creating stability | encouraging change | rebuilding lives

the building blocks of CHANGE

Volunteers of America of Illinois partners with the people we serve to create transformational and lasting change in their lives through programs that support, empower and transform.

our long tradition of serving those most in need calls us to seek out and restore hope to those who have been forgotten or left behind. We are committed to bringing real solutions and lasting change to those we serve including:

ourmission

We offerthe experience and leadership of our 120 year history combined with the entrepreneurial spirit of a 21st century human service organization.

the discipline to invest only in services that will make a lasting difference in people’s lives

the courage and conviction to meet the toughest challenges and to serve America’s most vulnerable

Veterans who are

struggling or in-crisis

The frail

elderly

Adults with

disabilities

Children and

families in foster care

Volunteers of America of Illinois is one of the oldest affiliates within the Volunteers of America family. For more than a century, Volunteers of America of Illinois has been working to improve the quality of life for people most in need throughout illinois with a variety of services and programs designed to strengthen families, keep children safe and empower individuals to transform their lives.

A brief historyVolunteers of America was founded in 1896 by social reformers Ballington and Maud Booth. They envisioned a movement dedicated to “reaching and uplifting” the American people. On behalf of the organization, the Booths pledged to “go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand.”

We’ve been around. We’ll be around. You can count on us.In the early 1900’s, Volunteers of America moved into tenement districts to care for people in poverty. We organized day nurseries and summer camps, provided housing for single men and women and established the nation’s first system of halfway houses for released prisoners. During the great World Wars, Volunteers of America served proudly on the homefront operating

canteens, overnight lodging and Sunday breakfasts for soldiers and sailors on leave as well as developing affordable housing and child care for defense industry workers. In the 1960s, Volunteers of America partnered with the federal government to accelerate the large scale availability of affordable housing throughout the country. Today, in our second century of service, Volunteers of America is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the country and provides a very innovative and diverse network of support and service to people in need from the moment they are born through their last days of life. We continue to do all we can to go “wherever we are needed” to reach and uplift those who are most vulnerable.

How did we get our name?The name volunteers of america was selected when the organization was founded in 1896. At the time, the name signified that the organization was made up of people voluntarily choosing to help others. In those days, a volunteer was anyone who was committed to a mission or a cause. Today, our services are delivered through a network of dedicated professional staff, volunteers and other community supporters.

our story

Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping America’s most vulnerable citizens rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Volunteers of America is one of the oldest U.S. charities and helps more than 2 million people each year in more than 400 communities across the country.

A dynamic Ministry of Service since 1896

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Our programs arestrength-basedWe build on what IS working in the person’s life by helping them identify and leverage their natural assets and resources.

client-centeredWe partner with the people we serve to create a future story for their life that is meaningful and attainable for them.

relationship-drivenWe meet people wherever they are in their struggle and walk with them on the difficult journey of rebuilding their lives.

family-focusedWe recognize the power and importance of family in creating and sustaining positive life changes. In all instances, we work hard to rebuild or create a natural support system for the people we serve.

designed to help people achieve their full potentialWe focus on the whole person and recognize that true change happens when people achieve health and balance in all their life domains. We support people in achieving stability, self-sufficiency and independence.

While Volunteers of America of Illinois serves a diverse group of individuals and families with a broad range of needs and challenges, the common goal of ALL our services is to partner with the people we serve to dramatically improve their quality of life in a way that represents a transformational and lasting change for the individual client and their family.

Improving the quality of life for the people we serve

mission-driven

value-centered

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We are a mission-driven AND value-centered organization dedicated to living the following values in all we do:

integrity We are committed to operating with uncompromising integrity and within the highest ethical standards and to be responsible stewards of all the resources entrusted to us with the utmost regard for efficiency and effectiveness.

discipline We are committed to fulfilling our promises and doing what we say we will do when it needs to be done. We will focus on the things that matter most and on those efforts that make the biggest difference in the lives of the people we serve.

faith We operate from a profound belief in the power of God’s grace to transform even the most difficult situations and we believe in the potential for “greatness” in those we serve, those we serve with and in the world around us. We believe in the fundamental goodness of people and in their unlimited capacity to transform their lives.

innovation We approach the responsibility to serve others with the same fervor and passion that inspired the organization’s founders more than a century ago… a passion that inspired them to work tirelessly to transform the world around them.

