09/25/2026
“I never thought I would ever need assistance. But my father had a stroke, and he was the head of our household, so we had to move from Mississippi to Seattle because he was unable to work. He started working with the Randolph Carter Institute, and that gave him some basic training so he could still bring money home and support us. I decided I wouldn’t go to college, but my mom wouldn’t let me. So I went on to Seattle University, got a part-time job and started working with the Boys & Girls Club.
Then I got married and had a couple of kids, and my husband lost his job. My kids were attending El Centro de la Raza, and they told me, ‘Just come. Bring your kids. You pay based on your ability to do so. And if you can’t, then that’s okay.’
Sometimes you don’t really think United Way is for you. But sometimes we all may need it at a certain point, whether it’s long-term or short-term.
Then I found out I had breast cancer. Then I found out I had ovarian cancer. I was fortunate that UPS covered my medical costs, but I remember sitting in a hospital room thinking about the people there who didn’t have that support and needed medication they couldn’t afford.
When I stopped looking at my bills, they were around $1.8 million. I had medication that lasted 30 days that cost $11,000. It was amazing that my company covered it. But when you think about what United Way does for the community… I could have been homeless. I could have needed money for rent or a mortgage. My kids were still in school. We all could be affected in one way or another. United Way was there when I needed it, and I didn’t even know the connection.
So when I retired from UPS, I decided to come back and continue the work. And I’ve been doing it for 26 years. Every year I tell myself it’s going to be my last year, and then I get a call and think about it and say, ‘Okay, I can do it.’ I enjoy making people feel as if, ‘There’s no way I’m going to give any money,’ but when I convince them to do so, then I feel I’m doing pretty good.”
-Brendylon Linton, 26-year Engagement Coordinator
