Philip was a young father. At 22, he and his girlfriend had a son. They hadn’t been together long and the stress of having a child was a major strain on their relationship. Although they parted ways soon after the child was born, Philip was determined to be a part of his son’s life.

I am the youngest of 5 boys. I grew up in a small town in Ohio, about 5,000 people small. When you grow up in a small town, there isn’t much to do. Everyone drank for fun, so I did. I started when I was 14. I was good at drinking and the life of the party. By 17, I was a full-blown alcoholic and dabbling in drugs.

As the second oldest in her family, Maria has always taken on the role of caregiver. She never shied away from hard work. Her life hasn’t been without its hardships. Throughout her childhood, her mother battled a substance use disorder. At the age of 12, Maria was put into foster care, where she remained until she aged out at 18.

For 21-year-old Cierra, “one more time” had become her mantra. Just one more, it won’t hurt anything, she would think to herself. I will stop after this hit she told herself over and over again. It was not until she had her daughter that she turned “one last time” into “taking it one day at a time”.

Two years ago, Darla and her two boys Ivan, age 8, and Braiden, age 13, were alone in a motel room, hungry and scared, with nowhere to go. Losing her 7-year partner to illness left them defenseless. With no other options, Darla took her children to a homeless shelter.

Can you feel it in the air? It’s getting colder out there and just a little bit spooky! Halloween will be here before you know it, so at Volunteers of America Thrift we’re stocked to help you put together that DIY (do-it-yourself) costume you’ve been dreaming of all year long. If you’re looking for ideas to stick to your budget this year, here are the top 5 DIY costumes you can make (for you, your kids, or a group of friends!) from one of our VOA Thrift stores: Choose your own Halloween adventure at a VOA Thrift store near you! If all…

People say $1.00 doesn’t go far anymore, but at Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana Thrift Stores, you can still find merchandise for 99 cents! Don’t believe us? Check out what we found during a recent trip to our store on 5640 West Broad Street in Columbus. Shirts, Pants, and Scarves First, we have a classic V-neck t-shirt which pairs with either dark or light wash jeans, also 99 cents each. Be sure to visit our scarf displays as well for a 99-cent accessory to complete any outfit. Swimwear There is no way you find a swimsuit for 99 cents…right?…