Our Mission
To help low-income individuals and families bridge the gaps between crisis and stability and improve quality of life in Boone County.
Our Vision
VAC will be valued as the essential agency providing connections and resources for health, employment, education, and housing for low-income residents of Boone County. VAC will be regarded as the agency providing the most value for clients, volunteers, and donors.
Our History
Volunteers who identified the need for a central volunteer coordination agency and an information bureau founded Voluntary Action Center in Columbia, Missouri, in 1969. As the agency grew, emphasis shifted from volunteer-related services to information, referral, and advocacy. The agency continued to identify gaps in service and as a result, began providing emergency assistance in areas of basic need such as food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and prescriptions. Today, VAC is an established social service agency, essential to clients, agencies and the community as a whole.
1969 The Volunteer and Information Center (VIC) was formed by Hazel Riback, Gertrude Marshall and Helen Mitchell, who saw the need in our community for a central volunteer coordination agency and an information bureau. The agency was run by a dedicated group of volunteers for the first several years, with office hours in the morning only.
1971 This was a year of big changes. VIC became incorporated as a nonprofit agency, a paid director was hired and United Way funding was obtained for the first time.
1973 During this year the agency affiliated with the National Center for Voluntary Action, the name was changed to Voluntary Action Center (VAC).
2011 VAC’s long term Executive Director Cindy Mustard retired and Nick Foster was hired as the new Executive Director.
2019 VAC celebrated 50 Years of Service in Boone County.
