Our History

The Waukesha County Volunteer Action Center (VAC) was founded in 1975. Its goal has been to encouraging people to become personally involved in making our community a good and welcoming place to live, work, and raise a family. Since its early beginnings, the Volunteer Center has developed ways for people to use their valuable time and talents to help others.

Specializing in volunteerism and volunteer management, the Volunteer Center operates a variety of programs and services to support its mission. It provides a helping hand to more than 80 local nonprofit organizations, schools, and businesses with services that help organizations to run efficiently and provide quality, needed services.

During our 30-year history, the Volunteer Center has grown and matured from a simple clearing house for recruiting and placing volunteers in local nonprofit agencies to an organization totally focused on addressing the needs of a more complex environment. Today, significant focus is placed on engaging youth across Waukesha County to find meaningful volunteer opportunities that will inspire them to continue civic engagement throughout their lives. The Volunteer Center is also a management assistance organization that teaches professionals and community leaders about the basics of running high functioning volunteer programs. The Center offers expert training and consulting services to help organizations tackle tough issues, as well as provide a nonprofit resource library.

Highlights of the Volunteer Center history include:

• 1977   The Board of Directors unanimously voted to apply for sponsorship for a Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) a program of the federal agency ACTION providing older citizens opportunity for involvement in their community through volunteer efforts. In January 1982, RSVP became a separate entity serving senior citizens through many programs. (RSVP merged with Interfaith Caregiving network in 2007 to form Interfaith Senior Programs.)
• 1978  Tthe agency staff provided 600 hours of technical assistance to 20 agencies on volunteer program development; 110 were honored at V AC's Annual Recognition Luncheon for volunteers during National Volunteer Recognition Week, and 891 volunteers were referred to 72 agencies.
• 1980  The VAC moved to a new location at 2220 Silvernail Road in Pewaukee, leasing space from the American Red Cross.
• 1982  ECHO: Employees in Companies Helping Others, was started as a program to assist companies with their volunteer involvement in the community. This program later became the Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC), and merged into the recruitment and referral program in 2000. Supporting company volunteer programs is still a high priority of the center.
• 1984   An Oconomowoc branch of the VAC opened its doors and in 1994 a Menomonee Falls branch opened. Due to the growing use of the volunteer center website both branches closed in 2000.
• Late 1980's The Voluntary Action Center officially changed its name to the Volunteer Center of Waukesha County. Then in the mid 1990's, the Volunteer Center joined the computer age with the purchase of computers; a fax machine; copy machine and voice-mail.
• 2007  The Volunteer Center of Waukesha County merged with the United Way in Waukesha County. Under the merged organization, the Volunteer Center became a division of the United Way in Waukesha County.