A longtime haven of care, St. Joseph’s Villa turns 175

The purpose of St. Joseph's Villa hasn't changed much over its 175 years.

It began as a small orphanage for girls in downtown Richmond, led by three religious women, and has evolved into a center where hundreds of children with special needs receive an education and the therapeutic care they require.

The vision of its founders, the Daughters of Charity, was "to establish a community that would care for, protect and educate children who had no one else to look after them," said St. Joseph's Villa's CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett.

That goal remains as the Henrico County organization celebrates its 175 anniversary this weekend.

Now serving more than 500 individuals a day, the nonprofit, nonsectarian organization continues to make children a priority. And as the needs of the community have changed, so have St. Joseph's programs.

"I think their greatest significance is they have continued to evolve, serving those in the community who have needs that otherwise would not have been met," said George Drumwright, Henrico's deputy county manager for community services. "Just to be around 175 years, and still going in today's economy, speaks well for them."

The campus at Brook and East Parham roads, north of Richmond, is no longer the orphanage and school that was run by nuns until the late 1970s. It now offers a variety of services for at-risk youth or children with learning or developmental disabilities who are suspended or expelled from local schools, and it also provides services to children with disabilities, including mental retardation and autism.

The Villa also provides shelter to homeless children and their families.

"A lot of what we do is try to give the kids the tools and programs they need to succeed in life," said Bruce Cauthen, St. Joseph's vice president of public relations. "And because we are helping children, we are also helping families."

In a resolution last week congratulating St. Joseph's Villa on its 175th anniversary, the Henrico Board of Supervisors noted several firsts in the region: first summer day camp for children with developmental disabilities; first year-round center-based respite and after-school program for developmentally disabled children; first special housing system exclusively designed for adults with physical disabilities; and first comprehensive transitional housing program for homeless women and children.

St. Joseph's estimates that it has helped more than 20,000 people during its 175 years.

The organization has an annual budget of about $13 million. About 62 percent of its revenue comes from fees for service, and it receives reimbursements from area school systems, local government agencies and Medicaid. An additional 18 percent of its revenue comes from the Villa's foundation, and 11 percent comes from private foundation grants and personal donations. Public grants make up the remaining revenue.

David Lydiard who lived at the Villa between 1965 and 1969, said the services he and his younger brother found at St. Joseph's had a positive impact in their lives and their professional success.

"We lived in a beautiful place, and it was safe and it was fun," said Lydiard, who founded the St. Joseph's Villa Alumni Society after graduating from college in 1985. "I feel a bond with the Villa. . . . I think I am probably more sensitive to the needs of the community, to children in particular."

Contact Luz Lazo at (804) 649-6058 or .

Staff writer Katherine Calos contributed to this report.