Who We Are
Since 1981, VOA Alaska has taken on the most difficult tasks to help our state's most underserved.
Volunteers of America (VOA) was founded in 1896 by Ballington and Maud Booth, who pledged to “go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand.”
At the time, the concept of “volunteering” meant serving others as a vocation. While our understanding of the term has evolved, our dedication to serving others has not.
In 1981, VOA arrived in Alaska to open a youth residential treatment facility in Eagle River. These humble beginnings have now led to over 40 years of empowering Alaska’s youth and families through recovery services, housing, and promoting healthy communities.
Today, VOA Alaska provides a full continuum of care, from education and early intervention, to peer support and care coordination, to mental health therapy, substance use counseling, and family therapy, to supportive housing and residential treatment. We are in schools, in the community, and supporting Alaskans statewide via telehealth.
Our strength-based and person-centered services promote wellness in all areas of a person’s life. Those in our care steer the course of their journey. We walk alongside them, providing connection and services designed to help them achieve their most meaningful goals.
As a non-profit, these services are offered at low- or no-cost, and no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.
We are honored to be a part of the healing process for all people, families, and communities we serve.
Our Vision
A community that supports the hope, health, and healing of every Alaskan.
Our Mission
To empower Alaskans and uplift the human spirit through recovery services, housing, and promoting healthy communities.
Our Values
COURAGE to take risks, make changes, and find strength in failure.
CONNECTION to remind ourselves and others, we are not alone.
HOPE to lend strength to faith, knowing we can recover, we can rebuild, we are resilient.
INNOVATION to spark creativity and collaboration as we strive to positively disrupt the status quo.
JOY to see the light which shines through the darkness that may come our way
RESPONSIBILITY to meet and explore the need while holding true to the highest standards of excellence.
Our Strategic Focus
VOA Alaska exists to eliminate suffering for youth in Alaska, and to make Alaska a place where all youth can thrive. To achieve this, we’ve developed four Strategic Focus Areas:
- Client-Centered Services: Improved Client Experience
- Engage and Empowered Workforce: Improved Employee Experience
- Efficient Use of Resources: Lower Cost
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Better Outcomes
Under each of the four strategic focus area, several initiatives exist that represent the path forward to accomplishing our purpose.
Our Philosophy of Care
At VOA Alaska, we believe people can recover and heal from trauma, mental health concerns, substance misuse, and other life challenges. We believe in serving the whole person. We acknowledge that all people are worthy of wellness and humbly work to grow in a way that meets the needs of our community.
In 2025, VOA Alaska reached over 4,800 youth, young adults, and families across the state.
Before a school gym fills with people, it fills with noise. Sneakers squeak. A basketball echoes. Bleachers rattle.
Now picture 100 young Alaskans in that space. Nearly half feel like they don’t matter. Many carry weeks of sadness or hopelessness. Almost half feel isolated, even in a crowded room. Alaska continues to have the highest youth suicide rate in the nation. This isn’t abstract. You know one of these kids.
That reality shapes our work.
In 2025, Volunteers of America Alaska supported more than 4,800 individuals and delivered 36,000+ services across the state’s most comprehensive youth behavioral health continuum. We strengthened school-based care, expanded treatment, and invested in systems that help us show up earlier and stay longer.
This year marks a shift, from growth to grounded impact, focused on building what lasts.
Based on the 2023 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Statewide Traditional. Data rounded to whole numbers.
Read the Latest News and Stories from VOA Alaska
Adolescent Residential Center for Help
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
A Parent’s Perspective
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
Community Impact and Innovation
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
Lighting the Way: How VOA Alaska’s Shoebox Project Brings Hope to Youth During the Holidays
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
Adolescent Residential Center for Help
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
A Parent’s Perspective
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
Community Impact and Innovation
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
Lighting the Way: How VOA Alaska’s Shoebox Project Brings Hope to Youth During the Holidays
The annual Shoebox Project at VOA Alaska brings joy, connection, and hope to youth across the state. Simple acts of kindness help brighten the holiday season.
VOA Alaska Celebrates Historic Commissioning of Six New Ministers
VOA Alaska just made history—commissioning six new ministers and becoming the fastest-growing ministry affiliate in the nation. Rooted in a “church without walls” philosophy, this movement is breaking barriers, meeting people where they are, and proving that love in action can transform communities. From recovery journeys to youth activism, each minister brings a story of resilience and hope—signaling that something extraordinary is happening in Alaska.