Because of COVID-19, the needs of the most vulnerable people in our community are increasing. United Way of King County has set up the Community Relief Fund to address these needs. Please support this effort to help those most impacted by COVID-19.
A Message from Leadership
United Way Condemns Attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, it has had a disparate impact on populations of color. Today we want to shine a light on violence that has targeted Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in King County and around the country. They are being attacked and wrongly blamed for a deadly virus that does not recognize race, age, gender or social status.
We strongly condemn these racist attacks against Asian American and Pacific Islander people, who add to our region’s rich diversity, culture and success. We stand firmly in solidarity with people from all Asian cultures.
Many of these assaults are a direct result of baseless, racist rhetoric from people in positions of power who are seeking to cast blame on a particular segment of our population simply because of their race or ethnicity. We call on those leaders to stop blaming a culture or country for a virus that has killed more than a half-million people of all races and ethnicities in the U.S.
The COVID-19 crisis has unleashed xenophobic acts of intolerance against Asian and Pacific Islander people. We forcefully reject these horrendous attacks.
Let’s all come together in unity, look out for each other and stand up against the racist injustices perpetrated against Asian and Pacific Islander people.
Stay safe, stay well and remain hopeful for a bright future.
Gordon McHenry, Jr.
President & CEO, United Way of King County
Carol K. Nelson
Board Chair, United Way of King County
View statements from our leadership here.
Our Mission
We bring caring people together to give, volunteer and take action to help people in need and solve our community’s toughest challenges.
95% of every dollar donated goes to meet community needs
Racial Equity Matters
Because of institutional and systemic racism, people of color disproportionately experience inequities in our community.
This looks like overrepresentation in homelessness populations—the number of people of color experiencing homelessness is higher than it should be given the general population. This looks like students of color being disciplined more, graded lower and having fewer role models in the classroom than their white peers. This looks like more families of color experiencing poverty than white families.
Race-based inequities are driven by past and present racism and it is imperative that we recognize, acknowledge and address racism in order to make progress towards a community with equal opportunity for all—where people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable.
At United Way, we’re addressing racial inequities head on. We know that with our funding and policy-making influence—and donor support—we can change racial inequities in King County. Read about our racial equity work here.