Hourglass: United Way of King County
Aug 17, 2026 · 20 min · 11 segments
Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about our partnership with Puget Sound Energy, a Bellevue-based company that for more than 150 years has been synonymous with providing…
Joe BurrusHost
Carol WallaceGuest
Carrie BatesGuest
We at United Way of King County launched our Neighbor Fund a few years ago to support residents who all too often must decide between paying the rent and putting food on the table, or between keeping the lights on or gas in the tank.
Through resources like rental assistance, home grocery delivery, and free tax preparation, United Way has been well-positioned to help our neighbors' hard-earned dollars go further, and we're proud to say that we're not doing it alone.
We work with partners like Puget Sound Energy, a Bellevue-based company that has been synonymous with helping residents and businesses keep their lights on and their dwellings climate controlled.
Puget Sound Energy provides power to millions of customers in nearly a dozen counties.
Through its energy assistance and weatherization programs, the company ensures that customers need not choose between keeping the power on and meeting other financial needs.
The company says that the number of customers who receive energy assistance has increased nearly fivefold since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year alone, more than 70,000 Puget Sound Energy customers have received energy assistance.
And over the years, United Way has made sure we help get the word out about Puget Sound Energy programs.
The company has provided United Way with thousands of bill assistance flyers in multiple languages that we share with our communities.
Those who stop by our free tax prep and free Summer Meals sites or receive food from our home grocery delivery campaign get information on how they can take advantage of ways to make their utility budgets go further.
Puget Sound Energy has also provided support for those United Way programs through volunteers and in-kind donations.
Together, we've logged many stories about our neighbors who turn to us in times of need, and we're glad they did.
For this episode of Hourglass, we sat down with Carol Wallace, Puget Sound Energy's director of customer operations, and Carrie Bates, United Way director of institutional philanthropy, for a conversation on topics including our partnership with Puget Sound Energy and its bill assistance programs that people can take advantage of right now.
We begin with Carol, who spoke about the impact of Puget Sound Energy's community engagement and outreach work.
We at United Way of King County launched our Neighbor Fund a few years ago to support residents who all too often must decide between paying the rent and putting food on the table, or between keeping the lights on or gas in the tank.
Through resources like rental assistance, home grocery delivery, and free tax preparation, United Way has been well-positioned to help our neighbors' hard-earned dollars go further, and we're proud to say that we're not doing it alone.
We work with partners like Puget Sound Energy, a Bellevue-based company that has been synonymous with helping residents and businesses keep their lights on and their dwellings climate controlled.
Puget Sound Energy provides power to millions of customers in nearly a dozen counties.
Through its energy assistance and weatherization programs, the company ensures that customers need not choose between keeping the power on and meeting other financial needs.
The company says that the number of customers who receive energy assistance has increased nearly fivefold since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year alone, more than 70,000 Puget Sound Energy customers have received energy assistance.
And over the years, United Way has made sure we help get the word out about Puget Sound Energy programs.
The company has provided United Way with thousands of bill assistance flyers in multiple languages that we share with our communities.
Those who stop by our free tax prep and free Summer Meals sites or receive food from our home grocery delivery campaign get information on how they can take advantage of ways to make their utility budgets go further.
Puget Sound Energy has also provided support for those United Way programs through volunteers and in-kind donations.
Together, we've logged many stories about our neighbors who turn to us in times of need, and we're glad they did.
For this episode of Hourglass, we sat down with Carol Wallace, Puget Sound Energy's director of customer operations, and Carrie Bates, United Way director of institutional philanthropy, for a conversation on topics including our partnership with Puget Sound Energy and its bill assistance programs that people can take advantage of right now.
We begin with Carol, who spoke about the impact of Puget Sound Energy's community engagement and outreach work.
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