Recognizing the Key Role Women Play in Strengthening Our Society
March commemorates Women's History Month. International Women's Day and the anniversary of Volunteers of America's founding also happen to both land on March 8 – how appropriate for an organization co-founded by a strong, trailblazing woman far ahead of her time. Earlier this month, we sent out a call to action urging supporters to spend that day volunteering at organizations that champion women — like Volunteers of America.
Since the founding of Volunteers of America in 1896, women have played a prominent and crucial role in shaping our organization and ensuring its success. Maud Booth, our co-founder, advocated for women in ways considered revolutionary for her time. She was regarded as a national leader in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, before women could even vote!
Maud advocated for the rights of vulnerable women, recognizing their potential to positively influence society. A bonafide celebrity in her day, Maud even allowed curious guests to attend her wedding, charging them a fee, so she could donate the funds to her beloved organization.
Throughout the past 121 years, Maud's impact and legacy at Volunteers of America remain at the core of our outreach and services. Supporting women in need lies at the forefront of our efforts. Through housing, education, financial literacy, counseling and much more, we see the success of the women we serve as central to the success of our organization. At Volunteers of America, we recognize the key role women play in strengthening our society. 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. We seek to ensure their well-being, safety and success, so our communities can flourish.
To learn more about Volunteers of America's programs, including those benefiting women and families, please visit www.VolunteersofAmerica.org.
Thank you,
Mike King
President/CEO