This blog post was written by Connor Walsh, United Way of King County Associate Director, Public & Private Partnerships.

A few weeks ago, United Way of King County staff joined 300+ United Way leaders from 47 states & Puerto Rico in Washington, D.C, for United Way’s Annual Advocacy Forum & Hill Day. While in the “other Washington,” we also met with members of Congress and their talented staff to discuss what’s happening on the ground in their home districts. 

We shared our concerns about changes to SNAP, new HUD rules, and the affordability crisis that too many families, students, and individuals are facing. 

So, now that we’re back in Washington State, what comes next for United Way of King County? In a word, plenty.

During the Advocacy Forum, United Way of King County staff learned from United Ways in New Jersey about their success in running Free Tax Preparation services to ensure families can access the tax credits they’re owed by federal and state governments – all while keeping families from spending a penny to file their taxes.

Our colleagues in New Jersey have been running a great program (and United Way of King County seeks to always improve our own programming), so we are meeting with our New Jersey colleagues to discuss some of their successes to grow even stronger programs here in King County, building off our 20+ years of Free Tax Preparation experience.

During our Hill Day meetings with Congressmembers and staff, they emphasized the importance of capturing stories and sharing additional information about the impact of federal legislation at the local level. 

That’s exactly what United Way of King County will continue to do while advocating for changes that provide immediate relief and that drive long-term, systemic change for residents of King County and Washington State.

United Way of King County was also the fortunate beneficiary of $800,000 in Congressional Directed Spending that was championed by Senator Murray’s office. This funding will support food access in Washington State over the next few years.

Senator Murray herself described its impact well.

“United Way strengthens communities across Washington by focusing on what families need most— food on the table and a safe place to call home,” Senator Murray said.

“I was proud to help secure funding to support United Way’s efforts expanding access to food, and I’m not going to stop fighting because there is more to do—especially as programs like SNAP and Medicaid that so many families rely on are in jeopardy,” Senator Murray added. “I’ll keep fighting to make sure United Way has the resources they need to meet the challenges in our communities and support every family striving to get ahead.”

To build on this momentum, United Way of King County will invite Congressmembers and leaders at various levels of government to see some of our programming in person this summer at our Summer Meals sites across King County. These Summer Meals sites are important interventions to ensure young folks have access to nutritious meals, supporting their positive development into adulthood (and into becoming our future innovators, leaders, and employers). 

We spent additional time with Jim Cooper, President & CEO of United Ways of the Pacific Northwest, who has long been a great partner. There are several opportunities for collaboration, and United Way of King County will be meeting to discuss ways to work together in Washington State on programming and shared advocacy. 

And, we’re just now gearing up at United Way of King County for further conversations with our partners at the City of Seattle and at King County, and those conversations will be informed by learnings from discussions with Congressmembers and staff. At the same time, we’re already thinking about 2027, which is a “long session” for the Washington State legislature, and we are eager to continue meeting with our partners to prepare for a successful session. 

Lots of great things are going on at United Way of King County, so make sure you sign up for our policy alerts and subscribe to our newsletter! To hear more about our trip to the Nation’s Capital, check out our Hourglass podcast.