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“There’s so much need going on. I can’t just sit on the sideline.” Let’s go back to before Paul started volunteering at the Edmonds College Food Pantry to make sure his classmates had enough to eat. Before he began serving at the Lynnwood Hygiene Center – a converted emissions testing site – to ensure the homeless had access to showers, toiletries, and food. Before he went back to school and enrolled at Edmonds College, to become a Substance Abuse Counselor. Let’s go back to the summer of 2018. Before that, Paul had a career as an auto mechanic. But, a busted ankle left him in a wheelchair that summer. He’d struggled with alcohol before, but with no structure to those long days, why not take a drink? He couldn’t work – and maybe would never be a mechanic again – and was worried about losing his place in Lake Stevens, so he called 211. The operator connected him to VOA Prevention Navigator Anne Hoffman. “She has been super. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to make it.” Anne helped find rental assistance for Paul, first from one source than another. “It’s turned my world around,” says Paul. “I feel blessed because of all the people who supported me.”

“Awful.” That’s how Melissa envisions her fate without 2-1-1. For those who don’t have anyone else turn to, those three digits are a lifeline. Tears of gratitude flow as she tells about the call that lifted her out of the fear and uncertainty she never could have predicted as this year began. Melissa loved her job as a Trader Joe’s crew member. Setting up store displays, handing out food samples, and “doing anything else that needed to be done” for seven years allowed her to contribute to a 401(k) and retirement plan. Taking a chance, she cashed those out, left Trader Joe’s, and fulfilled a lifelong dream of starting her own business. Melissa Lynn’s Permanent Cosmetics specialized in cosmetic eyebrow tattooing. However, as business slowed, she returned to Trader Joe’s to have more income stability as a single mom and briefly stayed in her mother’s one-bedroom apartment. Three generations made the best of it. “We blew up an air mattress every night to sleep,” Melissa says with a chuckle. This year started full of promise. Then, schools closed. She had little choice but to quit her job to stay home and care for her 10-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. Melissa collected unemployment, cleaned houses, and supplemented with child support payments. It still wasn’t enough. Helplessly watching income dry up over the summer, a fateful encounter in August with another Edmonds mom changed everything. “She told me about 2-1-1 and food assistance, so I could get an EBT card.” Brandi, who Melissa calls an angel, was on the other end of the line. Brandi quickly connected Melissa with Sue, a Fair Housing Counselor who specializes in landlord-tenant relations at the VOA Dispute Resolution Center, and Sue was able to secure three months of housing, seeing Melissa’s family through to the end of this year. Melissa has now extended her home to her mom, and three generations are still making the best of it. Looking forward to post-pandemic life, Melissa will emerge as a lash technician and hairstylist, making people feel beautiful and confident once more. Volunteering is also in her future, extending a hand to single mothers facing similar circumstances, paying forward the generosity she received through that late-summer call to 2-1-1. Instead of despair, “You have hope,” she declares. “You have options. You have people to help you. Just make the effort to reach out.”

For Diana and her boyfriend Christian, movies are a holiday tradition, always in a theater. Last Christmas it was Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Go back through the holidays, and you’ll find Avengers, Wonder Woman, Deadpool, and even Jumanji, on New Years Day in 2018. This year it’ll be Wonder Woman: 1984, streaming in their apartment. An apartment they weren’t sure they’d be able to keep. “If Robin hadn’t called me, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through.” Diana works, but Christian hasn’t had steady work and his mom, Maria, is unable to work. For the first time in their lives, they visited the food bank for Thanksgiving, and they were falling behind on rent. One day, their property manager connected Diana with VOAWW. That’s when she met Robin, an Early Resolution Specialist with VOA. “Robin answers every time I call. She answers all of my texts. I didn’t expect that.” Robin connected Diana with rental assistance to pay for two months in back rent. When Diana found out, “It was just incredible.....I cried.” “What I would like to share most is that there are always helpers out there. I think Mr. Rogers put it best: ‘Always look for the helpers.’ There should be no shame or guilt with asking for help, no matter how much or how long you need it. Our hope with our little family is that we can repay this back in the future in some way.” “Although we may not ever get to meet Robin in person, we are so grateful for her efforts! Thank you so much for all you do!”

