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A warm welcome home

VOALA offers life-changing opportunities to people who are homeless.   Shane lost his full-time job during the pandemic. With no income or other support, he lost his housing—and he and his dog ended up living in the desert for the past four years. “I had nowhere to go. I didn’t have any family or anyone Read more...

Military Appreciation

Military Appreciation VOALA specialized programs help veterans without shelter get back on their feet Veterans often miss the structure and sense of team the military provides, and adapting to civilian life can be difficult for numerous reasons. Nationally, nearly 40,000 veterans are without shelter on any given Read more...

VOALA opens affordable housing facilities in Northridge and Woodland Hills

As the housing crisis in Los Angeles continues, Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA) is proud to continue its ongoing partnership with the California Department of Housing and Community Development and City of Los Angeles to provide safe, permanent housing opportunities for individuals in need. Through this Read more...

New San Pedro Veterans Facility Opens

A Place to Call Home Struggling veterans receive extensive services in the new San Pedro transitional housing program  Veteran Eli never imagined himself living on the streets. After he was discharged, he experienced numerous personal challenges leading to a family crisis one night.  Suddenly, he had no Read more...

MLB Host Ribbon-Cutting at VOALA’s THouse

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at VOALA’s THouse unveils contributions from MLB for major upgrade changes at facility. Speakers included: Orel Hershiser, Dodgers Legend; Justin Turner, Dodger 3rd basemen and 2020 World Series Champion; Stan Kasten, President and part owner of the Dodgers; April Brown, VP Social Read more...

Christina Rheingold receives the CalVet Women Veterans Advocates of the Year

Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA) is proud to announce Christina Rheingold, Program Manager II of Veteran Peers Access Network (VPAN) has been selected as one of The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) Women Veterans Advocates of the Year (2021). Each year CalVet recognizes several California Read more...

VOALA’s Veterans Peer Access Network (VPAN) program helps Veteran makes his future happen

Before the sun rises, Jose tidies his apartment, sips coffee, or occasionally watches the early news to find out what’s going on in the world. The 63-year-old veteran is a morning person, a habit formed during his time in the Army. Or maybe it was the result of his structured schedule in prison. It may be a Read more...

LA City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell gives tour of housing options ahead of Echo Park Lake reopening

  LOS ANGELES - Long before Echo Park Lake’s homeless encampment became a public safety issue, Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell was identifying and creating potential housing solutions for Council District 13. "Homelessness is the issue of the day. We didn’t get this way overnight, and Read more...

ORANGE COUNTY AND VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA LOS ANGELES HAVE LAUNCHED THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Volunteers of America Los Angeles will distribute millions to vulnerable renters during COVID-19 pandemic Orange County, CA, February 15, 2021– The County of Orange launched its Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program on February 1, 2021 and will accept applications during the month of February from eligible Read more...

VOA National Services awarded $3 million grant from Wells Fargo Foundation to develop innovative veteran housing solutions

ALEXANDRIA, Va. November 11, 2020—Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded Volunteers of America National Services(VOANS) with a $3 million grant to develop permanent supportive affordable homes for previously homeless veterans using innovative construction techniques while also supporting much needed construction job Read more...

MLB & THE MISSION CONTINUES HELP RENOVATE VOALA ALL-STAR VETERANS COURTYARD

  As part of the 2020 All-Star Legacy initiative, the Courtyard at the Volunteers of America Los Angeles Ballington Plaza Apartments was renovated in partnership with The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization that empowers veterans facing the challenge of adjusting to life at home to find new missions. Read more...

Letter from Bob Pratt, CEO to VOALA team

  June 4, 2020 To:       Volunteers of America of Los Angeles Team From: Bob Pratt, CEO Given the turmoil of the last week, I wanted to reach out to the members of the VOALA team directly. VOALA unequivocally condemns the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many Read more...

AMERICAN VETERANS MINI HOME BUILDERS

Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA) and American Veterans Mini Home Builders (AVMHB), are utilizing modular homes to develop and build mini homes for homeless veterans. AVMHB's mission is to "provide a scalable semi-transportable solution to a reachable portion of the chronic homeless population in Los Angeles Read more...

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: L.A. Care

VOALA’s mission is to help disadvantaged people meet their potential through programs that encourage positive development, promote self-sufficiency and foster independence. The group that often falls through the cracks are those not diagnosed as needing substance abuse residential treatment.  As a result, the Read more...

Finding a Better Future: From Runaway to VOALA

Sahar tells her powerful story of going from being a runaway to finding Volunteers of America Los Angeles. "I was running away from the abuse," Sahar says. "In my household, I was one of the two females living there. I was never a human being; I was property. I felt a lot of anger, and it came from the Read more...

VETS: EDUCATED, EXPERIENCED & EMPLOYABLE

Finding employment is an all too common struggle among veterans, who make invaluable employees and can apply skills and traits attained in service to a number of civilian arenas with focus, drive and discipline. Growing up in a middle-class family in Compton, Shanita, was always smart, strong-willed and Read more...

GOING GREEN ON SKID ROW

According to GreenNonProfits.org, “as people and corporations around the world become more ‘green’ they in turn expect the non-profits they support to also take proactive steps to protect the environment. The benefits are twofold: the global environment improves as a result of the nonprofit sector taking action; Read more...

VIETNAM VET FINDS INNER PEACE

“It took me more than 15 years to realize I wasn’t in the jungle fighting the enemy,” says Veteran Michael Ortiz. But by then he was alienated from friends and family and addicted to drugs and alcohol. After Vietnam, Michael was placed in a mental hospital where he was heavily medicated to deal with the Read more...

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: The Home Depot Foundation

The partnership between The Home Depot Foundation and Volunteers of America continues to support veterans in our community and throughout the nation.   September 2013 On a hot September day, over 50 Volunteers from The Home Depot came to the Haviland House shelter in San Pedro. By the end of the day they Read more...

INNOVATION: Battle Buddy Bridge

Battle Buddy Bridge (B3) is an peer-to-peer initiative designed to provide outreach and care management to Veterans struggling with homelessness throughout LA County. Heroes helping Heroes Armed with a continuum of immediate services available through VOALA programs as well as partnering community and government Read more...

INNOVATION: Blue Butterfly Village

BLUE BUTTERFLY VILLAGE Blue Butterfly Village is VOALA's innovative 73-unit 2BR townhouse community located in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles County. All 73 units are subsidized for homeless families. Veteran families receive a preference for 61 of the units. 12 units are reserved for families eligible under the Read more...

Volunteers of America – National HQ

Volunteers of America is the charity that always steps forward to help the most vulnerable. For over 120 years, we have taken on the most difficult tasks to help the Nation's needy. Today, Volunteers of America serves more than 2 million people nation-wide Read more...

Volunteers of America – Since 1896

Volunteers of America was founded in 1896 by social reformers Ballington and Maud Booth. How they came to develop one of America's largest and most successful faith-based social service organizations is a story of commitment, devotion, spirit -- and great joy. Activists with a Cause On March 8, 1896, Ballington Read more...

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