Our Mission
Put faith into action by providing compassionate human services that empower individuals and strengthen local communities.
Our Vision
Aspire to create a world in which every person lives a life of emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, filled with hope.
Compassionate care today—flourishing communities tomorrow.
Our Work
VOA helps veterans, families, and individuals rebuild their lives and thrive. We provide services that are designed locally to address specific community needs. Our main areas of focus include: providing mental health and recovery services, supporting our nation’s veterans, promoting self-sufficiency for those experiencing homelessness, supporting citizens reentering their communities after a period of incarceration, and, maintaining a robust social enterprise division.
We address both urgent and on-going needs, with the goal of helping people become as self-reliant as possible. Our work is guided by our Core Values: Respect & Trust, Integrity, Ministry of Service, and Creativity & Innovation.
Career Opportunities
Join our ministry of service that includes nearly 1,000 paid, professional employees
dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential.
Our National Office
VOA Ohio & Indiana is an affiliate of VOA, a national nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping people rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. VOA (Volunteers of America) is one of the nation’s largest, established comprehensive human services organizations with 15,000 mission-driven professionals, dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Founded in 1896, the faith-based nonprofit has programs in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, serving more than 2 million people a year.
History
Ballington and Maud Booth, founders of Volunteers of America, envisioned a movement dedicated to “reaching and uplifting” the American people. The social reformers pledged to “go wherever we are needed, and do whatever comes to hand.” That declaration has guided Volunteers of America’s outreach efforts ever since.
From housing support and day nurseries in the early 1900’s, “Penny Pantries” during the great depression, to spearheading community salvage drives for scrap materials during World War II, Volunteers of America has always strived to meet the needs of the community. Volunteers of America was responsible for the nation’s first system of halfway houses for released prisoners. Throughout the years, Volunteers of America has emerged as a major provider of professional long-term nursing care, developed over 300 affordable housing complexes in more than 31 states, and much more. Now in our second century of service, we are one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive human services organizations, touching the lives of more than 2 million people each year in communities across the United States. Planning for the next 100 years, we will continue to prove that “there are no limits to caring.”
THE EARLY 1900s: In turn-of-the-century America, there was no shortage of work for the newly established Volunteers of America. The Volunteers moved into tenement districts to care for people in poverty. They organized day nurseries and summer camps, provided housing for single men and women, and established the nation’s first system of halfway houses for released prisoners.
THE DEPRESSION: The Great Depression of the 1930s stretched the nation’s private social welfare system almost to the breaking point. Volunteers of America mobilized to assist the millions of people who were unemployed, hungry and homeless. Relief efforts included employment bureaus, wood yards, soup kitchens, and “Penny Pantries” where every food item cost one cent.
WARTIME: Volunteers of America served proudly on the home front during both world wars. The group operated canteens, overnight lodging and Sunday breakfasts for soldiers and sailors on leave. Affordable housing and child care were provided for defense industry workers. Further, Volunteers of America spearheaded community salvage drives during World War II, collecting millions of pounds of scrap metal, rubber and fiber for the war effort.
THE 1960s: Our special mission in affordable housing dates to our organization’s founding. Volunteers of America helped accelerate real estate development during the 1960s by taking part in numerous federal housing programs. Since 1968, Volunteers of America has developed over 300 affordable housing complexes in more than 31 states.
THE 1970s: In the 1970s, the organization emerged as a major provider of professional long-term nursing care. Today, Volunteers of America not only offers home health care and related services, but owns and operates several nursing facilities, and assisted and independent living residences.
TODAY: Now in our second century of service, we are one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive human services organizations, touching the lives of more than 2.5 million people each year in communities across the United States. Planning for the next 100 years, we will continue to prove that “there are no limits to caring.”