Volunteers of America - The Richard Lugar Safe Haven

Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana is a national, non-profit, faith-based organization and ministry of service dedicated to helping people rebuild their lives and reach their full potential, with a mission to offer hope, restore dignity, and transform lives. Established locally in 1896 as an affiliate of the broader Volunteers of America founded by Ballington and Maud Booth, it has a rich history of addressing community needs from poverty relief and halfway houses in the early 1900s to modern evidence-based programs serving nearly 11,000 individuals across 65 locations in 16 communities in Ohio and Indiana, supported by nearly 1,000 professional employees. Guided by core values of Respect & Trust, Integrity, Ministry of Service, and Creativity & Innovation, the organization employs a trauma-informed, holistic approach combining physical, behavioral, and spiritual care to promote health, housing, and human services under its Horizon 2026 strategic plan, boldly aiming to improve the health, happiness, and stability of communities. It primarily serves vulnerable populations including veterans facing homelessness, unemployment, and suicide risk through programs like Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), employment training, rapid rehousing, and the SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Program; pregnant women and mothers with substance use disorders via family-focused residential treatment at Fresh Start Recovery Centers that allow mothers and children to stay together, offering medication-assisted treatment, parenting skills, and aftercare; men involved in the criminal justice system with Turning Point Recovery Center's residential substance abuse programs; ex-offenders through reentry services with case management, job-readiness training, and counseling; homeless individuals and families via transitional and permanent supportive housing, emergency shelters, and Welcome Home Kits; youth and families experiencing housing crises or needing early intervention with prevention, education, and life skills programs like Operation Backpack; and those with mental health needs through outpatient and residential behavioral health services, all accredited by CARF and focused on whole-person recovery to foster self-sufficiency, family reunification, and community reintegration.