Seattle Mayor Durkan, Amazon, Starbucks, Zillow and others convene to talk solutions to homelessness as part of United Way's Community Resource Exchange

SEATTLE, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Homelessness is a crisis in the Seattle area as more than 11,600 people are without a place to call home. While some are staying in shelters, thousands of people are living on the streets, under bridges or in their cars.

Seattle business, government and nonprofit leaders will come together on March 20^th to talk about community efforts to solve homelessness. The panel discussion, called Changemakers' Rally, is part of United Way's Community Resource Exchange. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan will kick off Changemakers' Rally, followed by a panel discussion with representatives from Amazon, Starbucks Coffee Company, Zillow and others.

People experiencing homelessness face enormous challenges every day, including services or needs we take for granted, like a haircut, housing, or dental help. The Community Resource Exchange provides critical services like dental exams, mammograms, foot washing and hair care to the more than 1,000 people who attend. These services stabilize lives as people fight to retain their dignity and get back on their feet.  "Our employees dive deep into causes near and dear to them. We are grateful United Way makes it possible for nearly 100 Amazonians and so many other volunteers to support, serve and connect with our neighbors in immediate need," says Alice Shobe, Director of Community Engagement at Amazon, premiere sponsor of Community Resource Exchange.

Benefits for guests are long lasting as companies like UPS and Amazon look to hire people during job interviews on March 20th. Clients also can meet with housing specialists who can work to provide a safe place to live. United Way believes housing and income will solve homelessness, which is why it created its Jobs Connect and Streets to Home programs.

500 volunteers from sponsor companies like Amazon, Bank of America, Farmers Insurance, Microsoft, Seattle Seahawks and Starbucks generously give their time at Community Resource Exchange to fulfill clients' needs.

For more information on making sure people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable, click here or visit United Way of King County's website at https://www.uwkc.org/donate.             

SOURCE United Way of King County