Best Joe Burris Director Of Storytelling And Public Relations United Way Of King County Podcasts (2025)

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#97: The Parent in ParentChild+ 29:30

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9h ago29:30

29:30

Send us a text Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about how the SeaTac-based Congolese Integration Network utilizes the early learning program ParentChild+ to help immigrant children and their parents adapt to and thrive in their new country. We’ll hear from Eveline Bakulu, the early learning coordinator at Congolese Int…

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#96: Project LEAD, Leadership for Tomorrow 25:15

7d ago25:15

25:15

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode is a conversation about Leadership Tomorrow and Project LEAD. Leadership Tomorrow is a nonprofit organization co-founded by United Way that cultivates a network of leaders to address our region’s challenges. It is also the new home of Project LEAD, a nonprofit board training program for people of color…

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#95: "No One Lies About Being Hungry." 25:55

14d ago25:55

25:55

Send us a text Good news happens. On the eve of United Way of King County's Year-End Fundraising Campaign launch, this week's episode features a conversation with Angel Swanson of Feeding Feasible Feasts, an Auburn-based food relief organization that addresses hunger in five Western Washington counties. United Way proudly supports Feeding Feasible …

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#94: Hope Doesn't Quit, Neither Do We: Our Year-End Giving Campaign 14:02

21d ago14:02

14:02

Send us a text Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about our Year-End Giving Campaign, "Hope Doesn’t Quit, Neither Do We." When you invest in United Way’s work through our annual year-end giving campaign, you help us strengthen our community and ensure that everyone has the support they need. For this episode, we’ll chat …

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#93: Asset Building in Indigenous Communities 33:37

28d ago33:37

33:37

Send us a text Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation with Andrea Alexander, a Makah Tribal Elder, activist, and community development expert who leads the Northwest Native Asset Building Coalition, an Edmonds-based, United Way-supported nonprofit that empowers Indigenous communities through education and facilitation. On th…

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#92: Before You Write to Your Legislator: Here Are Some Dos and Don'ts 29:45

1M ago29:45

29:45

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode features a conversation about contacting elected officials. Folks say write to your councilmembers, representatives, and your senators when you want issues addressed that you care about. Amid the current federal government shutdown and recent elections that have sent new leaders to the state and local …

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#91: Safeguarding the Right for Indigenous People to Worship Behind Bars 31:21

1M ago31:21

31:21

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode is a conversation with Gabriel Galanda of Huy, a Seattle-based Indigenous organization that provides economic, rehabilitative, educational, and religious support for Indigenous inmates in Washington state and beyond. United Way of King County proudly supports Huy, which ensures that Indigenous p…

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#90: The Federal Government Shutdown Could Derail SNAP 15:04

2M ago15:04

15:04

Send us a text This episode features a conversation about the possible loss of SNAP benefits to millions nationwide. United Way of King County has championed the impact of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides families nationwide with the means to keep food on the table. However, due to the current federal governmen…

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#89: Free Food, Delivered Door-to-Door 23:27

2M ago23:27

23:27

Send us a text Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about United Way’s free Home Grocery Delivery Program. As United Way is set to launch our End of Year Giving Campaign that focuses on Hunger, Hourglass sat down with Cheyenne Stolmeier, United Way food security program manager, and Hannah Gauntz, United Way food security …

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#88: On Tyranny, On Freedom 32:05

2M ago32:05

32:05

Send us a text This episode features a conversation with historian and bestselling author Timothy Snyder. United Way is partnering with Seattle Arts and Lectures to co-sponsor an evening with Snyder at Benaroya Hall on Oct. 26 as part of our Conversations for Change series. Hourglass sat down with Snyder to discuss his book On Tyranny: 20 Lessons f…

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#87: Happy Hour with an Emerging Leader 16:57

2M ago16:57

16:57

By Joe Burris, Director of Storytelling and Public Relations, United Way of King County

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#86: Indigenous Groups Bring School Board Candidates to the Community 19:02

3M ago19:02

19:02

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation with two members of local Indigenous organization that will host a Seattle Public School Board Candidate Forum on October 4 at North Seattle College. We chatted with Lisa Rivera, Board Director of Urban Native Education Alliance and a former Seattle School Board director,…

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#85: “We’ve Never Run Out of Food” 21:51

3M ago21:51

21:51

Send us a text Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation with Tiffany Kelly-Gray of Byrd Barr Place, a Seattle-based nonprofit that offers essential services—including food, shelter, and financial tools—for Seattle area residents. As rising food prices and cuts to federal nutrition programs are impacting people’s ability to put…

