Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania

04/17/2022

Happy Easter! From all of us at VOAPA, we hope you enjoy this beautiful day with family and loved ones.

04/08/2022

Ruth's Place Walk for Hope 2022

Thank you to everyone who joined the Lunch and Learn session hosted by Ruth's Place this afternoon. We hope to see you again for Part Two on Thursday, April 14th at 1pm. Help the Ruth's Place Walk for Hope 2022 fundraiser get started with a bang! 💥 Learn more and give a gift today at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Walk4Hope2022

Ruth's Place is the only emergency shelter for women in Luzerne County. A program of Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania, Ruth's Place offers women a supportive space to focus on personal development and to find permanent housing and employment.

04/03/2022

In honor of United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, meet Lenox, one of many . Through our Supported Living Services, Lenox is able to receive the direct care and guidance he needs to become independent. is proud to support individuals with intellectual disabilities to lead fulfilling lives.

Read more about Lenox at https://www.voa.org/125-faces-voa-lenox.

To learn about VOAPA's In-Home and Community Supports program, visit https://www.voapa.org/ihcs

04/01/2022

Happy National Volunteer Month! Did you know that when Volunteers of America was founded, volunteerism had a different meaning? To "volunteer" meant to serve others as a vocation. Today, VOA is staffed by 16,000 caring, full-time professionals that work with dedicated volunteers in our programs across the country. Learn more about how you can volunteer with us: https://www.voapa.org/volunteer.

03/31/2022

As DD Awareness Month comes to a close, VOAPA would like to thank Luzerne County Mental Health and Developmental Services for their donation towards our NEPA programs and Independent Living LLC for their donation towards our Caring Alternatives Baby Pantry! These random acts of kindness will make all the difference to those we serve.

03/31/2022

Today is Equal Pay Day and the last day of Women’s History Month! VOAPA recognizes the key role that women play in strengthening our society, and we firmly support equal pay for equal work.

03/23/2022

Dorothy Height (1912 - 2010) was a civil rights and women's rights activist. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University and did postgraduate work at Columbia University and the New York School of Social Work. Her first job was as a social worker. She later became a leader at the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), which she led for 40 years, and the YWCA, which she helped integrate nationwide. She helped organize the March on Washington and was the only woman on the platform when Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. In 1989, she organized the first Black Family Reunion with the NCNW, a three-day cultural event for Black Americans that still occurs annually today. In 1994, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton and in 2004 the Congressional Gold Medal from President Bush.

Photo Credit: David Kohl—Associated Press

03/22/2022

Thank you Niagara Cares for your support of our programs for Pennsylvania's children and youth.

On , we are proud to partner with Niagara Bottling, a family-owned company that promotes conservation and management of our most precious resource. Thank you Niagara Cares for your long-time commitment and support to the communities we serve.

03/21/2022

Today is the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. VOAPA reaffirms its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by working towards a world that values all members of its society, regardless of their background.

03/21/2022

VOAPA’s Developmental Differences programming is aimed to enhance the quality of life for all, create stability, celebrate diversity, and continue to strengthen community support for individuals in need. In honor of Developmental Differences Awareness Month, join us in recognizing Amber Adams and her incredible artwork. Amber is a bubbly artist who enjoys swimming, listening to Christian music, watching movies, and going to camp. Amber started painting when she was six years old and has created many paintings that she is proud to share with those around her.

03/18/2022

Mary Ellen Richmond (1861–1928), a Caseworker, was considered by many as the mother of professional social work. She pioneered casework methodology and helped to establish training programs for social workers. She has also been credited with creating the first statement of principles for direct social work practice and calling for standardization in the field of social work. Richmond’s work and books contributed to the dramatically improved assistance provided to marginalized individuals.

03/17/2022

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We are so lucky to have YOUR support. Thank YOU for making a difference to our neighbors in need.

