VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH (VOOM)

VOOM FOR APRIL, 2008: Warren Village

This section highlights the Volunteer Opportunity of the Month (VOOM) - the social service organization that is being featured for the current month at Augustana.

Warren Village is a unique family community created to help motivated low-income single-parents move from public assistance to personal and economic self-sufficiency through subsidized housing, on-site child care, counseling, and education or job training. Established in 1974 as the nation's first federally subsidized transitional housing program for single-parent families, Warren Village has been cited as a national model for its combination of housing with other on-site services. Several cities ranging from Rochester to Honolulu have replicated the Warren Village model.

Warren Village provides three integrated programs. The Warren Village Housing Program includes 93 one, two and three bedroom apartments accommodating families of up to four children and one adult. The Learning Center offers quality child care and early childhood education for up to 150 children, ages six weeks to twelve years. The Learning Center uses a multi-cultural and gender-fair curriculum developed for at-risk urban children. The Family Services Program provides comprehensive case-management, vocational assessment, evening life-skills classes (taught by volunteers on topics such as goal achievement, parenting, nutritional values and budgeting) and child enrichment activities, mentors, and resident-initiated leadership opportunities.

All residents must attend school or work full-time, attend a minimum of three evening classes each month, and contribute at least two hours of volunteer service monthly. Residents are required to participate in these activities as a condition of their lease agreement; progress is monitored quarterly. Residence at Warren Village is not an entitlement but rather a privilege to be earned by progress toward specific personal and economic self-sufficiency goals. This “conditionally” distinguishes Warren Village from virtually all subsidized transitional housing programs in the nation.

For over thirty years, Warren Village has helped more than 3,000 single-parent families move towards self-sufficiency through the development of life skills, increased income and improved job skills. Warren Village graduates have become home owners, college graduates, working professionals, responsible parents and community leaders.

At Warren Village, limited financial resources are supplemented by the time and talents of volunteers. More than 1,800 unduplicated volunteers annually donate their time to Warren Village. Volunteers represent corporations, schools and youth groups, civic associations, religious organizations, and families and friends.