Partners

Volunteers of America couldn't help those in need without the generous support of our partners. Whether providing major renovations to our residences for veterans or donating vital school supplies to our Operation Backpack® campaign, our partners provide invaluable time, energy and resources, positively impacting those we serve. To learn more about becoming a partner, please contact Rachel Weinstein at rweinstein@voa-gny.org or (212) 496-4305.

The Agnes Varis Trust

The Agnes Varis Trust, established to honor the pharmaceutical business leader's legacy of philanthropy and community betterment, has awarded Volunteers of America-Greater New York a grant of $100,000 in support of its 2015 and 2016 Operation Backpack® campaigns. Dr. Agnes Varis (1930-2011) believed that philanthropy uplifts both the individual and the community. The lower portion of Central Park is dedicated to Dr. Varis with a plaque featuring a Pericles quote: "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone, but what is woven into the lives of others."

Judith C. White Foundation

One of our newer and most diverse supporters to both Volunteers of America and Operation Backpack® is the Judith C. White Foundation. While driving in his car, Foundation President Jeffrey Kovner heard a radio interview with Operation Backpack® founder, Rachel Weinstein. The Judith C. White Foundation made a significant donation to Operation Backpack® that year and has gone on to support our Bronx Early Learning Center for preschoolers with developmental delays and one of our shelters for survivors of domestic violence.

Walgreens

Since beginning its support of Operation Backpack®, Walgreens has retained its commitment to the cause. From posters in the retail windows to collection bins in more than 300 stores; from facilitating donations from the public and a skilled marketing team that promotes the partnership through a multitude of media to dedicated employees who volunteer their time during Sort Week, Walgreens has been a vital partner in raising awareness of the needs of homeless children.

HSBC

HSBC Bank USA, N.A. and its employees take pride in fostering a connection to their customers and to the communities in which it does business. So who better to demonstrate this commitment than teams of HSBC employee volunteers, delighted to take a hands-on role in preparing New York City children for the first day of school? For the past three years HSBC has been one of our most committed Operation Backpack® partners, providing a multi-year grant to Volunteers of America and positively impacting the lives of disadvantaged children across the nation.

The Home Depot Foundation

Since beginning its partnership with Volunteers of America in April 2011, The Home Depot® Foundation has given more than $11 million to the organization to improve housing for homeless veterans and their families. VOA is one of the nation's largest nonprofit organizations addressing veterans' needs, serving more than 40,000 veterans each year in 46 cities. In the Greater New York area, several beautification projects, spearheaded by Team Depot volunteers, greatly enhanced the environment and quality of life for tenants at our two permanent veterans residences.

FedEx

For over a decade, FedEx has been a vital partner to Volunteers of America-Greater New York, ensuring that the generosity of thousands of people reaches the individuals, children and families in our care. During Operation Backpack®, FedEx picks up supplies at participating drop off locations and delivers them to our Operation Backpack® 'Sort Space.' During the holidays, FedEx delivers truckloads of donated toys to children in our family shelters.

OOH Pitch

Having inquired too late to conduct a drive for Operation Backpack® 2014, OOH Pitch was first to call us to get involved in the 2015 campaign. While rallying staff and vendors to collect backpacks and school supplies, OOH Pitch's incredible gift came in the form of $1 million in donated 'Out-Of-Home' advertising space for Operation Backpack® 2015 and 2016. From Taxi TV, to movie theater previews, to telephone kiosks, to billboards in Times Square, OOH Pitch and its cadre of compassionate vendors literally put us on the map and exponentially increased the visibility of Operation Backpack in the eyes of New York City.

Anonymous

The Hope and Hearth Food Voucher Program has been helping families in need stretch their holiday food budgets since 1896. This holiday tradition lives on through an incredibly generous donation of $20,000 each year from an anonymous supporter. It enables us to issue food vouchers that may be used at local grocery stores, so families and individuals can shop for and cook a holiday meal that is special to them.