To close out VOA's day of service in Louisiana, all participants joined VOA their office to celebrate 130 years of impact and service to the community. There was signage for passing traffic and treats to hand out to passersby as we thanked the community for their 130 years of support.

To celebrate our 130th anniversary, VOA Southeast Louisiana hosted a day of service in their community, which included a stop at the Oscar J. Tolmas Pavilion to serve po boys to the veterans we house.

The third stop of the day for team VOA on our day of service in New Orleans was picking up trash at a park in Abita Springs.

As part of our day of service in New Orleans, the team packed food at Harvest Food Bank.

In honor of VOA's 130th anniversary, VOA Southeast Louisiana organized a day of service in the New Orleans community. The first event was a neighborhood meet & greet at our Olympia Community Home.

The Houston ToolBank team visited VOA's Financial Opportunity Center TO lead an "Intro to Power Tools" workshop. During the two-hour hands-on training, staff learned about the safe operation and proper handling of a variety of power tools. The workshop is part of an exciting new collaboration designed to introduce skill-building opportunities that can be adapted for clients across multiple VOA Texas programs, including those serving individuals with disabilities.

The Sheridan community came together to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to walk toward a future without suicide. It was a day of connection, hope, and healing; it gave us all a chance to honor loved ones and show that no one walks alone. VOA Northern Rockies staff member Dennis Fulkerson was a walker and a volunteer during this event!

VOA Florida helped prepare children at St. Martin’s Place Apartments in Miami for the upcoming school year through a community back-to-school event. Trump National Doral Miami generously donated backpacks for the students, while Cool Pro Mechanical LLC provided additional school supplies to help ensure children had the essential materials needed for the classroom.

VOA celebrated the one-year anniversary of Space Coast Commons with residents, staff, partners, and community members coming together to mark this special milestone. The celebration was filled with laughter, connection, and shared memories, reflecting the strong sense of community that has grown at Space Coast Commons over the past year.

The Republican Party of Columbia County regularly provides meals to veterans served through VOA Florida’s Lake City programs. This ongoing generosity helps ensure that veterans in the community have access to meals while creating opportunities for connection and fellowship.

VOA is grateful to Warrington Elks Lodge #2108 for its generous $10,000 donation to our Pensacola program, in addition to 200lbs of ground beef. The contribution will help stock the food pantry and provide essential household goods for individuals and families in need.

VOA was selected to be the nonprofit partner of Same Dress Spokane this year, an annual campaign where different artists model and photograph a single dress with their own artistic interpretation. This year, all the proceeds will benefit VOA's Hope House.

VOA's team in Northeast Pennsylvania gathered for an act of service to celebrate and honor VOA's 130 years. The group cleaned up the Seven Tubs Recreation Area, a free natural site where locals cool off in the waterfalls within the Pinchot State Forest. The clean up happened during an extreme heat wave when the area was expected to be heavily used. VOA's team arrived early in the day and families were already enjoying the space -- A few even joined us in our efforts to clean up trash around the site.

VOA's senior residents and their families came together to celebrate National Night Out with food, music, laughter, and connection. From live entertainment and homemade dishes to special visits from local police, firefighters, and community members, the evening was a wonderful reminder that strong communities are built through belonging and fellowship.

"National Night Out means having the opportunity to get together with our neighbors, laugh, play games, and enjoy each other's company. It reminds us that we are a community, not just people who live in the same building." ~ Vicki T.

For the 19th year, VOA Illinois spent the summer knee deep in backpacks. A grand total of 2,089 backpacks were distributed to the kids we serve, including children of veterans, children in families experiencing homelessness, and children in our youth programs. All remaining backpacks were then distributed to local schools and other nonprofits.

To support VOA's Operation Backpack efforts in Chicago, we had 80 volunteers join us to help fill and organize backpacks for families in our residential programs.

Our team hosted an annual Back to School Event at Hope Manor II. VOA distributed 280 backpacks at this event to the children that live at Hope Manor II and Hope Manor Village. In addition to backpacks, there was pizza, ice cream, two face painters, a balloon twister, music, and games!

To celebrate the beginning of the school year, VOA hosted a Back-to-School event at Hope Manor Joliet. The team distributed almost 70 backpacks at this event along with ice cream, snacks, a balloon twister, and a face painter. This event was also the day after a storm that left the property without power (aside from a generator powering the common areas), so the back-to-school bash gave residents a chance to get some relief from the heat.

With the support of dedicated VOA staff, residents from our Trenton and Lafayette programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities enjoyed their second annual prom at Cloudland Canyon State Park. Staff created a fun, inclusive experience where residents danced, socialized, and built new friendships while enjoying one of Georgia’s most scenic and accessible parks.

VOA hosted a back to school resource fair in Sacramento where families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity enjoyed a fun back-to-school celebration with a host of resources. Children received a brand new backpack filled with supplies, a free haircut, ice cream, face painting, games, and enjoyed a kid-friendly DJ, while their families had access resources from 15 vendors serving their community. 200 guests attended the event, but VOA didn't stop there. Close to 2,300 kids will receive stuffed backpacks before the start of the school year.

Our team volunteered at the North West Montana Veterans Stand Down & Food Pantry for its Annual Veterans Appreciation Day in Kalispell, Montana, bringing together veterans, their families, and community partners for a day of connection, support, and appreciation.

Clients from VOA's Life House had the opportunity to give back through a volunteer project at Calvary Baptist Church. The team assisted with the church's annual garage sale, an event that raises funds to support Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Each year, the renowned Bighorn Trail Run brings runners from across the world to the Bighorn Mountains to compete in challenging 100-mile, 52-mile, 32-mile, and 18-mile races. This year, patients from VOA's Life House and Gathering Place had the opportunity to give back by volunteering at the event. Staff also joined them for 2 full days of service.

Staff from Technology Management Resources volunteered to help landscape our Detroit Veterans Housing Program. We're grateful for TMR's generosity and commitment to our veterans.

THe team of legal interns at a local law firm, Heard, McElroy & Vestal, hosted an ice cream social at one of VOA's programs, sharing an afternoon of fun and fellowship.