History of Volunteerism and Past Projects
Ballington Booth, son of William Booth and founder of the Salvation Army, married Maud Charlesworth. Soon after their marriage, they left England for the United States charged to bring the Word of God to the impoverished of New York City. Evangelism and service were at the heart of this young couples mission; and when they were suddenly asked to return home, there was such an outcry by the American public, they chose to stay, breaking away from the Salvation Army and forming a new group, Gods Volunteers.
The word volunteer had a much different meaning during the late 1800s. It stemmed from the military term of protecting and serving. A volunteer was someone whose vocation was one of service. The name eventually changed to Volunteers of America, reflective of a nondenominational Christian church which provides hundreds of human service programs to more than 2 million people each year, but outside the confinements of the traditional church building.
See the links below for examples of past volunteer projects at Volunteers of America Northern New England.