Standing Behind Vulnerable People in Times of Need

When tragedy strikes, like the recent tornado in Oklahoma, I’m reminded of the very serious responsibility we at Volunteers of America assume in the lives of the people we serve. While we’re not a first responder in times of emergency, like The Red Cross, we do have clients in facilities all over the country who often find themselves in harm’s ways when a natural disaster occurs.

Many of these people – be they children, the elderly or people with intellectual or physical disabilities – are truly dependent on us for their day-to-day care, and it’s up to us to ensure that they remain safe and accounted for. Others, like our homeless clients or residents in Volunteers of America affordable housing communities, may not be under our direct guardianship, but still need our help to find new places to live when homes are destroyed by fire, weather or other catastrophes.

Volunteers of America is an organization that’s often at its best when things are at their worst. In the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina, when I was still CEO of our Texas affiliate, all members of our “family” joined together to help those displaced in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast. In many cases, this required moving disabled and elderly clients to Texas or Kentucky or other far-off places where they could be accommodated in the aftermath of the storm. For many it was a long road back to normalcy, but we stood by them to make sure their needs were met. Even though this meant, for many of us, long hours away from family and friends who were also reeling from the aftermath of the storm, we didn’t give it a second thought. It’s just what we do.

For those who lost their homes and belongings in the Oklahoma tornado, as well as other natural disasters, the road to recovery will be long, as well. Fortunately, Volunteers of America clients and facilities in the region were largely unaffected by the recent storm … but as we know, the potential for another emergency is always on the horizon and we must be prepared to react quickly to protect the people we serve.

- By Mike King, National President and CEO, Volunteers of America

When Times are Tough, Volunteers of America is There

Despite signs that the economy continues to make a sluggish recovery, some measures – like the disappointing employment report released this month – demonstrate that the recovery has failed so far to touch many Americans. More than four years after the start of the recession, many still struggle to make a prosperous life for themselves and their families. Even paying for necessities like housing, food and health care has become out of reach for many.

At Volunteers of America, we often say that quality affordable housing forms the foundation for a successful life. But having a good job is also an essential part of that foundation. Not only is a job important for the obvious financial reasons … it also builds up people emotionally by giving their lives a sense of purpose and self-worth. Self-sufficiency is the end goal for participants in most of our programs, and that depends on a steady job.

Often, homelessness can be traced back to a lack of job skills and an inability to find employment. This is especially true among America’s veterans, many of whom return home and find it difficult to transition back into civilian life. We’re working to help in that transition by providing services like job training and placement in areas of the country especially hard-hit by unemployment.

One such program is in Ohio, where services are offered in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton to help veterans find employment. These Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs provide assistance like job skill development; resume writing; job searching, placement and coaching; career clothing; transportation assistance; and referrals to community resources. These Ohio programs have placed 1,630 veterans in jobs since 2009.

At a time when so many people are looking for work, or have become so discouraged that they’ve dropped out of the job market altogether, Volunteers of America is there to make sure they receive the support needed to get back on their feet.

- By Mike King, National President and CEO, Volunteers of America

New Orleans Ninth Grader Moved by Homeless Veterans Steps Forward

Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans President/CEO Jim LeBlanc stands by Princeton Carter as he presents a gift card from his Brother’s Keeper Newman program to 10-year Army veteran Juanita and her twin daughters, Kamry and Kalin.

Many of us see persons who are homeless and feel sorry for them. But Princeton Carter, a ninth grader at Newman School in New Orleans, did much more. He noticed that one of the homeless men under a bridge near the Superdome carried a sign saying he was a veteran. Looking closer, Princeton saw that the man also displayed an ID that proved he had served.

Princeton knew he had to help. After brainstorming, he decided that feeding veterans in crisis would make a real difference. He planned a community service project called “My Brother’s Keeper Newman.” Gift cards from a local grocery store chain were soon part of the plan. Carter began asking other Newman students and parents for help. The school’s Action Committee, which focuses on providing community service, also became involved in the project and recruited more supporters. Before long, Carter received fifty $100 gift cards for groceries.

