Advocate

Volunteers of America has made the strategic decision to address two specific populations in need: the increasing number of elderly Americans and the many families affected by the incarceration of a parent. For 114 years, Volunteers of America has upheld the pledge of its founders, Ballington and Maud Booth, to “go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand.” Our mission is to reach and uplift all people providing shelter from the storms of life. We help Americans in need to rebuild their lives and reach their full potential.

Throughout our history, we have identified at-risk populations and tailored our services to those populations. We have administered thousands of human service programs for more than 2 million people in over 400 communities in 44 different states. By the year 2030, a projected 71.5 million people will be age 65 or older. Our current limited national system for elder care cannot support the ever-increasing number of senior Americans.

In response to this impending crisis, Volunteers of America is introducing Aging with Options^TM, a revolutionary approach to the way older Americans receive care. Imagine a service model where the needs, wishes and choices of seniors are placed at the center of their own care. Volunteers of America believes aging should not be a fearful prospect. Older adults are a valuable resource for our nation. Our Aging with Options plan gives older Americans the opportunity to live productive and dignified lives in the setting of their choice.

The legislative priorities for Aging with Options are:

Increase appropriations for Older Americans Act programs.
Strengthen low-income Medicare programs to ensure vulnerable seniors have access to prescription drugs and health care.
Promote access to home and community services through an effective national long-term care financing strategy, Medicaid improvements; direct care worker reforms and family caregiver supports.
Improve access to evidence-based chronic care community interventions in health care reform.

Reform and redemption are core values set forth by the founders of Volunteers of America. In this spirit Volunteers of America has helped prisoners successfully reunite with their families and communities after periods of incarceration since 1896. The family unit is an integral part of our society. Incarceration of a parent puts tremendous social and financial strain on families, strain that sometimes lasts for generations. The goal of Volunteers of America’s family strengthening Look Up and Hope Initiative is to end this cycle of intergenerational poverty by supporting children and their caregivers during a parent’s incarceration, helping reintegrate the parent back into the family after release, and giving families the support and skills they need to rise out of poverty.

The priorities for our family strengthening Look Up and Hope Initiative are:

Full funding of the Second Chance Act.
Promoting policies that support and strengthen families to help them break the cycle of poverty.
Expanding employment and training opportunities for low-income workers.
Strengthening and enhancing kinship care opportunities.

Because of our history of service to these populations, our national footprint and the passionate commitment of our employees, Volunteers of America is uniquely positioned to serve these populations in need. We will build on the foundation of our senior housing, long-term care and case management services to revolutionize the way older Americans receive care.

For 113 years, we have been pioneers in the cause of humane treatment of prisoners and we have championed efforts to help previously incarcerated individuals successfully transition from prison back to a productive life in the community. We cannot forget the far-reaching impact incarceration has on families and children. These children and their families must be supported by quality services to ensure they not only survive, but thrive.

Now, in our second century of service, Volunteers of America is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive human services organizations. By uniting government, businesses and communities, we can lead the way to creating innovative, compassionate and highly effective programs to uplift these Americans in need.