Volunteers of America Western Washington assists with food banks, rent and utility assistance, crisis counseling, mediation, and ECEAP preschool. Helping Families Put Food on the Table This Summer With children home from school, grocery bills rise and many families struggle to keep enough food on the table. Your support helps stock our food banks and provide Snack Packs filled with kid-friendly, easy-to-prepare foods for youth throughout the summer months. Donate Now Quick Links Need help? We offer a wide range of resources from food and housing to behavioral health and conflict resolution. Looking to give back? Volunteering, donating, or joining the team are all ways you can play an active part in helping our neighbors find stability. Get Food There are no eligibility or documentation requirements to receive food at any VOAWW food banks or pantries. Learn More Housing Our housing programs help find and or stabilize housing for both short and long term needs. Learn More Early Learning ECEAP Preschools in Everett, Monroe, and Sultan, as well as Early Learning & Child Care services in Sultan and Lynnwood. Learn More Behavioral Health We are here to provide resources and support to people in crisis and/ or considering suicide and those who want others to get the help they need. Learn More Tribal Services Serving Native American & Alaska Native Communities throughout the state of Washington to access culturally appropriate behavioral health resources. Learn More Personal Support Services Support for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities to live safe and fulfilling lives, help with budgeting for SSA benefits, and Foundational Community Supports. Learn More Dispute Resolution Our Dispute Resolution Centers offer mediation and conflict resolution resources as well as training opportunities. Learn More Mediation An alternative to living with the stress of conflict or the anxiety of the formal legal system, mediation can help people in conflict find workable solutions quickly and affordably. Learn More Fair Housing Learn about your rights as a tenant or landlord, provide and obtain housing without discrimination, and much more! Learn More Volunteer Donate your time and gain new experiences through our many volunteer opportunities. Make a difference today. Learn More Donate Car donations, Cryptocurrency, leaving a gift in your will, and monetary donations. There's so many ways you make an impact! Learn More Job Opportunities Join the VOAWW team and become a part of serving others and strengthening communities. Learn More Who We Are Volunteers of America Western Washington was established in 1898, two years after Maud and Ballington Booth founded the national organization in New York. We respond to hundreds of thousands of requests for assistance each year through a partnership of professional staff, volunteers, and community supporters. Volunteers are instrumental in every aspect of our ministry of service and help us reach thousands more people than we could with staff alone. We acknowledge, serve, and uplift each and every person. No matter your identity, citizenship, origin, color, or creed, you are welcome here. Our commitment is to serve those needing food, shelter, crisis care, free preschool, community resources, and so much more. Featured Story Stories of Impact Pressing On Complex trauma. Assault. Homelessness. Addiction. Recovery. Relapse. These aren’t just frightening words. They are the experiences that... 2 min read "I hated who I had become." “I am 32 years old now, so I can sum it up to 2 decades battling to get my life back.” Most 12-year-olds are in 7th grade and summoning... 2 min read Life According to S Steve Woodard’s future seemed decided by the S’s. Named Steve, his life path started in San Diego. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree... 3 min read

Skagit County affordable housing in Burlington, WA for veterans, VASH vouchers, and low income families. A VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA WESTERN WASHINGTON PROPERTY COMING SOON! VOAWW Home Location FAQs Get Involved Contact Us Affordable housing is a basic need that improves the long-term health and wellbeing of the community and the residents that call it home. A long-term solution Ballington Flats is a permanent housing solution for tenants who meet income eligibility. Tenants will be offered standard leases with annual opportunities to renew. An area of need Skagit County has the lowest vacancy rate in the Washington State, at below 1%. Ballington Flats will include 42 units aimed at addressing low-income households with designated units for veterans. Design The complex is designed as identical buildings with 1- and 2-bedroom floor plans, 3 units per floor. Each building is surrounded by green space. There will be a designated play area on the property and a community building that will feature a commons room and administrative offices. Floor Plans 1 Bedroom - Plan I 609 sq ft 1 Bedroom - Plan II 586 sq ft 2 Bedroom 894 sq ft Location Location 1724 E Rio Vista Ave Burlington, WA 98233 This site is 1.87 acres within a residential neighborhood and zoned to accommodate multi-family housing. Become a Service Partner We are still in the planning phases and interested in hearing from potential partner organizations who may be interested in providing services on- or off-site to tenants. If you’re a partner agency and would like more information about supporting the Ballington Flats project we'd love to hear from you! Email Us about a Partnership Volunteer Volunteers will be needed during various stages of the project for a wide range of needs. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit volunteer.voaww.org or email us! Email Us about Volunteering Questions about Ballington Flats? Send us a message. We are committed to making this project a success for tenants, neighbors and the Burlington community. Get in Touch! Back to Top Empowering individuals. Strengthening communities.

Meet the VOAWW Executive Team Leadership Volunteers of America Western Washington has a dynamic leadership team with a breadth of experience and a passion for serving others. Board Members Executive Team Brian Smith President/CEO Kristi Myers, CFRE Chief Operations Officer John Ng Chief Financial Officer Levi Van Dyke Chief Behavioral Health Officer Nelia Viloria Executive Assistant Jan Olsen Board Secretary Dixie Behn Vice President of Infrastructure Claire Danielson Vice President of Finance/Controller Kristin Ely Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Olga Fedorovski Vice President of Human Resources Jessica Moore, CFRE Vice President of Development Steve Woodard, Ph.D. Vice President of Community Engagement Amanda Etchey Executive Director, Integrated Community Services Brenda Priest Executive Director, Personal Support Services Cory Armstrong-Hoss Executive Director, Senior Services Galina Volchkova Executive Director, Housing Services John Glennon Executive Director, Hunger Prevention Services Rena Fitzgerald Executive Director, Behavioral Health Robin Hoover Executive Director, ECEAP Services Rick Schoentrup Executive Director, Dispute Resolution Center