By Dow Constantine, King County Executive

Each year, employees in every department and every branch of our government join together in the spirit of giving and community during King County’s Annual Giving Drive. It is a time that demonstrates the power of our collective giving in support of the causes that are important to us.

At a time when many communities – here at home and around the world – have been devastated by natural disasters, our support can help them recover, build resilience, and thrive once again. More than 100 people lost their lives in Florida during Hurricane Ian and billions of dollars of damage was caused; Pakistan is facing one of the worst natural disasters in modern history with floods submerging a third of its land; communities in Puerto Rico are struggling to recover from Hurricane Fiona. You can find out more about some of the nonprofits who help communities recover from disasters by watching a recording of this week’s Natural Disaster Expo.

The Annual Giving Drive brings employees together to make a difference collectively. Whether supporting disaster recovery and resilience, increasing access to healthcare, housing, and education, or finding forever families for our furry friends, our individual small acts add up to make a world of difference.

King County’s Annual Giving Drive runs through Nov. 18 and provides several options for us to support the people, communities, and causes across the world that are important to each of us:

• Payroll Donation – One time, once a month, or twice a month.
• Time Donation – Up to three nonprofit organizations.
• Credit Cards and e-Checks – on the online storefront.
• Special Events – Raise awareness and money for a particular cause.
• Volunteer – Eligible employees may take up to three sick days a year to volunteer.

You have the option to give online or with a paper form. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask your work site Ambassador, or reach out to the Employee Giving Program at employeegiving@kingcounty.gov.

Thank you for all you do, both here at King County and outside of work. Our community and our world are better for it.