Voluntary Action Center began in 1969 when three determined community members, Hazel Riback, Gertrude Marshall, and Helen Mitchell, noticed a gap. Local volunteers were eager to serve, yet there was no central place to connect people to the needs in our community. So, they created the Volunteer and Information Center, operating out of a small office with morning-only hours and a whole lot of heart.
By 1971, the demand for services was growing. The organization incorporated as a nonprofit, hired its first director, and received its first United Way funding. Two years later, we joined the National Center for Voluntary Action and officially became Voluntary Action Center (VAC).
As the needs of our neighbors continued to evolve, so did VAC. What began primarily as volunteer coordination expanded into providing information, referrals, and direct advocacy. Over time, we identified critical service gaps, especially around urgent, everyday needs, and began offering emergency assistance with essentials like housing support, utilities, transportation, clothing, and prescription help.
In 2011, after decades of steady leadership from Cindy Mustard, Nick Foster became VAC’s Executive Director and continued guiding the organization’s growth and partnerships. In 2019, VAC proudly celebrated 50 years of service in Boone County.
Still Evolving. Still Responding. Still Here.
The needs of our community are changing rapidly, and we refuse to stand still. Under the leadership of Ed Stansberry, VAC’s third Executive Director in more than 50 years, we are entering a new era of impact.
VAC is leading one of the most significant expansions of support in Boone County in over two decades:
the Opportunity Campus.
This bold, collaborative project will add 150 shelter beds, increasing access to safe, dignified shelter in our community for the first time in 20 years. The campus will also bring together programs and resources that help individuals and families stabilize, rebuild, and thrive.
We’re not just building beds. We’re building possibility, dignity, and a stronger future for our neighbors.
For more than half a century, VAC has been a constant, connecting people to help, and connecting helpers to impact. And as long as Boone County has needs, we’ll keep showing up. No one should face hardship alone.
