Our name may have changed, but our mission remains the same…
For over 100 years, Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge (VOAGBR) has been serving Louisiana’s most vulnerable with a mission to reach and uplift all people. In 1921, we opened our doors in Baton Rouge providing services and support to individuals in need including families in poverty, homeless individuals, people with disabilities, low-income seniors, veterans, and at-risk youth and foster children. As time went on, it became evident that there was a great need for our assistance in other areas of the state and in keeping with our founding promise “to go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand", we expanded our programs into the Acadiana and Southwest Louisiana regions.
This year, we expanded our programs again taking on 8 additional parishes in Central Louisiana adding 1500 people to those we serve. The new parishes include: Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, La Salle, Rapides, Vernon, Winn. Due to the changes in our geographical region over the years and the recent addition of the Central LA parishes, we feel that our name no longer reflects the communities we serve. Therefore, effective July 1, 2022, we officially changed our name to Volunteers of America South Central Louisiana (VOASCLA).
David K. Kneipp, President & CEO of Volunteers of America South Central Louisiana, is looking forward to the future, stating “With a name change that represents all of the communities we serve, our organization has a renewed sense of purpose, energy, and enthusiasm.” He added, “Our staff and board members are very excited about this opportunity to expand our reach across the state. With this expansion, we will now serve over 34,000 people in 27 parishes and look forward to working with the staff, volunteers, and supporters in Central Louisiana to continue providing quality care to those seeking assistance. We are excited that many of their services are similar to ours, which makes for a smooth transition. One new and exciting program for us is their offender re-entry program, which helps reduce recidivism and provides former offenders opportunities to support themselves through meaningful employment, housing and education.”
Volunteers of America South Central Louisiana is a premier provider of high-quality human services dedicated to helping individuals and families gain self-reliance, dignity and hope. Our services include but are not limited to: Behavioral/Mental Health, support and vocational training for adults with disabilities, affordable and safe housing, homeless outreach, assistance for at-risk seniors and veterans and their families, therapeutic foster care, and early childhood education.
