Volunteers of America

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Volunteers of America is an United States-based religious social welfare organization founded 1896 by Ballington and Maud Booth in New York City after their departure from the Salvation Army. Ballington Booth commenced the Volunteers of America, because his father William Booth refused to democratize the Army's administration in the USA.

A man dressed up as Santa Claus fundraising for the Volunteers of America in Chicago, Illinois, in 1902. He is wearing a mask with a beard attached. DN-0001069, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.

Volunteers of America provides outreach programs such as helping neglected youths, frail elderly, people with disabilities, and homeless individuals. In addition, they also provide correctional services for rehabilitate offenders and housing services for the elderly. As of 2004, the organization employs over 14,000 workers and more than 70,000 volunteers.

Today, Volunteers of America is the largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing for the elderly, low-income families, and persons with mental and physical disabilities in the United States of America.

The Volunteers were led by Maud Charlesworth Booth from 1940 to 1948, and after that by her son Charles Brandon Booth.

[edit] References

About Volunteers of America. Volunteers of America's national chapter website. Retrieved on July 1, 2005.
Ballington And The Volunteers Of America. Salvation Army's review of Volunteers of America. Retrieved on November 6, 2006.