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#84: Funding Indigenous Communities 24:48

3M ago24:48

24:48

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode discusses United Way’s Indigenous Communities Fund. Since the fund was launched in 2020, we’ve granted about $5 million to local groups to address many needs in King County’s Indigenous Communities. Hourglass sat down with Marlo Klein, United Way Senior Community Impact Manager of Housing Stabil…

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#83: Meet Our New Interim CEO! 27:50

3M ago27:50

27:50

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode features a conversation with Dr. Catherine Cushinberry, United Way’s interim CEO. Dr. Cushinberry became interim CEO when President and CEO Gordon McHenry Jr. stepped down in June. Hourglass sat down with Dr. Cushinberry for this episode to discuss topics that include her background and work, her inter…

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#82: Keeping King County Housed 21:31

4M ago21:31

21:31

Send us a text Good news happens. We sat down with three United Way of King County housing specialists to discuss the current need for rental assistance and eviction prevention in our county, our efforts (including renewed funding) to help address those needs, and how people might receive financial and legal assistance to stay in their homes. We wi…

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#81: When Reaching Age 18 is a “Blessing”: Youth & Gun Violence 47:23

4M ago47:23

47:23

Send us a text This week’s episode features a candid and poignant discussion about youth gun violence in our area. We sat down with two young men from the United Way-supported 4-C Coalition and Seattle Cares mentoring movement, as well as the director of Seattle Cares, to discuss an issue affecting far too many of our young people and their familie…

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#80: SNAP's Been Cut. Now What? 18:32

4M ago18:32

18:32

Send us a text This week's episode discusses federal legislation that will cut SNAP benefits to recipients across Washington state and nationwide. We sat down with Sara Seelmeyer, United Way’s Director for Ending Hunger, and Connor Walsh, United Way Associate Director for Public and Private Partnerships. Both recently attended a United Way Worldwid…

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#79: CHOOSE Expansion 15:00

4M ago15:00

15:00

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation with Jayanna Volle of CHOOSE 180, a United Way-supported, Burien-based organization that has impacted the local juvenile justice system by transforming how our region responds to young people. For more than a dozen years, CHOOSE 180 has worked with the courts, schools, an…

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#78: Driven to Supporting His Community 31:32

4M ago31:32

31:32

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation with Kent resident Yusuf Bashir, who is making an impact in his community while working two jobs. One, as the founder of the United Way-supported nonprofit Falis Community Services, and the other as a bus driver for King County Metro. We’ll also discuss our Free Summer Me…

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#77: There's Hope for Youth Experiencing Homelessness 43:00

5M ago43:00

43:00

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation about addressing youth homelessness. We chat with Tricia Raikes, co-founder of the Seattle-based Raikes Foundation, which not only responds to youth and young adult homelessness but also works to prevent it from happening in the first place. Tricia Raikes and United Way o…

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#76: Poetry, Prose and Perspective 47:43

5M ago47:43

47:43

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode features poetry, prose, and perspective from Maven Gardner, a 2016 Seattle Youth Poet Laureate, whose writings have shed light on what it means to grow up in foster care and then experience homelessness as an adult in our region. Maven read some of their poetry during a 2022 United Way Advancing Racial…

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#75: Fighting for Your Civil Liberties 28:12

5M ago28:12

28:12

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation with Michele Storms, the executive director of the ACLU of Washington. Since 1935, the ACLU of Washington has served as one of our state’s most formidable civil rights and civil liberties organizations. Much of its work aligns with United Way of King County’s efforts to a…

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#74: Play Ball (Beyond Borders)! 35:30

5M ago35:30

35:30

Send us a text Good news happens. In this episode, we’re talking baseball with Bookie Gates of Baseball Beyond Borders, a Kent-based organization that provides baseball and softball access for communities of color. United Way of King County is proud to support Baseball Beyond Borders and its efforts to help student-athletes of color connect their p…

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#73: A Conversation with the State Attorney General 25:45

6M ago25:45

25:45

Send us a text This week's episode is a conversation with Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown. Hourglass met with the attorney general on Friday, just moments after the US Supreme Court ruled against an injunction that prohibited the White House from limiting birthright citizenship in the U.S. Earlier this year, Brown led a lawsuit challen…

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#72: For Parents and Children, It’s a Plus! 21:52

6M ago21:52

21:52

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode is about ParentChild+, a national organization with local affiliates that works with parents, toddlers, communities, and caregivers to support children’s early learning. We’ll chat about ParentChild+ with United Way Community Impact Manager Whitney Nakamura and Elisa Jimenez of El Centro De La Raza, a …

