NEWS

Historic School Building Repurposed to Serve as National Model for Autism Education and Teacher Training RICHMOND, Va. – Inspired to make a difference by rising autism rates and the demonstrated long-term impact of expert educational intervention, St. Joseph’s Villa unveiled its new Sarah Dooley Center for Autism (SDCA) on Sept. 2, 2021. The school will […]

While responding to COVID-19, the community of Crater Region/Petersburg, Virginia came together to reach functional end veteran homelessness — now it is working to sustain it. When the pandemic hit the Crater Region of Virginia, the community was faced with even more barriers to ending homelessness and keeping communities safe. Luckily, the community was able […]

St. Joseph’s Villa would like to give a huge THANK YOU to Meaningful Meals for generously treating all 245 Villa staff to lunch on Wednesday, May 12th – their largest donation of lunches to frontline workers yet! Meaningful Meals began in March 2020, when longtime educators Janet Meyers and Claudia Biegler decided to lift up […]

Isabel’s son Xavier was thrilled to return to his friends and teachers at the Sarah Dooley Center for Autism earlier this year. “When he saw them, the smile he had on his face. He remembered everybody at the school. He was where he was supposed to be.” Throughout the pandemic, staff from all programs have […]

For people experiencing homelessness, getting to a COVID-19 vaccine clinic can prove difficult, especially without internet and transportation. When you consider that most local vaccine sites require a form of photo identification in order to receive a vaccination, it can be nearly impossible for many of our clients. As lead agency of the Crater Area […]

URGENTLY HIRING CLINICIANS Crisis Stabilization Unit Are you… Ready to test your skills in an intense dynamic setting? Licensed to practice in Virginia? Not so sure you have the skills? We have several very seasoned clinicians to help mentor you in taking on any challenge. Not licensed yet but registered with one of the Virginia […]

When Governor Northam ordered the physical closing of every school in the Commonwealth due to COVID-19 on March 13th, 2020, the Villa’s Sarah Dooley Center for Autism (SDCA) rebooted as a virtual private day school the following Monday. All of our resources pivoted to providing the best online learning experience we could. We knew that […]

History has been made at the Villa! We are so grateful for the generous support of our community, and proud to announce that the Villa’s five-year RiseUP Campaign raised over $30.6 million – exceeding our $25 million goal! We thank our donors, volunteers and partners from the bottom of our hearts for helping to create […]

Introducing a new way to lend a helping hand to Villa children and families! Your donation of urgently needed items on our Amazon Wishlist can be shipped directly to us, and will provide immediate assistance for our clients experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and other challenges amplified by the pandemic. Make an impact with an in-kind […]

The pandemic has magnified the challenges families face when experiencing housing instability, from food insecurity to accessing community resources. In a commentary published by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Villa CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett addresses the need for a more holistic approach to end poverty: “For most of us, 2020 was a tough year. For those who are […]