teamwork We understand that we achieve our mission through teamwork and a commitment to common goals and objectives. We seek and celebrate a diverse staff that bring complementary skills and perspectives to the organization. As a ministry of service, we promote a professional, courteous, cooperative and diverse work environment that fosters mutual respect and consideration of co-workers, colleagues, volunteers and clients.

creating stability

rebuilding lives

encouraging change

The building blocks of CHANGE mission-driven

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support, resources hope&

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The True North Project for Veterans is a comprehensive program for Veterans who are struggling, in crisis or at-risk of serious instability in their lives. The program provides Veterans with the support, resources and hope they need to successfully win the “war” that often follows many soldiers home.

The True North Project reaches out to Veterans wherever they are in their journey towards healing and stability and offers a full continuum of supportive services and interventions that are individually tailored to meet the unique needs of each Veteran.

At its core, the True North Project is strength-based and works to build on the inherent strengths and assets that exist within each Veteran we serve. The program also uses a very relationship-driven approach to helping Veterans rebuild and transform their lives—relationships with other Veterans and with caring, committed staff.

The program serves more than 500 Veteran households each year including both male and female Veterans; single Veterans and those with children; and those from World War II through the current conflicts in the Middle East. We receive referrals from local VA Medical Centers, other service providers, vigorous street outreach and through word of mouth from Veterans currently receiving services.

Services are funded through a combination of sources including the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the IL Department of Veterans Affairs, the City of Chicago, special events, corporations, foundations and individual giving.

Helping Veterans rebuild their lives, discover their full potential and achieve their dreams

Services include a broad range of resources and interventions that:• Move Veterans from homelessness to homefullness

(high quality, stable housing that gives Veterans a safe place to belong)

• Prevent Veterans who are at-risk of losing their housing from becoming homeless

• Assist Veterans in finding and sustaining meaningful employment that can provide stability and economic independence for the Veteran and their family

• Address barriers such as untreated mental health challenges and substance abuse issues

• Build life skills that are essential to a stable and productive life

• Assist in strengthening and rebuilding families

• Provide coaching and support through life-changing transitions

• Provide counseling and clinical support

• Help Veterans identify and address the effects of Moral Injury

• Connect Veterans to VA benefits and other income supports

• Build self-sufficiency and independence hope

−− ILLINOIS−IS−HOME−TO−ALMOST−800,000−VETERANS

−− MORE−THAN−1,000−VETERANS−ARE−HOMELESS−ON−ANY−GIVEN−NIGHT−IN−CHICAGO−AND−MANY−MORE−ARE−HOMELESS−AT−SOME−POINT−DURING−THE−YEAR

−− MORE−THAN−60,000−VETERANS−ARE−HOMELESS−EACH−NIGHT−ACROSS−THE−US

−− FEMALE−VETERANS−ARE−FOUR−TIMES−MORE−LIKELY−TO−BE−HOMELESS−THAN−NON-VETERAN−FEMALES−

−− 1−IN−4−VETERANS−SUFFERS−FROM−PTSD

−− 22−VETERANS−COMMIT−SUICIDE−EACH−DAY−

did you know

?

The feeling of hopelessness and being alone no longer exists…

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A homebrave

for the

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Hope Manor IHope Manor I, located in West Humboldt Park in Chicago on a parcel of land donated by the City of Chicago, was built using a variety of funding sources including Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and includes operating support from the Chicago Housing Authority and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Hope Manor I provides immediate housing for up to 50 Veterans in need of intensive services at the point of referral and affordable housing with rental support for up to 30 Veterans who require less intensive services but longer-term rental assistance. Hope Manor I Apartments is about much more than simply housing Veterans—the goal is to help veterans improve their lives over the long-term by promoting self-sufficiency, building new skills, creating strong support networks and integrating Veterans more positively into community life.

Hope Manor IIHope Manor II, located on the Southside of Chicago, is one of the first large scale, supportive housing developments in the country specifically designed for Veterans with families. The campus style development, which is home to 73 Veterans with families, was built on a 3-acre parcel of land donated by the City of Chicago utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits for construction and development. Rental assistance for all 73 apartments was provided by the Chicago Housing Authority.

