Partner Spotlight: United Way and SAL’s Shared Vision
November 12, 2024
SAL is thrilled to co-present our Encore Series event with Robin Wall Kimmerer with United Way of King County on December 9th. Their partnership and that of the Indigenous Communities Fund—including Red Eagle Soaring—made the evening possible.
Learn more about their programming and how to get involved below!
By Gordon McHenry, Jr., President & CEO of United Way of King County
United Way and SAL’s Shared Vision
As the President and CEO of United Way, I’m thrilled to partner with Seattle Arts & Lectures because I see our missions reflected in one another. SAL prioritizes, amplifies, and celebrates the voices, stories, and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to build stronger communities—just as we strive to do.
For over a century, United Way has worked tirelessly to address the root causes of poverty and inequality in King County. We’ve learned that true community transformation requires racially equitable programs that meet immediate needs and systemic policy change that works to dismantle racism.
Arts and culture play a vital role in fostering empathy, education, and social change. By bringing inspiring figures like Robin Wall Kimmerer to Seattle, we create spaces for our community to come together and grow. In her groundbreaking works Braiding Sweetgrass and The Serviceberry, Kimmerer draws on her Indigenous heritage and scientific knowledge to offer powerful messages about interconnectedness, reciprocity, and gratitude. She emphasizes that community is essential to our well-being.
I couldn’t agree more. By uplifting those around us, we rise as a whole.
That’s why, in 2020, United Way launched the Indigenous Communities Fund. Since then, we’ve committed more than $3 million to local, Native-led organizations and given them the autonomy to disperse revenue where they believe it is needed most. By centering our values on redistribution, representation, and reparations, this coalition of 12 Seattle Urban Native Nonprofits can build stronger community, support their youth, and sustain their cultural heritage.
Red Eagle Soaring—one of our 140 local partners and a member of the Indigenous Communities Fund—integrates contemporary theatre and traditional Native performing arts to empower Native youth. Together, they learn to express themselves and take creative action on issues that impact their lives through staged performances,
Whether through theatre, literature, education, or housing, we’re all looking to belong somewhere – to belong to a community that values us.
As we approach the end of the year, I invite you to join United Way in our mission to build a stronger, more compassionate King County. Your donation to Our Neighbor Fund – a United Way effort to help families keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies – will help support our community members who are struggling the most.
Together, United Way and SAL are committed to dismantling the historical and present-day effects of white supremacy and creating a more just, equitable, and vibrant community.
Together, we can build community for our neighbors.
And while this event is sold out, if you don’t have streaming tickets to this event yet, I invite you to use United Way’s discount code: UWKC5. It will take $5 off your streaming pass that includes a copy of Kimmerer’s newest book, The Serviceberry.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Gordon McHenry, Jr. (he, him, his)
President & CEO
United Way of King County