What Love Means to Volunteers of America

This time of year, notions of love get wrapped up in the trappings of Valentine's Day, with its hearts and cupids and romantic proclamations. Unfortunately, all too often when people think of love, this is all that comes to mind … the superficial, rather than deeper and more long-lasting expressions of love. With love, it doesn't matter so much what you say but rather what you do. Don't tell me you love me; show me you love me, instead.

At Volunteers of America, we express our love for others by taking action to help society's most vulnerable people. We house the poor and the homeless, provide treatment to those suffering from addiction or mental illness, and provide an extra helping hand to seniors who have no place else to turn.

As the scripture states in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away."

Sometimes the greatest expressions of love come from caring for others who are hard to love. Many of those Volunteers of America serves are people who some caregivers might not be willing or able to help. But true love doesn't always come easy, and we don't turn away when the task seems too difficult.

To learn more about the many ways Volunteers of America helps serve the needs of the nation's most vulnerable people, please visit www.VolunteersofAmerica.org.

Thank you,

Mike King
President/CEO