While organizing his project, Carter learned that Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans serves veterans in a variety of ways through a Support Services for Veterans Families program. This effort stabilizes formerly homeless veterans who are rebuilding their lives. It helps them unite and take care of their families. Carter decided to present Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans with the gift cards he had gathered to help veterans in need.

As a result of Carter’s generous donation, supported by the Newman School community, many veterans and their families are being fed and loved. His commitment to help has made a huge difference in the lives of those who served our country.

- By Anna Scheffy, Marketing Coordinator, Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans

Celebrating Maud Booth’s Legacy

Women are caretakers. They care for children, for parents, for elderly neighbors who don’t have anyone else to watch over them. They act as the glue holding together extended, multigenerational families. And all too often, unfortunately, women are the only caretakers in many families.

This is why so many of the programs offered by Volunteers of America focus on women, especially mothers. We understand the role they play as the foundations of their families and communities. We know we can’t begin to help the children, low-income seniors and many others who depend on these women if we don’t first stabilize the lives of the women themselves. This includes affordable housing, nutrition programs, and even addiction and mental health services, depending on the specific situation. By building stronger women, we also hope to build stronger families and communities.

Today, we’re seeing a growing number of women veterans joining the ranks of our homeless clients. These women bring with them unique problems that programs designed to help single male veterans fail to address … in particular, that many of these women are mothers with children who must be accommodated, as well. Military sexual trauma is another challenge that we’re only just now beginning to identify and understand.

Maud Booth co-founded Volunteers of America in 1896, in an era when women rarely worked outside the home, let alone led national human service organizations. She understood the benefit of tailoring programs to people’s individual needs, and being able to adapt as new social problems presented themselves. Helping women was always a top priority for her, starting with poor widows back in the days before Social Security. Maud remains an inspiration to us at Volunteers of America to this day.

Learn more about Volunteers of America’s programs, including those benefiting women and families.

- By Mike King, National President and CEO, Volunteers of America

Housing is the Foundation for a Successful Life

Homestead at Anoka

We often say at Volunteers of America that housing is the foundation for building a successful life. So many other problems are impossible to fix until someone has a safe, stable place to live. This is part of the reason why the mortgage crisis has had such a sharp and lasting effect on the economy.

All over the country, one of the first services Volunteers of America offers in many communities is housing. And it’s not just affordable apartments. Many of the homes we provide are specialized for specific groups of people, be they seniors, those with disabilities or those transitioning from homelessness.

The homeless often represent the most visible need for housing. But unfortunately, homelessness is a much more complicated issue than simply lacking a home, and affects many people in many different ways. We know not all homeless people are the same. Some are individuals or families who have experienced an economic setback like the loss of a job or the foreclosure of a home. They may be forced to stay on a friend’s couch or move into transitional housing until their financial situation improves. Other people may suffer from longer-term homelessness rooted in addiction or mental illness.

We understand that homelessness is not a condition that is fixed simply by providing a home. Many people need housing paired with support over the long term to rebuild their lives and change the problems that led them to living on the streets in the first place. A lack of continued support is where so many efforts to combat homelessness fall short.

From a family motel in Denver to new transitional housing for veterans in inner-city Chicago to our new long term care campus in Anoka, Minnesota, Volunteers of America provides shelter that meets a wide variety of needs for people in need of decent homes. We’re experts, not just when it comes to affordable housing, but also at a variety of services that help people and families grow stronger. We work to help not only the visible homeless living on the streets, but also the “invisible” homeless who may have temporary shelter but lack a more permanent, stable home.

Homelessness and a shortage of affordable housing is something that can be overcome as long as we fully understand the many needs people have when it comes to building stronger lives. With hundreds of properties nationwide housing more than 25,000 residents, I’m happy to say that we’re providing strong foundations for a growing number of people to thrive. Learn more about Volunteers of America’s housing services and assistance for the homeless.