Hope Manor II provides a comprehensive response to the challenges facing any Veteran who is homeless or at-risk of homelessness—especially female Veterans and Veterans with children. Hope Manor II is a campus-style community of Veterans that provides a flexible continuum of housing and supportive services to the Veteran and their family through a unique combination of studio apartments, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments and 4-bedroom townhomes. To achieve the goal of empowering veterans to transform their lives in the most positive way possible, Hope Manor II is a healthy, vibrant and service-rich community with immediate access to a broad range of services to improve the quality of life for Veterans and their families including counseling, case management, parent training and support, youth enrichment programs, employment services and peer support.

Hope Hall Hope Hall was created in collaboration with the Hines VA Medical Center and is based on the “safe haven” residential model for reaching the most at-risk and chronically homeless Veterans. The program, located in Melrose Park, provides safe housing and intensive services for up to 14 male or female Veterans who are homeless and struggling with mental health issues, addiction or both. The program relies heavily on intensive engagement strategies specifically designed to meet Veterans exactly where they are in their crisis and to encourage their participation in services in a safe, non-threatening environment. The goal is to move these veterans out of crisis and to prepare them for greater stability and independence in more permanent settings such as group homes or supportive housing in the community.

Volunteers of America launched “A Home for the Brave” in 2009 to increase awareness and generate resources for the development of supportive housing for our nation’s Veterans. As part of the initiative, we created our HOPE MANOR continuum of housing developments which provide high-quality housing with intensive and supportive services to Veterans who are struggling with or at-risk of homelessness.

Our Hope Manor Housing Developments provide a home for more than 170 Veteran families every day

Hope Manor is about much more than simply providing housing for Veterans who are struggling, the goal is to create transformational and lasting change in their lives.

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stabilitya place to belong

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As part of the solution, Volunteers of America of Illinois serves more than 180 children annually by

providing safe and nurturing homes for children removed from their biological familiesWe recruit and manage a large network of foster homes specifically trained to meet the special needs of children in foster care.

delivering therapeutic services to the whole familyOur services address the separation, loss and trauma experienced by children and families in foster care and help them rebuild a safer, more positive future.

ensuring the safety With the help of caring foster parents, counselors and case management staff, our team works together to develop a service plan to meet the needs of each child.

finding a permanent home for every childWe are committed to the children we serve, based on the child’s sense of time, attachment and best interests.

Approximately 17,000 children are in foster care at any given time in Illinois because of abuse or neglect. Children who do not find a safe, nurturing home while in foster care are significantly more likely to experience mental health disorders, addiction and homelessness later in life.

Committed to the best interest of each child we serve

−− THERE−ARE−MORE−THAN−3−MILLION−REPORTS−OF−−CHILD−ABUSE−EVERY−YEAR−IN−THIS−COUNTRY

−− FOUR−CHILDREN−DIE−EVERY−DAY−AS−A−RESULT−OF−−CHILD−ABUSE—ALMOST−80%−OF−THOSE−VICTIMS−−ARE−UNDER−THE−AGE−OF−4

−− IN−ILLINOIS,−MORE−THAN−100,000−CHILDREN−ARE−REPORTED−TO−THE−CHILD−ABUSE−HOTLINE−EVERY−YEAR

−− CHILDREN−WHO−DO−NOT−FIND−A−SAFE,−NURTURING−HOME−WHILE−IN−FOSTER−CARE−ARE−SIGNIFICANTLY−MORE−LIKELY−TO−EXPERIENCE−MENTAL−HEALTH−DISORDERS,−ADDICTION−AND−HOMELESSNESS.−

Our commitment to the children we serve is to always act in their best interest and to pursue the best permanency option for each individual child which may include reunification, adoption, guardianship with a relative or independence.

did you know

?

They’re like family… they’ve always been there for me.

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A place to callhome

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It’s a beautiful place here, I love it.

A place to call home at every age—our supportive, high-quality housing communities provide our elderly residents and younger adults with disabilities an opportunity to live with dignity and independence in a place of their own.

