What's Current
VAC Newsletter

VAC's February/March newsletter (available on our Documents & Publications page) is full of great information about upcoming programs at VAC, as well as community events and volunteer opportunites throughout Columbia. Rainbow House's Sol House is featured as the Agency of the Month.

VAC would also like to thank everyone who participated in our Christmas Program by volunteering or sponsoring a family. We invite you to look at pages 2 and 3 of our newsletter to read about how grateful the families who were sponsored were for the assistance provided by generous people in this community. Their thank you card quotes are very touching, and the statistics for the program this year were amazing (1229 families assisted!)

Posted at 1/22/2009 HERO Awards Nominations

Nominations for the 2009 Columbia Daily Tribune Hero Awards are now being accepted. Join us in recognizing outstanding volunteers in our community by nominating dedicated volunteers whose efforts in 2008 went above and beyond the norm. Volunteers may be nominated in one of three Hero Awards categories: Individual, Group (two or more people), and Youth (under 21 when nominated).

A panel of community leaders will select a winner in each category, and all the nominees will be recognized at a reception on April 23 at the Stoney Creek Inn. Each first-place winner will receive a commemorative award and a $500 grant for his or her not-for-profit organization.

Nomination forms are available at the VAC office or can be downloaded and printed from Tribune's website. All nomination forms must be returned to the Voluntary Action Center by Friday, February 20, 2009. If you have any questions, please call VAC at 874-2273.

Posted at 1/20/2009 Homes for Computers

Voluntary Action Center, the City of Columbia, and the Downtown Optimist Club are pleased to offer the HOMES FOR COMPUTERS program, to provide computers for low-income families with children.

The City of Columbia will donate its surplus used computers and peripheral equipment (monitors, keyboards, mouse pointers, etc.) to eligible Voluntary Action Center clients.

Families can register to receive a computer between January 12 and February 13, 2009 at the VAC office.

Only current VAC clients living in Columbia with children in Columbia Public Schools (grades K-12) are eligible to apply. Interested persons must bring proof of income, address and I.D. for all persons in the family to the VAC office during the registration period to fill out an application with a VAC caseworker.

A drawing will be held to determine which applicants will receive a computer, and winners will be notified during the week of February 16. The computer distribution will be Saturday, February 28 at the Downtown Optimist building. At that time recipients will receive training on Internet Safety for children.

The program will distribute only computers donated by the City of Columbia. VAC is not able to accept other computer donations at this time.

Posted at 1/08/2009 May 2007 June 2007 October 2007 January 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010