Maybe Valentine’s Day is a holiday for you. Maybe it’s not. But we’re using Feb. 14 to celebrate our loyal donors…YOU!

Here are 14 reasons why we’re feeling the love for you today.

14. You’ve helped put kids first with Breakfast After the Bell which, when it’s signed in law soon, will help address student hunger and increase family stability by making breakfast part of the school day.

13. You’ve stood by us in good times and in bad. We know that the state of homelessness is bad. It’s dire. But like a great partner, you’ve stuck by us. We can’t fix it overnight, but we appreciate the help, support and perseverance you continue to show us.

12. We are inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to “stick with love” during MLK Day of Service, when 2,800 volunteers came out to spend their day off…on! We know it takes all kinds of giving to make our community strong.

11.  You’ve helped us connect with the next generation of do-gooders like you! Thank you for passing on the good word about United Way to fellow coworkers, friends and neighbors. Our Emerging Leaders group, representing above at the packed Weyerhaeuser happy hour, is bursting at the seams. We couldn’t be more delighted to have the energy that young professionals bring to the table.

10. With your support, more than 1,000 people of color have graduated from Project LEAD, effectively preparing them for nonprofit board training in order to achieve equity in our community leadership.

9. Tax returns were prepared for FREE by qualified volunteers (a program your dollars support) to help people save more of their hard earned money. This year’s free tax prep season is well under way, and we can’t wait to see those soaring results too.

8. Thanks to your gift, Streets to Home is helping people like Aeshia and Jermaine find a place to call home quickly and efficiently.

[mk_dropcaps style=”simple-style”]7.[/mk_dropcaps]  You helped Justin and others like him get a job and move out of homelessness through the Jobs Connect program.

6.  You’ve supported the growth of the Reconnecting Youth program to go from 317 to 7,776 youth (like November) who are getting the support they need to get back on track.

5. An additional 300 kids are now being served through our Parent-Child Home Program, thanks to donors like you. This program works with low-income, isolated parents and kids to get them prepared for kindergarten.

[mk_dropcaps style=”simple-style”]4.[/mk_dropcaps]  You made us smile, laugh and burst with pride when we think about Day & Night of Caring.

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”14″ align=”left”]Day & Night of Caring’s 13,000 volunteers did $1.8 Million in volunteer work. Amazing![/mk_blockquote]

3.  Because of you, we can plan. OK, this might not sound that exciting. But is is to us! Loyal donors allow us to think further ahead, make even smarter investments and make any necessary adjustments with enough time for our partners to be able to adjust too.

2. We were able to serve more than 1,000 of our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness at our annual Community Resource Exchange. Attendees received a hot meal, new shoes, connection to a plethora of services and much more. This year’s Resource Exchange is coming up on March 20.

1. You are you. We know there are MANY issues in Seattle, in King County, in Washington, in our nation and in our world today. We appreciate you taking the time and energy to care about our neighbors and generously support them by giving loyally to United Way.

You deserve all the love we can give. Together, we’re building a community where people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable. Thank you!