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#71: Support, Resources for Pacific Islander Students and Families 25:25

6M ago25:25

25:25

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode features a conversation with Naomi Mulitauaopele Tagaleo’o of Education with a Purpose for Pacific Islanders, a Kent-based organization that provides education resources and support to Pacific Islander youth and their parents. United Way of King County proudly supports Education with a Purpose for Paci…

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#70: Housing That's Affordable 25:40

6M ago25:40

25:40

Send us a text Good news happens. This week's episode is a conversation about tackling our housing crisis. United Way of King County recently launched its Bridging the Wealth Gap campaign, which aims to increase access to financing and capital for homeownership and small business development in communities of color across the Greater King County re…

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#69: Out of Catastrophe Comes Passion to Care for Mother Earth 22:50

7M ago22:50

22:50

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode features a conversation with Lisa Fruichantie, the executive director of Na Ah Illhee Fund, a United Way-supported, Seattle-based organization that promotes Indigenous women's leadership in communities from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to the Rockies. Fruichantie will discuss how her drive and p…

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#68: Kids Eat Free! 15:35

7M ago15:35

15:35

Send us a text Good news happens. In this episode, we’ll discuss the statewide Free Summer Meals program. Sponsored by United Way of King County and our partners, the Free Summer Meals program provides free meals to youth under 18 while school is out for the summer. We’ll chat with United Way’s staff members about Free Summer Meals and Summer EBT, …

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#67: SNAP is Under Attack 14:47

7M ago14:47

14:47

Send us a text Good news happens. In this episode, we'll discuss SNAP, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is one of the nation’s most effective tools for addressing hunger and lifting families out of poverty. But federal lawmakers are currently considering nearly $300 billion in cuts to the program. In this episode, we will…

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#66: Investing in Our Youth, Our Communities 24:50

7M ago24:50

24:50

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation with Dawn Bennett, the executive director of the African American Leadership Forum, a Kent-based organization committed to revitalizing and sustaining local communities of color. We will also hear a special message from United Way president and CEO Gordon McHenry Jr., and…

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#64: FEEST on Student Advocacy! 23:07

8M ago23:07

23:07

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode is a conversation on youth advocacy and activism featuring FEEST, a Seattle-based organization that trains young people of color and working-class youth to organize for systemic change in their schools. United Way of King County is proud to fund FEEST and spotlight its work to build young leader…

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#64: Racking Up Opportunities to Make a Difference With Nordstrom! 25:45

8M ago25:45

25:45

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode discusses corporate and nonprofit partnerships, spotlighting our work in communities with Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom. We’ll also spotlight an upcoming Happy Hour and Hellos event and discuss a local volunteer opportunity. Thanks for tuning in.…

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#63: Create a Legacy Through Giving 18:45

8M ago18:45

18:45

Send us a text In this episode, we’ll discuss legacy giving, a way to make charitable donations through one’s estate plan. This type of giving allows people to support causes or donations even after they pass on. We’ll discuss legacy giving with James McBain, the Senior vice president and Regional Director of Wealth Planning and Trust Advisory at U…

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#62: United Way Board Member Spotlight: Rachel Smith, President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce 25:35

8M ago25:35

25:35

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation with United Way board member Rachel Smith, President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. The episode is part of an ongoing series highlighting members of United Way of King County’s board of directors. We proudly feature Rachel, who will discuss the f…

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#61: Let’s Talk About DEI (Everyone Else Is!) 31:16

9M ago31:16

31:16

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode is a conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Amelia Ransom, the retired Vice President of DE&I at Smartsheet. Amelia will be the keynote speaker for the graduation ceremony for United Way of King County’s Project LEAD, a training program that aims to increase the representation of people …

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#60: We're Helping You Make the Most of Tax Season 23:04

9M ago23:04

23:04

Send us a text It’s tax season, and United Way is doing what it can to help you regain some of your hard-earned wages via refunds and credits. In this episode, we’ll discuss United Way’s one-day, free tax preparation events and provide information about the Washington State Working Families Tax Credit. We’ve invited Leila Reynolds (left), campaign …

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#59: What You Need to Know About Filing Your Taxes This Year 25:25

9M ago25:25

25:25

Send us a text It’s tax season, and in this episode, we will spotlight United Way’s Free Tax Preparation Campaign and discuss what’s new this year when it comes to filing your income tax return. We’ll also hear a message from United Way president and CEO Gordon McHenry, Jr., about our work during these challenging times, and we’ll spotlight a local…

