What's New

Fulfilling Hope Throughout South Louisiana
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our 2012 Hope Under the Tree campaign in Baton Rouge, Acadiana and Southwest LA. Thousands of children, adults and families in need received gifts and holiday cheer from donors and volunteers.

Sharing Our Family Spirit Throughout Hurricane Isaac
Our employees, the people we serve, our supporters and our volunteers are a family bonded by love and compassion. That family spirit backed by many hours of training and practicing our hurricane preparedness plans helped to ensure that our staff and the people we support weathered the storm as safely as possible.

Sausage PoBoys Help Southwest LA Neighbors in Need
On July 17th, VOA sold over 500 boxed lunches containing a sausage poboy and sides to benefit our programs in the Lake Charles area. Bimbo Bakeries, Wal-Mart and the Calcasieu 4H donated food and supplies, and over 20 community volunteers helped with cooking, assembling and delivering the lunches.

School Readiness Tax Credit Donations Fund Teacher Training
On Saturday, June 30, 2012, over 75 family home child care providers participated in a fun and informative day of learning at the Marriott of Baton Rouge. Each provider left with knowledge to ensure that they are providing preschoolers in their care with the environment and guidance they need to be kindergarten-ready.

Valerie Jackson Young Receives Leadership Excellence Award
At VOA's National Conference in Tampa on June 3, 2012, Valerie Jackson Young (center) received the Leadership Excellence in Direct Client Services Award. As a direct care worker at our Parker House program for 21 years, Val has provided counseling, recreation, basic needs and love to hundreds of abused children.

A Night of Celebration for South Louisiana
On May 3, 2012, board members and supporters invited friends, family and colleagues to learn about Volunteers of America. Because of the overwhelming response from the audience, our sponsors and a surprise matching gift, our 5th annual Celebration for Change was the most successful to date!

David St. Romain and Sullivan's Host Benefit Concert for VOA!
On March 21, 2012, David St. Romain and Sullivan's Steakhouse hosted "Dancing with David St. Romain" to benefit Volunteers of America's programs serving the homeless and people with disabilities, including the Day Program which provides vocational opportunities and training to adults with disabilities.

116 Years of Service to God and Our Neighbors
This year, we are proud to mark our 116th anniversary. Founded on March 8, 1896 by social reformers Ballington and Maud Booth, today our programs reflect the changing times, addressing some of our nation's most pressing and complex needs.

Celebrating 15 Years of Improving Early Childhood Education
VOA Staff and supporters gathered at the Early Learning Center on October 20th to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our Partnerships in Child Care programs. Director Janie Starks and program staff presented highlights of past achievements and current initiatives to improve the quality of early education.

United Way Volunteers Make a Difference to Preschoolers
United Way volunteers read books to toddlers and preschoolers in 22 child care centers served by Volunteers of America as part of Make A Difference Day on October 21, 2011. Reading aloud with young children daily establishes a strong reading foundation for future school success.

Celebrating 2 New Ways to Impact Mental Health and Recovery
On September 27th, VOAGBR held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce to introduce our two newest mental health programs serving the Acadiana area. Both programs will fill an unmet need for people living with mental illness and help them successfully manage their mental health.

VOAGBR Supports Mental Health Awareness in Acadiana
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) hosted this year's annual NAMI WALKS Acadiana event on Saturday, October 1st to raise mental health awareness. Volunteers of America Dream Team had the largest group of participants in Acadiana with 62 walkers.

VOA and Scholastic Changing the Story for Children in Poverty
Literacy is one of the best predictors of a child’s future success but children can't become successful readers without age-appropriate books.On September 8th and 9th, volunteers from BCBSLA helped sort over 6,000 children's books donated by Scholastic for distribution to children in low-income families.

OLOM Helps Our Kids Start School on the Right Foot!
On July 23, 2011, Our Lady of Mercy Church partnered with Payless to ensure that many of the children we serve will start the school year with a new pair of shoes. Their generosity was appreciated by parents and grandparents who struggle to afford the basic supplies that will help their kids be successful in school.

Oak Park Plaza Hosts Annual Health Expo for Seniors
Seniors from across Baton Rouge were invited to attend Volunteers of America's annual Health Expo on June 24, 2011, and learn how "Seniors are Taking Charge and Living Longer." The event kicked off with warm welcomes by VOA Board Chair Bill O'Quin, Mayor Kip Holden, and VOA President and CEO Jane Shank.

New Officers Elected at VOAGBR Annual Meeting
Dr. Katrice Albert, who challenged the board to become "vessels of hope" when she took office, declared victory as she passed the gavel to Incoming Board Chair Bill O'Quin at our Annual Meeting on June 22. New board officers and members were also elected and we said thank-you to outgoing board members.

Gallagher volunteers give Baton Rouge Youth a fresh look
Volunteers from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. organized a Gallagher Gives Back Day at our Baton Rouge Youth program on May 13, 2011. Over 30 volunteers painted every wall, cabinet, baseboard and doorframe on the first floor of the house, creating a soothing environment for the formerly abused teens who live there.

VOAGBR brings "Matter of Minutes" campaign to Gerry Lane
Staff from our Partnerships in Child Care programs went to the Gerry Lane dealership on May 14, 2011 to alert parents that it is dangerous to leave children in or near and unattended vehicle. They demonstrated that it only takes a "Matter of Minutes" for the temperature to rise inside a parked automobile.

CHOICES Program staff and participants go green (and orange!)
Volunteers of America staff and CHOICES Day Program participants from the Lake Charles area left at 6:00 a.m. and drove to the state capitol on Thursday, May 12, 2011, to participate in "Orange and Green Day," an annual day of action promoting mental health and addictive disorders advocacy.

Celebration for Change 2011
Thank you to everyone who attended Celebration for Change this year. With the generosity of our supporters, Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge is changing lives EVERY DAY and, together, we celebrate each and every success!

Encouraging beginning readers and writers with funding from Entergy
Volunteers of America's Partnerships in Child Care received funding from the Entergy Charitable Foundation to provide training and materials to child care center providers in the area of literacy.

VOAGBR Board Chair named as 2011 Volunteer Activist
Board chair Katrice Albert nominated for her committment to the community, especially her outstanding work with Volunteers of America.

Southwest Louisiana Staff and Friends win big prizes for Volunteers of America Programs
Volunteers of America got some much needed-resources thanks to a little help from our friends.

"Sweethearts" from Turner Industries Make Valentine's Day Fun for our Community Home Residents
Team Turner spends Valentine's Day with our Residents

Our 2010 Annual Report is now online
Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge releases online annual report.

Garfield House Veterans get an exclusive tour of LSU
Thanks to Board Member Blaine Grimes and Campus Federal Credit Union, our veterans got a behind-the-scenes look at LSU!

Milk and Cookies - Celebrating the Week of the Young Child
Partnerships in Child Care is celebrating the Week of the Young Child with their annual "Milk and Cookies" event. Join PICC for an Open House on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Join us for networking door prizes, and milk and cookies from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Partnerships in Child Care. See you there!

Beats and Eats 2013
This year Beats and Eats in Lake Charles is stepping it up! On Friday, March 8, the community is invited to spend an evening in support of the life-changing Volunteers of America programs across Southwest Louisiana.

Celebrating the Week of the Young Child with Cookies & Milk
Volunteers of America’s Partnerships in Child Care programs held a “Cookies and Milk” Open House on Thursday, April 26, 2012 to celebrate the National Week of the Young Child. Child care providers who attended received developmental materials for their classrooms including books, blocks and tricycles.