Embrace.
Empower.
Motivate.
“Embrace them where they are, Empower them to move forward, Motivate them to succeed” — the mission that has guided A Vision of Change for over 30 years.
“She decided her children were not going to become part of the generational curse — but instead began to change the outcome of children’s futures.“
Born from Personal Experience
A Vision of Change Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 by Ms. Delores Collins — a mother whose own family experienced the trauma of a parent’s incarceration. She watched her four children deal with fear, confusion, anxiety and depression when their father went to prison in 1992.
Driven by the staggering statistics — children of incarcerated parents are 6 times more likely to become incarcerated themselves — Ms. Collins channeled that pain into purpose. For over 30 years, AVOC has provided academic empowerment, intervention and prevention services across Ohio.
Today, AVOC is in the business of changing and shaping lives — working with a network of grassroots organizations, cultivating relationships with residents, and providing access to healthcare to improve social disparities in Greater Cleveland’s most underserved communities.
Programs That Transform
A holistic approach to improving the health, well-being and futures of community residents — from youth empowerment to community health hubs.
Academic Empowerment
Educational intervention and prevention services helping youth — particularly children of incarcerated parents — stay on track, overcome trauma, and build a path to a different future.
Community Health Hubs
AVOC’s flagship Public Health Model builds Community Health Hubs — deploying Community Health Workers and student medical professionals as “boots on the ground” to reduce health disparities at the neighborhood level.
Community Health Workers
CHWs come from the communities they serve — culturally and linguistically prepared to raise health awareness, connect residents to care, and act as catalysts between community and healthcare systems.
Clinical Research Engagement
Partnering with Case Western Reserve University to research how Community Health Workers in community settings can increase participation in clinical trials among Black community members.
Community Villages to Wellness
Aligned with Northeast Ohio’s healthy eating, active living, and chronic disease self-management strategies — bringing holistic wellness resources directly into the neighborhoods that need them most.
Community News & Resources
Since 2012, AVOC has provided breaking news coverage, federal benefits information, pensions guidance and community interest stories — keeping residents informed and connected.
Breaking Cycles.
Building Futures.
AVOC’s core vision is to assist in breaking the intergenerational cycles that trap families and communities in poverty, poor health and despair. These are not isolated problems — they are interconnected cycles that require a holistic, community-driven response.
Through education, healthcare access, community health workers and grassroots partnerships, AVOC addresses each cycle at its root — so that families in Glenville, Central Cleveland and across Greater Ohio can write a different story.
- ✗Illiteracy→ Education
- ✗Poor Health→ Health Hubs
- ✗Teen Dropout→ Intervention
- ✗Youth Imprisonment→ Prevention
- ✗Poverty→ Empowerment
The CHW Model
Community Health Workers as the connector between residents and care
Community-Embedded
CHWs come from the communities they serve — trusted voices who understand lived experience, culture and language.
Hands-On Health Promotion
Trained to take on and deliver public health projects — from chronic disease management to maternal health and nutrition.
Clinic-to-Community Connector
Linking healthcare systems, third-sector organizations and community members to break down barriers to care.
Student-Powered
CSU Community Health Workers and student nurses serve alongside community members as “boots on the ground.”
Stronger Together
AVOC works with a network of institutions, universities and health systems to amplify its reach and deepen its community impact.
Help Us
Change Lives.
Every contribution — whether time, partnership or donation — helps AVOC break another cycle, reach another family, and shape another child’s future in Cleveland and across Ohio.