National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
OCE Partnerships and COVID-19
During National Volunteer Month, volunteers are recognized for their critical work, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic
April is National Volunteer Month, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is home to one of the largest centralized volunteer programs in the federal government: VA Voluntary Service (VAVS). Through VAVS, volunteers can get involved with programs that benefit Veterans, and Veterans themselves can find opportunities to volunteer. Given the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there are more volunteer opportunities than ever, said Dr. Sabrina Clark, director of VAVS.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique opportunities for people to volunteer and to assist Veterans in new types of assignments,” Dr. Clark explained. “The need for volunteers remains strong, and we so appreciate volunteers’ dedication and passion.”
VAVS recruits, trains, places, and retains community volunteers into assignments. It also shares volunteer opportunities with the public, such as the growing opportunities because of COVID-19. Community partnerships such as those coordinated by VAVS serve the same purpose as the partnerships supported by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Community Engagement (OCE)—they add to the services VA and VHA can provide to Veterans by bringing external partners’ resources to the table.
“The beauty of volunteers and community partners is that they answer the call to the questions that begin with ‘What else?’ What else would make Veterans more comfortable? What else do Veterans need that appropriated dollars cannot cover?” Dr. Clark said.
Dr. Tracy L. Weistreich, Nurse Executive of OCE, agreed.
“Partnerships are always so critical for Veterans’ well-being because they expand resources and services for Veterans,” she explained. “OCE and VAVS are on the same page about how important partnerships are—just as volunteers offer service VA might otherwise be unable to provide, so do partnerships.”
Last fiscal year, more than 61,000 volunteers gave more than 9.2 million hours of service to VA. More than 7,400 community organizations support the VAVS program, to which volunteers have provided more than 760 million hours of service since 1946. VAVS will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year.
Examples of partnerships under VAVS’ purview are those with Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). VSOs have a strong community base, volunteer networks, and fundraising abilities. VSO volunteer opportunities include respite care for Veteran caregivers, job skills training for Veterans, and transportation to appointments for Veterans.
Another example of volunteers under VAVS’ purview is the Red Coat Ambassadors program. Red Coat Ambassadors are volunteers who greet Veterans at VA medical centers and help them find their way around.
VAVS has also partnered with the United We Serve initiative led by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which encourages volunteerism through community networks. United We Serve has an online database for people to find volunteer opportunities.
Dr. Weistreich explained that CNCS (a partnership supported by OCE), which is part of the Choose Home Initiative, deploys volunteers to serve eligible Veterans and their caregivers. Volunteers may take on tasks such as delivering meals to vulnerable seniors or making phone calls to older Veterans. This volunteer work is especially important, she said, during the COVID -19 pandemic.
Dr. Clark spoke to why volunteerism is so helpful for anyone’s health and well-being.
“There is no shortage of research that supports ‘volunteering is good for your health.’ From lowering stress and reducing risk of depression, to increased longevity, there are over 19 million articles that cite these and other benefits of volunteering, none more important than finding meaning and purpose in life,” she said.
To learn more about how to get involved as a VAVS volunteer, please visit: https://www.volunteer.va.gov/
To learn more about OCE’s partnerships, please visit: https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/updates.asp
External Link Disclaimer: This page contains links that will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.
Posted April 28, 2020
