Volunteer

If you’ve landed on this website, there is a good possibility you have been looking for ways to volunteer in your community, and seeing the words, “Volunteers of America,” meant your search was over.

No doubt, volunteering is a good thing because, after all, that’s something that makes the world a better place for all. But as the Bard wrote, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose (or Volunteers of America) by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Simply put, if we changed our name from Volunteers of America, we would still be one of the largest providers of affordable housing and skilled nursing care in the country. Our organization’s employees would still not be volunteers, but the 16,000 paid professionals who serve as administrators, caregivers, skilled nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, housing experts, architects, and a number of other positions that have kept this nonprofit, human services organization running for more than a century.

Yes, Volunteers of America is a misnomer. But with that said, we are glad you landed here, and we hope you will take a look at what’s happening in our more than 400 programs and services across the nation.

By the way, there are some volunteer opportunities at various affiliate programs, but the best way to find them is to go directly to www.voa.org/find-an-office and give them a call!

Also, if you are looking for specific services related to seniors, veterans, children, youth, and families, substance abuse, corrections, homelessness, developmental disabilities, and so much more, you can learn more about the services we provide.

Lastly, if you are interested in why we are called Volunteers of America, read on below. After all, the Bard was a pretty smart guy.

Founded in 1896

When Volunteers of America was founded in 1896, to “volunteer" one's time in service to others was a full-time commitment. Our founders came to call themselves "Volunteers of America" because they volunteered their whole lives to help people in need. This included - not only volunteering their time - but also their hearts, their spirits and their professional careers.

Millions Helped

Today, each year Volunteers of America touches the lives of almost 1.3 million people in over 400 communities in 46 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through programs that are staffed by full-time, paid professionals who have adopted this same ideal of service as their full-time mission. However, that does not mean that we do not also depend on an army of modern-day “volunteers" who offer their free time to support our volunteer programs nationwide. In fact, in 2017 more than 60,000 volunteers devoted more than one million hours to hundreds of Volunteers of America programs and activities nationwide – and we can always use more volunteers!