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

Thank you to everyone who supported our Lead United for Equity Fundraisers this winter. A mighty group of 17 folks came together to raise $10,000 to fight hunger and homelessness.

What does such a feat look like? It’s young professionals who are passionate about making an impact in their community asking family and friends to pitch in to support people experiencing homelessness. It’s people throwing bootcamps with all proceeds going to helping families access culturally appropriate meals. Some fundraisers sent cute dog pics to donors while others did a push up for every dollar raised.

These fundraisers are part of Emerging Leaders 365 at United Way of King County. Emerging Leaders 365 is a group of dedicated young professionals who are interested in getting involved in their community through United Way. Emerging Leaders get together to give back and do good—and meet other like-minded young professionals in the process.

The collective impact of their efforts and community support makes it possible for people to access culturally appropriate food through our Home Grocery Delivery Program. It means that thousands of people will receive rental assistance, and it supports local organizations that receive funding from United Way.

“I was surprised by how many people would give if you just asked,” said Cristina Luevano-Santos, an Emerging Leaders 365 member.

I was surprised by how many people would give if you just asked.

Cristina Luevano-Santos, an Emerging Leaders 365 member

The fundraiser kicked off on November 22 and ran through December 6. At the last hour our fundraisers were at $8,000 when a generous donor tipped in with a well-received $2,000 donation and the momentum did not stop there. Microsoft pledged to match donations raised during the peer-to-peer fundraiser up to $10,000, instantly boosting the total to $20,000. During this time of year, no one should be left out in the cold and our young professionals heard the cry for help.

Additional donations to the page throughout December contributed to Emerging Leaders 365 raising $24,566 for our most vulnerable neighbors!

If you’re moved to get involved with our young professionals who believe in giving a $1 a day and putting their sweat and tears into efforts to make King County a better place,  sign up for our newsletter today or get started by making a gift of your own.