Stories

Overcoming Addiction and Homelessness When Stacey got in touch with Volunteers of America, he was living at the VA Domiciliary and had a month to find a home. His past struggles with addiction and homelessness had left him with minimal support and a poor credit score, which made finding a place to live a challenge. Fortunately, Veterans like Stacey are the people our Veterans Services programs are designed to help. A VOA case manager worked with Stacey to help him apply for rentals on his smartphone and encouraged him to keep trying when he felt overwhelmed and defeated by rejections….

Hope and compassion for others on the Red Road Nick shares his life story dance and a little about the transformation that took place during his time at The Life House. The Life House is a White Bison-certified residential treatment center that offers substance abuse treatment to men on our beautiful Sheridan campus. When Nick graduated from The Life House, our men’s treatment facility in Sheridan, he wanted to share his story. He knew that many other people were struggling with addiction and his message was meant to encourage others to find and walk the Red Road.  

From Instability to a Happy Home When Mark and his dog Deacon came to our office, they hadn’t eaten in a week. We got them into emergency housing, got Mark some food and, with the generous help of a local veterinarian, got Deacon a hearty meal as well. Mark was a Veteran who had traveled from Virginia to Wyoming in search of a better life. The journey had taken nearly everything he had, and the disability payments he was receiving for his service were still being sent to his old address in Virginia. He had nothing left but Deacon. Thankfully,…

Maud Ballington Booth’s Legacy In 1896, Volunteers of America co-founder Maud Ballington Booth opened the first privately owned halfway house in the United States. Hope Hall was located in New York City and was designed to help recently released convicts reintegrate into their community. The program was so successful that she opened another Hope Hall in Chicago, and by 1902 over 3,000 recently-released individuals had passed through the Halls. Today, Maud’s commitment to assisting incarcerated individuals with the transition back into society remains a top priority at Volunteers of America. Here in Wyoming, we operate Booth Hall, which continues the…

Ruth’s Story of Strength, Bravery, and Hope. When Ruth decided to leave her abusive husband, she had nothing but an old car and a tent with no poles that she found in a dumpster. At 72 years old, she was starting her life over with next to nothing. She spent weeks on the road, visiting the national parks she had always wanted to see and sleeping in the car. “It was terribly lonely,” shared Ruth. One of her fondest memories of her time on the road is of coming upon a group of campers who were circled up and enjoying…

Wildlife Art The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but especially residents of senior living facilities. The greater risk of complications from infection and the dangers of close living quarters meant life was significantly less entertaining than usual at Aspen Grove. Amid the restrictions, a 10-year tenant of Aspen Grove became a spot of entertainment for other residents as she brought a series of statues to life. The series, called “Wildlife of Yellowstone,” continues to grow as Paulette, at a table near a lobby window, paints tiny details and adds dimensional elements to statues of all kinds of Yellowstone…

It’s not often that Aspen Grove gets a large group of motivated volunteers, so when Phillips 66 in Billings got in touch to see if they could help their offer was quickly and graciously accepted.  Looking around the property, it was clear that the group had their work cut out for them. There were several dead plants, leaky drip lines, and planters and fences that badly needed staining. With direction from Aspen Grove maintenance staff, the Phillips 66 volunteers set to work. By the end of the day, the property was completely changed.  The fence went from looking grey and weathered to…

11-year resident of Bell Park Tower Florence has lived in Goshen County since she was one year old. As one of 15 children with a mother who often had to work in the fields to keep the family afloat, Florence learned to cook at a young age for a lot of people.  Today, she is still serving up delicious home-cooked meals, often sharing with the other residents and even the staff at her home in Bell Park Tower. Florence likes to cook from scratch, and her specialties include many German dishes—among her favorites to make are noodles, butterballs, dumplings, garlic…

Kevin came to our ministry to share messages of hope through chapel services on the Sheridan Campus. He soon found his way into the Faith Coach Program, which provides 1-on-1 spiritual care to patients in the Christian Enhancement Program. Faith Coaches are people who understand the needs of those who are broken yet depend on Christ for guidance in their own lives. Faith Coaches model Christian faith and practice spiritual disciplines including worship, study of scripture and prayer on a consistent basis. Above all, they offer Christ’s love and encouragement in weekly meetings with patients. In Kevin’s experience, these times of being present, listening…

Right Now Media provides a streaming library of more than 20,000 Bible study videos designed to help you be better at home and at work. If you would like access to Right Now Media, receive a New Life Recovery Bible, or see what other resources we have available please email Ministry@VOANR.org