CEO Gordon McHenry, Jr. “Last year, we served more than 6,000 students at the Benefits Hubs, and we know that when you have that kind of support, students have a 25% greater likelihood of completing their certificate or getting their degree.”

With the “why” behind Thursday’s Day of Giving established, volunteers set to work writing letters of encouragement to students. Once written, signed, and sealed, employees lined up shoulder to shoulder in an assembly line of holiday cheer. Volunteers passed reusable tote bags down the line, adding beanies, winter gloves, Starbucks coffee, holiday cups, Starbucks gift cards, and tic-tacs.

Starbucks, which neighbors the Mariners in Sodo, participated in this year’s Day of Giving by donating supplies for the bags and recruiting employees to volunteer. Although the bags aren’t filled with nutritional staples, they carry something more important–at least during the holiday season.

 “Today isn’t just about fulfilling needs; it’s about taking care of yourself,” said Ciara White, the Benefits Hub Program Manager at Highline College. “It’s the reminder that you deserve a sweet treat, too.”

Together, Mariners and Starbucks employees packed more than 900 gift bags.

“I’m just always heartened when people not only get a chance to give back but also learn about the issues that are in our community,” said Nova Newcomer, the director of the Mariners Care Foundation, who helped organize today’s event alongside Katherine Cheng, Mariners vice president of culture and diversity.

Newcomer and Cheng then drove the gift bags north to Shoreline Community College. Each of the 10 Benefits Hub colleges will receive a portion of bags. 

“I think so many of us don’t always understand the situation of the person next to us,” Newcomer continued, “so the opportunity to educate our staff and our partners while they’re volunteering is almost as important as the volunteering itself.”