This blog post was written by Taylor Roberson, United Way of King County marketing program manager.

Last December, Happy Hour & Hellos, a United Way of King County networking event for young professionals, returned to the Nordstrom flagship store in downtown Seattle. The department store located at 500 pine street reserved space on the sales floor for the event in partnership with our Emerging Leaders 365 program.

More than 100 people came to the Winter Wonderland-themed event from all walks of life with a common interest in supporting our neighbors experiencing or at risk of homelessness throughout King County.

Those who attended brought new pairs of socks to distribute to those in need totaling 207 pairs. In addition, they collectively raised $2500 at the event, which United Way campaign co-chairs Patty and Scott Meden vowed to match.

The program also included a fun presentation from Nordstrom about holiday gifts and shopping for work wear. Word on the street is that pairing a good pair of sneakers with business casual attire is the way to go!

Thanks to everyone who helped make the event a success. To learn about more United Way events, click here.