In partnership with our National Office, Volunteers of America of Illinois manages and provides supportive housing for more than 500 seniors and disabled adults through the following sites:

• Balsam Terrace/Spruce Manor Apartments

• Eads Square Apartments *

• Hopewell Village *

• Les Chateaux West / North *

• Marycrest Village

• New Northside Apartments *

• PT Bosley Senior Estates *

*These properties are located in St. Louis, MO

Providing a supportive, high quality, dignified home for the elderly and disabled adults to live independently

−− BY−THE−YEAR−2020,−THE−NUMBER−OF−AMERICANS−BETWEEN−THE−AGES−OF−55−AND−65−WILL−GROW−BY−MORE−THAN−70%

−− NATIONAL−STATISTICS−INDICATE−THAT−THERE−−ARE−AT−LEAST−9−SENIORS−WAITING−FOR−EVERY−SINGLE−OCCUPIED−UNIT−OF−AFFORDABLE−−HOUSING−FOR−THE−ELDERLY

−− POVERTY−AND−THE−LACK−OF−AFFORDABLE−HOUSING−IS−THE−LEADING−CAUSE−OF−INCREASED−HOMELESSNESS−AMONG−THE−ELDERLY

Our dedicated staff respond with compassion, patience and creativity to give every resident the chance to age in place and live life on their own terms.

did you know

?

To me,it is home... I like the independence I have here.

Each of our Housing communities provide a unique and integrated system of support for the residents that address their specific needs and challenges to living independently. Our elderly residents may need assistance with shopping or transportation while some of our disabled residents may rely on our staff to navigate more basic tasks such as communicating with medical providers or developing a plan for preparing meals.

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we are volunteers of america.

And we are the first to step forward, taking on the most crushing problems.

The dire.

The hopeless.

The untouchable.

And we make a difference.

Because we not only perceive the burdens of others, we know firsthand what it means to make them lighter.

this is why we do what we do.

Our story is long and rich.

And widely unknown.

But we’re not chasing fame. Or glory.

Our lives are meant for service.

For lifting up the brokenhearted.

For finding the lost.

For reaching out with mercy and compassion to those who thought they were beyond reach.

For uplifting all our lives.

this is why we do what we do.

Every day, we see our brothers and sisters lying beaten and bruised on their own roads to Jericho.

We act because we’re trained.

We’re impassioned.

We’re honored.

This is why we do what we do.

Like our Great Exemplar, we go among the unclean, the broken, the forgotten, and the outcast.

And we use our lives to make theirs better.

this is why we do what we do.

This is our pledge to the community and to those we serve: this is why we do what we do

We are Volunteers of America.

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Staff and volunteers of the VOA of IL family possess the following core traits• Operate with honesty and integrity

• Display compassion and concern for others

• Demonstrate a passionate and unwavering commitment to the mission of serving others

• Embrace the faith-based legacy of the organization

• Pursue excellence in all endeavors and activities

• Demonstrate creativity and innovation in problem-solving

• Seek to always resolve conflict proactively and productively

• Demonstrate a commitment to developing the “greatness” in others through mentoring, support, understanding, teaching, tolerance and servant leadership

• Communicate with respect, humility and an open mind

• Promote optimism, enthusiasm and fun while remaining extremely reverent about the responsibility inherent in the mission of the organization

• Promote a positive team environment and a participatory culture that values the contributions and importance of all members

Direct Program Costs vs. Indirect/Management Costs Programs & Services

Management & General

We are Volunteers of America.

Our staff demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the mission of serving othersAs stewards of our legacy, mission and the resources entrusted to us, Volunteers of America of Illinois must be made up of people willing and capable of living the values of the organization, advancing our mission and fulfilling our promises.

88%

12%

Our resourcesResponsible stewardship serves as the foundation of our mission and fuels our commitment to excellence. Every dollar raised goes directly to support high quality, outcome driven services for more than 2,000 individuals and families every year. We focus on efficiency in operations so that every donor and funder can be confident that the highest percentage of resources is spent on direct services. Our ratio of Direct Program Costs (Programs and Services) to Indirect Costs (Management and General) is significantly more efficient than the industry standard which allows up to 20% of total resources to be allocated to Management and General Expenses.

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Volunteers of America of Illinois is asking you to:

Be part of the SOLUTION

Learn more about us at www.voaillinois.org or come

take a tour of our program sites and see Volunteers of America of Illinois’ programs in action.

Become a volunteer or attend our events to help

the people we serve.

Become a donor and see how your gift can help transform the lives of the people we serve.

Volunteers of America of Illinois47 West Polk Street, Suite 250-2

Chicago, IL 60605Phone: 312-564-2300 | Fax: 312-564-2301

www.voaillinois.org

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