When Clarence lost his home, he lost his self-esteem with it. He felt so ashamed of having nowhere to stay that he cut ties with his family for eight years. "I didn't want my children to know I was homeless all that time," said Clarence. "I didn't want them to see me the way I was. When you get to be my age, you don't like asking people for things." ...Read More
Every year the Villa's culinary services provide 115,000 meals to students at no cost to their families. But when they're out of school, many don't know how or when they'll eat next. Other families are just one car breakdown, illness, or paycheck away from financial crisis. The Villa Grocery is our newest on-campus resource to make sure no child or family goes hungry. In partnership with FeedMore and operated by ...Read More
Did you know more than 2 million children in the U.S. do not have the glasses they need to see the board, read a book, or participate in class? Vision To Learn partners with schools and organizations like the Villa to make sure students in low-income communities are able to reach their full potential by having access to proper eye care. Vision To Learn's mobile clinic visited the Villa from ...Read More
Loads of Love is the newest program of the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation that helps eliminate a simple but critical barrier to student success. The program installs laundry facilities in schools and nonprofit organizations so that children experiencing homelessness or unstable living situations can access clean clothes at no cost to their families. The goal is to increase students' confidence and self-esteem, and improve school attendance and participation. We're grateful ...Read More
Research shows that making music can create changes in the human brain, especially strengthening connections between the auditory and motor regions. In addition to the potential benefits music can provide a child with autism in speech and academic learning, Villa volunteer Lydia Heitman shows it’s just plain fun! For three summers, Lydia has brought joy to our Sarah Dooley Center for Autism students through music while helping them achieve individual ...Read More
Our 82-acre campus is one of our most effective resources for therapy, education, and recreation. With the support of our community partners and individual philanthropy, we continually adapt the campus to maximize its physical and mental health benefits to our children and families. Recently we opened our newest addition: the Youth Fitness Park! The Youth Fitness park offers kids more ways to get out and be active at the Villa. ...Read More
Interior designer Carol Pipes volunteered her time and expertise to plan a warm and welcoming space for youth in mental health crisis and their families. Thanks also to our hardworking Facilities team and volunteers from Altria, our Crisis Stabilization Unit is getting a new coat of paint and new handmade wall decorations. Stay tuned for a look at the finished building! Our Crisis Stabilization Unit operates 24 hours a day, ...Read More
We’re currently seeking Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHP-C/A) for our In-Home Services! QMHP Qualification: Must have a 4 year degree in Human Services Must have a 1+ year of experience working with children and/or adults with mental health diagnosis and behavioral challenges. If you or someone you know is interested please stop by Tuesday, May 15th, 9:00am-2:00pm for an on-site interview! Please make sure to bring a copy of your resume, and ...Read More
As part of a military family, twelve-year-old James has lived in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Ohio, West Virginia and now Virginia. He also has autism, and is nonverbal with sensory processing disorder. Moving around the country, public schools have been a major challenge for James. Even in autism classrooms, inconsistent staffing made for a difficult learning environment on top of living in a new place. His parents felt like he ...Read More
Few things test the strength of a relationship like the possibility of becoming homeless. Young couple Aaron and Brianna faced such a test when they moved into his mother's apartment to avoid living on the street. But the situation was dire. Aaron's mother was in and out of the hospital with health issues, and the apartment was virtually uninhabitable with mold and caved-in ceilings. Eventually they were evicted with nowhere ...Read More
