Sarada Leavenworth, the division director of Volunteers of America, will be leaving the organization in early January for a new job at Axis Health System.
Leavenworth announced her departure from VOA, which runs both the Durango Community Shelter and the Southwest Safehouse, on Monday. She has served as division director for 6½ years, and was a program director with the organization for three years before that.
“Volunteers of America has a big piece of my heart and always will,” she said. “I am so proud of the services we provide, and the way we always go above and beyond for those we serve.”
Leavenworth will take on the position of senior director of communications, outreach and development for Axis. She has held a seat on the Axis board of directors for the last two years as Axis and VOA worked to better serve populations VOA supports. One of the innovations from that collaboration was having a case officer sit down with clients at both the shelter and safehouse to walk them through the Axis enrollment paperwork and get them immediate physical and behavioral health care when needed.
“I am passionate about the unique and innovative mission of Axis,” Leavenworth said, “and I am happy that my new role will allow me to continue to serve this community in (Southwest Colorado), which I have come to dearly love. I’ll be working on a lot of the same critical issues from a new perspective at Axis.”
Other innovations during Leavenworth’s tenure at VOA included the creation of two programs for female and male veterans, Transitional Housing for homeless veterans and Back Home, a preventive program for veterans at risk of becoming homeless; an advocacy and support system for seniors living at VOA’s Cedar View Apartments to help them remain independent and living in their own homes; and a review and adoption of best practices for working with domestic violence survivors and the homeless, including a more individualized approach.
“We’ve been working on how we actually end homelessness and find the next safe option for domestic violence survivors,” Leavenworth said. “I didn’t do any of this on my own, of course, but with a great team.”
Leavenworth will step down Jan. 7, and she will begin her new job Jan. 11.
abutler@durangoherald.com
Seeking a new director
The Volunteers of America is actively seeking a new division director for Southwest Colorado. The job posting is available at http://voacolorado.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2dazfzol3rv. It will remain open until filled. The hiring decision will be made by the CEO and vice president of VOA Colorado with input from the Southwest Colorado VOA Advisory Council and outgoing division director Sarada Leavenworth.
