125 Faces of VOA

“In October, 2017, I lost my three sons—Erik, 16; Devon, 12; and Ezekiel, 7 to a senseless act of violence.”

“From the start, I felt that the staff at Camp LaGuardia believed in me and knew I was capable of getting my life back on track.”

“If you go back on your side of town, you will die.”

“I knew that I had to get out of my living situation, but the fear of homelessness worried me more than living in the abuse.”

“Throughout the pandemic, as parts of our programs had to close down and we had to shift, the greatest thing is the way we have all worked together.”

“When I was just two years old, I started learning braille so that I could help my dad. When he realized my interest in learning, he poured every dollar and every ounce of his energy into ensuring that I would get a fair chance at success.”

“My life fell apart to the point where I became homeless, and even lost contact with my daughter, which will always be the biggest regret of my life.”

“We make a difference in the lives of the people we serve but they make a difference in our lives as well.”

“I realized through all of this that for families, incarceration is just as bad for the children as it is for the parent.”

“I’m exhausted at the end of most days ... I worry that we will lose some nurses because they will feel they no longer can give anything else for a while.”

“I’ve come such a long way since I was that shy toddler all those years ago.”

“This isn’t a job for everybody. You really have to have a passion to do this. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

“At two months, he was diagnosed with leukemia and given just two weeks to live. With experimental chemotherapy, he survived.”

“Who would have thought that something as simple as making a bed every day could be so life-changing?”

“It has brought me great joy knowing I was able to have a positive impact on a young life.”

“I was overwhelmed by the graciousness of the Puerto Rican residents we helped. In a senior facility with 240 elderly and disabled individuals, there were no complaints when we arrived, only thanks and warm smiles.”

“For me, what I still find unbelievable is that I became homeless. I was educated and had a long work history.”

“When I played at Volunteers of America’s GolfStar Classic with my son, Tom, to support the VOA adoption program, few realized that we were far more invested in the program than others.”

“I’ve always loved helping people. Having been in a situation where I had to depend on others has made me more determined to continue to help people as much as I can.”

“I was thinking that it would be easy to get back on my feet. It wasn’t that easy.”

“Treatment is for a season, but God and recovery are for a lifetime.”

“I was the first ex-con to be allowed Chaplaincy at the same prison that locked me up for years.”

“This time around I saw I needed help and eventually sought out the help for myself because it was the first time I felt people around me genuinely wanted to see me win.”

“The hospital staff tells me that I have a great, positive attitude. The staff and nurses made me a special ‘Best Patient Award’.”

“Every day, I’m helping women just like me. As the Intake Specialist, I’m like the front door. And I can relate to people because I’ve been there.”

“Getting the chance to help others makes me feel truly blessed every day.”

“This just shows how the things we do outside of our own paid professions can contribute to our preparedness at work.”

“I did not go home to my family for over 2 months, just because I wanted to keep them safe. I’ve missed my loved ones and my home.”

“I’m so grateful that we trusted our gut and started fostering the twins as babies because they gave us our forever family.”

“When I finally told some of my friends that I lived in a shelter, they couldn’t believe it. I thought they’d see me as an outcast but they didn’t.”