VA volunteers to VA employees

The Columbia VA Health Care System has approximately 250 volunteers that serve in almost all areas of the facility. Some of those volunteers are now full-time employees.

Yolanda Mincey started as a volunteer in Volunteer Services for approximately three years before becoming an employee.

“Our church requested that we volunteer in the community for 80 hours each year,” she said. “Initially I thought I’d be assisting Veterans with disability paperwork,” she added. “Then I began to work in different areas of the facility.”

Mincey started her full-time career in Community Relations and Engagement and is currently the Voluntary Service Officer, coordinating volunteers.

Stephanie Smith started volunteering during the summer while in high school. “My first summer, I worked in the eye clinic. The following summer, I worked in Employee Health,” she said. “After I graduated high school and started college, I would come home and volunteer time during winter breaks.”

Smith started her VA career in the Business Office as a medical support assistant. “As an MSA, I worked in different areas: Employee Health, Primary Care, scheduling for social work and new patients, Physical Medicine and Rehab,” she said. “While in those areas, I made it a point to really understand why my job as a scheduler was important for each particular department,” she added. Smith is currently an administrative officer for the VA Police at CVAHCS. “Volunteering helped me prepare for what I wanted to do after college; and seven years later, I am here doing it.”

Devonna Hoskins started as a volunteer in the radiology department in 2017 to “honor my father and uncles who were Veterans.” She started working for the VA as a Nursing Assistant in 2023.

“I was not thinking about working at the VA when I originally started volunteering,” she added. “However, after volunteering in different departments, I began considering full-time work. What helped was the realization that the vast majority of the Veterans are glad to be respected and appreciated.”

Joan Clyburn and Priscilla Abraham were also volunteers who became employees. Clyburn is an Administration Assistant for the Business Office. Abraham is a Registered Nurse.

Becoming a Volunteer at any of the VA locations gives them the opportunity to see what is involved in providing for Veterans and their families. Taking care of the Veterans is the primary objective of the health care systems. Becoming a full-time employee is not necessarily the initial goal of the Volunteers, but after spending time with Veterans they determine there is so much more they can contribute to our nation’s heroes as employees.

All of the volunteer-to-employees shared similar thoughts on working for the VA. “I also realized the importance of volunteering,” said Smith. “Not only is it a selfless act, but it also helps you to understand why employees choose to work for the VA. In some ways, volunteering helped me to figure out my passion, which is to help our nation’s veterans.”