Guest blogger Trisha Eckerlin is a graduate from UW with a Masters from Seattle U. She has 12+ years’ experience at a Fortune 200 company and is a mother of two boys. She joined Emerging Leaders in 2014 and is, clearly, a Seahawk fan. But now she’s also a United Way enthusiast.

When I received my monthly Emerging Leaders email with upcoming volunteer and networking opportunities, one word stood out: Seahawks. And I’ll be honest, mention Russell Wilson or the Seahawks and the chances of my participation increase. So when I saw that there were some volunteer spots left for the Emerging Leaders (and my schedule was clear), I jumped at the chance!

Since joining Emerging Leaders last year, I’ve attended a few of the networking events but this was my first volunteer event. Yes, I did get to see some of the Seahawk players – which was pretty cool – but what was even better was interacting with the other volunteers and leaving a positive impact on a school community.

I’m so happy I didn’t hesitate and responded to the call for more volunteers. I highly encourage you to do the same or find others ways to get involved like:

• Help coordinate the annual campaign at your work. Whether it’s leading an activity, hanging signs, or even baking for the bake sale, volunteering for your campaign is a wonderful way to meet people in the company and can be a nice break away from your desk!
• Volunteer at the Annual Day of Caring event. Be one of the 10,000+ volunteers giving their time and energy at the biggest volunteer event in the state.
• Attend the Emerging Leaders Networking Events. Food, drinks, and an opportunity to connect with other young professionals to learn about how we can serve our community. Win-win.
• Come to a Second Saturday project. If your work week is too full, come to a Second Saturday project. One day a month when it works for you, to positively make a difference.
• Monetary Donations. No time to volunteer but still want to help? Contribute to United Way. Your workplace may be able to set up payroll deductions or you can submit donations online.

Want to get in on volunteering events like this? Join Emerging Leaders by filling out the form below and you’ll be invited to second Saturday projects and other awesome young professional events. This group is open to anyone in their 20s or 30s.