03/08/2022

Constance Baker Motley (1921 – 2005) was a NY State Senator and Borough President of Manhattan before becoming a US federal judge and the first Black woman to argue before the US Supreme Court. She argued 10 cases before the Supreme Court (winning nine) and assisted in nearly 60 cases that reached the high court. In 1993, Motley was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. She has been influential in the careers of many Black jurists and clerks whom she mentored, including the first Black woman nominated to the US Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, with whom she shares a birthday.

03/01/2022

Women’s History Month originated in 1981 when Congress requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, March was designated “Women’s History Month.” Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as Women’s History Month, celebrating the contributions and achievements women have made throughout history. At VOAPA, we honor the trailblazing women who have and will continue to play a role in our legacy of women in leadership.

02/22/2022

Otis Boykin was an inventor and engineer. He patented more than 20 devices, the most common of which were electronic control devices used in radios, televisions, guided missiles, and IBM computers. Arguably his most noteworthy invention was a control unit for the pacemaker. Boykin’s motivation for improving the pacemaker may have been the death of his mother from heart failure when he was a year old. Ironically, he died of the same condition 60 years later.

02/21/2022

Happy Presidents' Day! Did you know VOA has been recognized by past Presidents like Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan? Our work spans over 125 years of service, and we are proud to continue this legacy for our country.

02/15/2022

In 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, a nurse and author, became the first African-American female doctor in the United States. She suffered unimaginable racism and sexism but persisted in doing what she considered missionary service, caring for poor women and children. The Rebecca Lee Pre-Health Society at Syracuse University and the Rebecca Lee Society, one of the first medical societies for African-American women, were named in her honor.


Photo Credit | Wikimedia Commons

02/08/2022

In 1969, The Black Panther Party began a free breakfast program to feed low-income children: Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast for School Children Program. By the early 1970s, there were 36 such programs running throughout the country feeding tens of thousands of hungry children of all races. Although vilified by the government, this social program helped pressure Congress to expand the National Free Breakfast Program.


Photo Credit | History.com | Brad Jones, member of the Philadelphia Black Panthers Organization

02/02/2022

Happy Groundhog Day! 6 more weeks of winter it is, Punxsutawney Phil spotted his shadow this morning.

02/01/2022

February is Black History Month! VOAPA is proud to celebrate and recognize the achievements and tremendous contributions of the Black community to our nation.

02/01/2022

Happy Lunar New Year! Today marks the first day of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger. Volunteers of America would like to embrace the 3,800-year-old tradition and celebrate family, connection and togetherness. All of us at VOAPA wish you a happy and healthy new Lunar Year!

01/17/2022

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His vision for an equal and just society, where we value the rich diversity among all people, remains a source of inspiration to the world. At , we are committed to realizing his dream of creating a world of justice and hope for all.

01/01/2022

Happy New Year! As we ring in the new year, we are proud to look back on 125 years of service to individuals, families, and communities across Pennsylvania. Through prosperous and turbulent times, we have served veterans, at-risk youth, seniors, people returning from prison, and those experiencing homelessness. Together, we continue our commitment to those we serve in 2022. Have a .

12/25/2021

Merry Christmas from VOAPA! May the holidays be merry and bright!

12/24/2021

Santa has helpers this year! 🎅 We want to thank Volunteers of America Delaware Valley for partnering with us under their Adopt-a-Family program and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Without their help, we wouldn't have been able to support over 100 families in Wilkes-Barre and Allentown this holiday.

12/23/2021

St. Jude Parish, Mountain Top, PA, thank you for your donations to support the families served by Caring Alternatives this holiday! 🎁

12/22/2021

Cambridge Riverview, thank you for your donation! 🎄

W-O-W!!!! We are absolutely blown away!!!! 🤯We were able to donate over so many BRAND NEW COATS, and piles of brand new scarves, hats, gloves and so much more. While we were unable to donate to our original center, we found Caring Alternatives run by Volunteers of America who were thrilled to receive the donations!!!
Thank you THANK YOU for all of your help!!! We are so excited, and we know our community is too!
We love you Cambridge Crew!