Volunteers of America Shelter Programs

1. Volunteers of America Shelter Programs Community Assistance Center 335 Record St. Reno, NV 89512

2. Volunteers of America is a national, non-profit, faith-based organization founded in 1896 by Maud & Ballington Booth (son of General William Booth, founder of Salvation Army).

3. Our affiliate, Volunteers of America Northern California & Northern Nevada, was established in 1911 and since then we have been dedicated to ending homelessness, serving the most vulnerable, and transforming our communities into safer, healthier places. • 1,900 Individuals and families sleep under a Volunteers of America roof each night in Northern California and Nevada.

4. Locally, Volunteers of America operates these programs: Community Assistance Center • Men’s Shelter (160 beds) • Women’s Shelter (50 beds) • Family Shelter (27 family units) • ReStart program (serving mentally ill homeless) • Resource Center (providing access to telephone, computer, mail delivery, classes) Sierra Manor 187 units of affordable housing for seniors (based in a sliding scale) These programs provide emergency shelter, transitional housing and affordable housing everyday for nearly 8,000 men, women and children in our community each year.

5. The shelters provide more than a place to sleep; they are programs based on a recovery model. Each individual and family is working with a case worker on an individual case plan designed to help them exit from homelessness and into a more productive and sustainable future. Women’s Shelter staff and clients participate in a Getting Ahead workshop.

6. Community involvement at the shelter programs include activities ranging from birthday and holiday parties to poetry, theater, and art.

7. Holiday parties are popular with local businesses, churches, and clubs.

8. Weekly theater classes were taught for 3 years at the Family Shelter by Miss Sparks Nasya Mancini, who directed the children in three lives performances at Southside Cultural Center.

9. Involving the community at the shelters helps our community engage with and learn about VOA programs and how we can solve homelessness.

10. The compassionate approach is also the cost effective one. The City of Reno estimates that for every dollar spent on the CAC campus, our community saves $18 in other emergency services (i.e, police, fire, jail, foster care services).

11. VOA loves partnering with UNR students, including Orvis Nursing students, international exchange students, and Greek organizations.

12. In addition to the programs operated by Volunteers of America, other service providers at the Community Assistance Center include: Good Shepherd Clothes Closet Community Health Alliance Outreach Clinic Reno Sparks Gospel Mission St. Vincent’s Dining Room Washoe County School District Children in Transition programs Westcare Community Triage Center

13. To learn how you can get involved, please contact: Sandy Isham, Sr. Development & Community Relations Officer Volunteers of America 335 Record St. Reno, NV 89512 775-322-7143 sisham@voa-ncnn.org www.voa-ncnn.org www.facebook.com/voanonv