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History
- Volunteers of America was founded in
1896 by Ballington and Maud Booth. Volunteers of America opened
Mission Hall at 126 North Main Street in downtown Los Angeles.
- On April 19, 1906, San Francisco was jolted by a massive earthquake and the Volunteers of America Children's Home in San Francisco was destroyed as the children stood on the hill and watched it burn. Los Angeles VOA offered to take all the children into their new facility. Forty children between the ages of one month and eight years traveled by train to Los Angeles. The community was touched by the situation and hundreds turned out to meet the train. Volunteers attempted to round up the children and take them to the Home. In the excitement only twenty-six children were found. Fourteen children had been taken in by caring families. Over the next few weeks others came by offering to bring the small children into their home.
- With the help of Reverend Welch, a retired methodist minister, and J. J. Newberry, founder of Newberry stores, a home for children was opened at 23rd Street and Vernon Avenue in
1906.
- By 1907, a Home for Children, two shelters for men and a camp for disadvantaged mothers had been created.
- In 1923, the first Home for the Aged was opened.
- During the Depression Years other charities sought out Volunteers of America to take over their programs, resulting in the acquisiton of a Women's Home, a Men's Home, a Reading Room at Fifth and Crocker, and
several other properties throughout Los Angeles County.
- During the
1940's a large downtown Mission was started at 333 South Los Angeles Street and the Brandon Guest House opened its doors at 735 Hartford Avenue.
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In 1957, Volunteers of America initiated their professional research and treatment of
alcoholism. A three-year project funded by the federal government demonstrated that skid row alcoholics could be successfully treated.
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By 1958, a fleet of vans was added to the Men's Industrial Program and the
Men's Rehabilitation Center.
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The Parent Child Center in Harbor City was opened in 1968.
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With the help of a community fund drive in 1970, Volunteers of America purchased a 500 unit apartment complex in North Hollywood to build a child care and
family services center.
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In 1971, Volunteers of America became the first not-for-profit organization funded for the
Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound programs.
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A Senior Nutrition Program was started in Long Beach in 1973, providing meals to the homebound and congregate meals at ten sites for low-income elderly.
- With the help of actress Jan Clayton, the
Jan Clayton Center for alcohol and drug addiction recovery was opened in
1978.
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The first Positive Alternatives Program was started in 1980, providing drug abuse prevention and education for children in schools and community centers.
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In 1982, Ballington Plaza opened at 622 South Wall Street in downtown Los Angeles providing housing for the frail elderly and handicapped residents of Skid Row.
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The Transitional Recovery Program began in 1983, providing residential supervision, vocational counseling and job placement referrals to young men and women preceding their release to the community on parole status.
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Volunteers of America of Greater Los Angeles added six Head Start sites in North Hollywood in
1995.
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A program to provide companion pet care to low-income seniors began in
1995 as part of the Senior Nutrition program in Long Beach.
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By merging with the Huntington Youth Center in 1996, Volunteers of America provides shelter to runaway and
homeless children in Huntington Beach.
To
read more about our history,
click here.
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