Stories

August 29, 2005, was to be a special day for Michael and Yvette of Destrehan. They were to meet a birthmother in Volunteers of America’s Adoption and Maternity program who had selected them as adoptive parents for her newborn daughter.

Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans’s story, told by President and CEO Jim LeBlanc. His first-person account shows how, thanks to many dedicated staff and new friends, we safely evacuated all persons with disabilities in our care and helped others we serve to safety. Our story is one of survival and gratitude, that shows how deeply God blessed us during the catastrophe by placing friends and supporters in our path to light the way.

Have you ever wondered, ‘am I living life to the fullest—overcoming obstacles, diving into the unknown, and staying grounded in my faith?’ At Volunteers of America, we know someone who is doing all those things and more—her name is Joanne and she is served by our Supported Living Services Program.

"The moment we put him in our arms, there was a bond," says adoptive father Donald about his son, Gianni.

On Monday, April 20, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and First Lady of New Orleans Cheryl Landrieu hosted First Lady Michelle Obama to celebrate the city's progress on the Mayors Challenge to End Veterans Homelessness.

In recognition of National Volunteer Week, April 12–18, Volunteers of America’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) gathered for an annual luncheon. St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister thanked volunteers for their dedication and was presented with a mock check of $953,437 representing the value of the volunteers’ 42,000+ hours of service to the citizens of St. Tammany.

Spring break! Time to party and shirk your responsibilities—pretend to be someone else for a while, right? Well, students from Rice University, St. Mary’s University Law School and Cornell College decided instead to take on responsibilities, and not to pretend to be someone else, but to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. These volunteers came to work with Volunteers of America for three main reasons: to uplift others, to be immersed in a vibrant culture and to engage in a multi-faceted approach to human services.

RSVP Volunteer Fred Bruce visited Chahta-Ima Elementary School in Lacombe to read a story about Martin Luther King, Jr. to four classes of kindergarten students to commemorate King and his important contributions to civil rights.

University of New Orleans women’s basketball players are winners on the court and off. Players teamed up with our Mentoring Children of Promise Program to celebrate National Mentoring Month in January.

At age 58 and paralyzed by an accident more than 30 years ago, Mr. Guillot lives in a small basement apartment in his mother’s home in Jefferson Parish.