Volunteers of America houses homeless, helps with Christmas Bureau

With more and more individuals and families in desperate need, Volunteers of America (VOA) in Spokane has expanded its outreach to house homeless vets and men released from jail. 

In addition to its regular programs serving homeless street youth, families in crisis, homeless women, at-risk children and people with chronic mental illness, the agency is again providing books for the Christmas Bureau, said executive director Marilee Roloff.

“If we can help homeless, hungry people, now is the time,” she said.

This year, Volunteers of America opened a home to house five veterans and Maud’s House for six men coming out of county jail or mental health facilities.

“Many in jail suffer mental illness and are on medicine in jail, but when they are released, they go off the medicine and act out.  As a result, they are arrested and go back to jail,” she said.

At Maud’s house, in addition to job training with Goodwill, they receive “responsible renter” training and support to stay on medications, find jobs and eventually find a stable place to live.

Volunteers of America has also received funding to cover a second home to house six vets in North Spokane in May 2009.  So far, the veterans have been Vietnam vets, but the agency expects to see Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in coming months and years, Marilee said.

“These new homes make it a gratifying year of helping underserved, ignored and forgotten people,” she said. 

“These are our neighbors,” she said.  “Now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to pitch in and help each other.”

In that spirit of community, Volunteers of America supports the Christmas Bureau, a local program spearheaded by the Spokesman Review.  Each family that comes receives holiday help in the form of food vouchers and children’s gifts.

Marilee said the Christmas Bureau last year served 32,000 people and organizers expect a five percent increase to 34,000.

Each year, Volunteers of America contributes thousands of books—donated by Scholastic, Inc.—to the Christmas Bureau. Catholic Charities provides a new toy for each child, purchased with funds donated through the Spokesman Review.

Among nearly 400 volunteers are Carolyn and Bryan Dobbins who, with the local chapter of the Alpha Delta Kappa teachers’ sorority, are helping Volunteers of America sort, wrap and hand out books.

As a teacher at Windsor Elementary in the Cheney School District, Carolyn believes children need books and books are the best Christmas gifts.  While Bryan, who farms between Cheney and Medical Lake, has helped VOA carry, sort and give books for three years, this is Carolyn’s second. 

The Christmas Bureau will be open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., from Dec. 10 to 20, except Sundays, at the Fairgrounds, which is now its permanent home.

For information, call 624-2378 or visit www.voaspokane.org.

Copyright © December 2008 - The Fig Tree