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#58: How Should Philanthropy and Nonprofits Respond to These Uncertain Times? 29:06

9M ago29:06

29:06

Send us a text Good news happens. This week’s episode features a conversation between United Way chief impact officer Regina Malveaux and Washington Women’s Foundation’s president and CEO Maria Kolby-Wolfe about the efforts of philanthropy and nonprofits to address the current political landscape. We’ll also hear a message from United Way president…

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#57: Mentoring Our Youth for Good Trouble 33:10

10M ago33:10

33:10

Send us a text Good news happens. In this week’s episode, we’ll spotlight Glover Empower Mentoring, a Kent-based organization that mentors youth and young adults in King and Pierce counties. United Way proudly supports Glover Empower Mentoring. In this episode, we’ll chat with its founder, Kendrick Glover, and other members of the organization's st…

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#56: Support, Advocacy in These Challenging Times 28:24

10M ago28:24

28:24

Send us a text Good news happens. In this week’s episode, we chat with Ginger Kwan of Open Doors for Multicultural Families, a Kent-based organization that supports culturally and linguistically diverse people with disabilities and their families. United Way proudly supports Open Doors for Multicultural Families. In this episode, we’ll discuss how …

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#55: A Conversation with United Way Board Member and Seahawks Legend Doug Baldwin! 31:50

10M ago31:50

31:50

Send us a text Good news happens. In this week’s episode, we’ll chat with United Way board member and Seattle Seahawks legend Doug Baldwin Jr. Doug discusses topics such as providing resources and opportunities for the community, working with United Way, and applying lessons he learned from the Seahawks to his current work. We’ll also hear a messag…

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#54: A Conversation with the County Executive 30:01

10M ago30:01

30:01

Send us a text Good news happens. In this episode, we chat with Dow Constantine, the longest-serving executive in King County's history. United Way partners with county leaders to address issues in areas such as housing and education, and in this episode, we’ll chat with Constantine about his service to our county, our region’s progress and challen…

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#53: Lobby Days! 17:45

11M ago17:45

17:45

Send us a text Good news happens. In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss Lobby Days at the State Capitol, an annual opportunity for individuals and groups to gather in Olympia, meet with lawmakers, and advocate for policies that may help improve the quality of life in our communities. In this episode, we will chat with Nancy Lu, United Way Systems C…

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#52: Navigating the News Cycle 39:01

11M ago39:01

39:01

Send us a text Good news happens. During this week’s episode, we’ll talk journalism with United Way board member Julie Wolfe, news director for Seattle’s KING 5 Media Group. We’ll also hear from United Way board chair Steve Hooper about why he supports our organization, and we'll discuss a local volunteer opportunity. Thanks for tuning in.…

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#51: Before School Work Begins: Breakfast After the Bell 19:21

11M ago19:21

19:21

Send us a text Good news happens. In this episode, we’ll chat with members of United Way staff and officials from the Federal Way School District, which offers a firsthand look at the impact of Breakfast After the Bell in Lake Grove Elementary School. Pictured here are Alisha Barlow, Executive Director Of Nutrition Services at Federal Way Public Sc…

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#50 United Way Board Member Spotlight Series: Shkëlqim Kelmendi of Housing Connector 29:41

11M ago29:41

29:41

Send us a text Good news happens. This episode is the first in a series highlighting members of United Way of King County’s board of directors. We’ll spotlight United Way board member Shkëlqim Kelmendi of Housing Connector, a Seattle-based organization that increases affordable housing access for those in need by addressing financial and residency …

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#49: Partnering with the Public Sector for PSTAA (AKA pasta!) 32:00

11M ago32:00

32:00

Send us a text Good news happens. In Hourglass's first podcast of 2025, we’ll chat with Jennifer Tanaka, Deputy Director of King County’s Children, Youth and Young Adult Division, and Joy Sebe, United Way of King County director of education strategies, about partnerships between nonprofit and government sectors. We’ll speak specifically about Unit…

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#48: “It’s hard work, and it’s heart work.” 2024: A Look Back, A Look Ahead 19:15

12M ago19:15

19:15

Send us a text Good news happens! This episode is Hourglass United Way’s Year in Review. We chat with United Way of King County president and CEO Gordon McHenry, Jr., about our organization’s work in 2024 and how that guides our work for this New Year. We will also hear from United Way’s chief philanthropy officer, Lindsay Harper, about our year-en…