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Good news happens. This episode is the second in a two-part series on United Way of King County staff members visiting Washington, D.C., to meet with federal lawmakers from Washington state.

 Today’s episode looks at our visit to the recent United Way Worldwide Advocacy Forum and Capitol Hill Day in D.C. 

 More than 300 United Way leaders from 47 states and Puerto Rico gathered for the Advocacy Forum to share best practices, craft policy strategies, and meet with Senate and Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill to discuss issues such as strengthening food security, investing in housing programs, and creating more access to free tax preparation. 

 Hourglass sat down with United Way of King County’s Amanda Sandoval and Connor Walsh, as well as Jim Cooper of United Ways of the Pacific Northwest, to discuss expectations before the event and reflections after speaking with lawmakers.

 We will also spotlight two upcoming United Way events: Pack the Bus and Happy Hour and Hellos.

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Good news happens. This week's episode is the first of a two-part series on United Way of King County staff members visiting Washington, D.C., to meet with federal lawmakers from Washington state.

This episode looks at our visit to last week’s Food Research and Action Center National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference in D.C., where we and other advocates nationwide spoke with members of Congress and the US Senate about combatting hunger and food insecurity.

Hourglass sat down with Sara Seelmeyer, United Way’s director of Ending Hunger, and Madeleine Vistica, United Way Food Security Program Manager, to discuss their expectations before the event and their reflections after speaking with lawmakers.

 We will also spotlight our May 5 GiveBIG event and our upcoming Pack the Bus event.

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Good news happens. This episode features a conversation about homeownership with Anzhane Slaughter of the Seattle-based organization Young Black Homeowners and Dawn Bennett of the Kent-based, United Way-supported organization African American Leadership Forum. Anzhane and Dawn have partnered on a program that provides six-figure down payment assistance to Black and Brown families seeking to purchase homes in our area. 

We'll also offer one last reminder about this year's Free Tax Preparation Campaign for those who still have time to file, and we'll discuss a local volunteer opportunity. 

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Good news happens. This episode is the third installment of a three-part series on 2026 state, county, and city policy. 

We'll chat with Nancy Lu, United Way public policy coordinator, and Amanda Sandoval, United Way's director of systems change and policy, on topics such as takeaways from this year's State Legislative Session, updates on city and county policies, and an upcoming United Way staff visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with federal lawmakers from Washington state.

We'll also offer one last reminder about this year's Free Tax Preparation Campaign for those who still have time to file, and we'll discuss a local volunteer opportunity. 

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Good news happens. This episode features a conversation about taxes with Ryan McFerran, United Way Senior Financial Stability Program Manager, and Ramon Ortiz, an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Washington Law School and managing director of the law school’s Federal Tax Clinic.

We’ll discuss topics including United Way’s Free Tax Preparation Campaign, which is currently in full swing, and information for ITIN filers. 

We’ll also provide information on one of our most popular Free Tax Prep sites, at Southcenter Mall.

And we’ll also discuss a local volunteer opportunity.

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Good news happens. For this episode, we’ll talk about financial planning with James McBain, senior vice president and regional director of wealth planning and trust advisory at US Bank Private Wealth Management. 

Hourglass was pleased to have James on as a guest for a similar episode this time last year. For this episode, James will discuss topics like planned giving and donor-advised funds, and he’ll also offer year-round financial insight for people who qualify for United Way’s Free Tax Preparation Campaign, which is currently in full swing.

We’ll also offer more information on how you can have your taxes prepared by United Way free of charge, as well as a local volunteer opportunity.

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about Sacred Land Collective, an Auburn-based, Black-owned, 78-acre partnership that offers programs, retreat spaces, and cultural ceremonies for people to gather, rest, and heal. United Way and its partners have held retreats at Sacred Land Collective, and for this episode, we’ll chat with Sacred Land Collective co-founder and Director Omi King and event manager Jaylon Nazario about the collective’s efforts to cultivate healing for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.

We’ll also chat Mari Hirabayashi, United Way Events & Marketing Manager, on our support of businesses and resources owned by People of Color. 

And we’ll discuss our Free Tax Prep Campaign and a local volunteer opportunity. 

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Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation with Bookie Gates of Baseball Beyond Borders, a Kent-based, United Way-supported youth development organization that combines baseball and softball with mentorship and education. 

We’ll chat with Bookie about Baseball Beyond Borders' recent Seattle-HBCU baseball series and how he’s working to keep interest in the sport alive among local youth of color.

We’ll also talk about our Free Tax Preparation Campaign and a local volunteer opportunity.

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This week's episode features a conversation with Norine Hill, founder and director of Mother Nation, a Seattle-based, United Way-supported organization that provides cultural healing services, housing support, and other resources for Indigenous women and families. 

We’ll chat with Norine about Mother Nation’s origins, its impact, and what she believes King County must do to address its housing crisis.

We’ll also discuss our Free Tax Preparation Campaign and local volunteer opportunity.

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Good news happens. This week's episode is a conversation with Kristi Brown, the renowned chef and owner of That Brown Girl Cooks catering and Communion Restaurant and Bar in Seattle.

United Way is proud to say we have supported Kristi on her way to becoming one of our nation’s most highly acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs. For this episode, we will chat with Kristi about her passion and drive for her craft, her connections to United Way, and her new dining venture in Seattle. 

We will also discuss our ongoing Free Tax Preparation Campaign and a local volunteer opportunity.

Thanks for tuning in!