- By Mike King, National President and CEO, Volunteers of America

This is Why We Do What We Do™

During the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Volunteers of America launched a new national advertising campaign focused on a central theme: “This is why we do what we do.™” Created in collaboration with The Richards Group, a top branding and advertising firm based in Dallas, the campaign was produced last summer and the print ads feature the faces of actual clients served by our organization. It was important for us to include real people to make a stronger connection between the work we do and the lives that are transformed by that work every day.

This kind of ad campaign is something new for Volunteers of America. For a long time, we’ve described ourselves as an organization that’s “on the front lines, not in the headlines.” We’ve focused our attention on serving those in need rather than seeking out attention. While remaining humble servants certainly is important, I’m reminded of the Bible verse from Matthew 5:15 – “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light to all that are in the house.”

Now as much as ever, it’s critically important for us to make this kind of investment in “brand awareness.” Our clients depend on us not only to provide basic services like housing, but also to provide them with a voice and preserve the assistance on which they depend. We owe it to them to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us, and to ensure that the organization has access to additional resources – financial resources, in particular – to continue sustaining and growing the programs we offer to those who need us. An organization like Volunteers of America can’t do that if we remain anonymous. To compete and survive in an economic environment where an increasing number of charities compete for a dwindling pool of funding, while also responding to a growing number of people who need help, we must do whatever we can to distinguish ourselves and inform others about the needs of our clients.

We plan to air a second round of television ads later this spring around Memorial Day on cable news networks including FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, Headline News, as well as on “CBS Sunday Morning.” We’re also working to secure print ads in a number of high-profile print publications. While we normally shy away from blowing our own horn, we feel that our clients are best served when we do what we can to bring the issues that affect them out into the spotlight.

To learn more, visit www.VolunteersofAmerica.org, or view the new ads on Volunteers of America’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/VolofAmerica.

- By Mike King, National President and CEO, Volunteers of America

We Must Remember the True Spirit of Christmas

Between the school shooting tragedy in Connecticut and daily headlines about the fiscal cliff, it’s understandable why some people might have trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. What normally would be a time of joy has become a period of national mourning and consternation.

But I think current events also offer an opportunity to refocus attention away from the festivities and consumerism that have come to define the Christmas season and focus instead on the true meaning of the holiday. The spirit of Christmas is not about buying the latest electronic gadget or going to parties. This is a time when we traditionally reflect on those who may not be able to afford presents under the Christmas tree, or who will be separated from loved ones during the holiday. It is a time of generosity toward others by giving of one’s spirit, not just giving material things. This is a time when we hold our loved ones close and celebrate the blessings we have been given.

In support of that spirit of giving, Volunteers of America has been working as part the Charitable Giving Coalition – a group of more than 50 national nonprofit organizations – to preserve the charitable income tax deduction, which has been proposed to be capped or eliminated as part of fiscal cliff negotiations. It has been estimated that, with no deduction for charitable gifts, annual giving would drop by 25 to 36 percent, and the proposed cap could cost charities as much as $7 billion a year in contributions.

The importance of donations from individuals can never be overstated. Philanthropy makes a critical difference in the lives of people we serve. It helps us fill gaps in existing funding to create new services in response to emerging needs. Policies like the charitable deduction help fuel a strong tradition of giving in America that has broadened access to health and human services, fostered an appreciation for our history and cultural heritage, advanced scientific and medical research, and supported a variety of other programs vital to the health of our nation.

At this time of year, we at Volunteers of America hope everyone will remember the true spirit of the holidays and focus on helping those in need. To help us make a difference in people’s lives, please visit www.voa.org/spiritofgiving. For more information on from the Charitable Giving Coalition, visit: http://protectgiving.org/.

- By Mike King, National President and CEO, Volunteers of America