SPRING 2022
The Newsletter of St. Joseph’s Villa
GROWING MINDS AND MEMORIES
New greenhouses quadruple sheltered learning space in the Villa Garden
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Faithful supporters Mark and Patty Smith with Midas of Richmond join students and staff for the ribbon cutting.
he possibilities that come with each spring are always met with excitement at the Villa. They bring a new season of growth in the Villa Garden, meaning fresh opportunities for students to immerse in the colors, textures, smells, and wildlife that reawaken. This year, we had even more reasons to celebrate the return of spring with the installation of two beautiful greenhouses, made possible through a generous gift by Mark and Patty Smith, and Midas of Richmond. This transformational addition will give students four times the sheltered space to discover and experience the cycles of nature as they grow their own food from seed to plate.
“Our students love the garden because it’s an oasis from the classroom when a break is needed. While students explore the garden and tend to our plants, they strive to learn more and connect with nature,” said Matthew Kreydatus, Director of the Villa’s Career and Transition Services (CATS). The greenhouses provide a comfortable space for growing
fruits and vegetables, but much more than that, they’re a training center for life skills that will prepare students for success and greater independence after school.
CATS director Matthew Kreydatus presents thank-you gifts created by Villa students, including a 3D-printed model of the greenhouses. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Growing Minds and Memories (con’t) The process of planting and caring for seeds encourages students to practice patience, communication, responsibility, and reflection. When it’s time to harvest their bounty, students will enjoy the rewards of their hard work while gaining confidence in their abilities. “Mark and Patty Smith have made this garden and the magic that happens here possible in so many ways. Each year more than 250 students and staff members get to work in the garden, so it’s home to a lot of us,” said Jenny Friar, Chief Advancement Officer. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, students from our Dooley School, Dooley Center for Alternative Education, and Sarah Dooley Center
To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
for Autism came together for the grand opening of their new greenhouses. The greenhouses will continue serving as a vibrant gathering place in years to come, where students can engage each other and unleash their creativity. This fall, we’ll celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Villa Garden. Over the last decade, it has expanded and evolved as a dynamic shared resource for education, therapy, and healing thanks to our community partners. This next phase in the life of our garden will offer exciting new opportunities for cross-curricular learning, building job readiness skills, and hands-on activities that contribute to physical and mental health. We can’t wait to see what our students grow!
We’re thrilled to welcome volunteer groups back to our campus, and Allianz Partners was our first! Allianz has been a longtime supporter of the Villa, and this spring, their volunteers spent two days mulching, transplanting, building trellises, and renovating our spiral garden. The Allianz Partners Societal Impact Program also awarded a generous grant to support the Villa Garden and nutrition programming. We thank Allianz Partners for their continued partnership, and especially for making the garden such a bright spot on our campus this year!
- Audrey Hepburn
The new greenhouses are fully accessible with wheelchair-friendly workbenches.
Alongside Flagler services, Norma finds her way home For the first time at 56 years old, Norma signed a lease and had her very own place to call home. To her, putting pen to paper was the culmination of a trying journey to regain independence and live the life she had always dreamed for herself. Kristin Dibler, Norma’s Prevention and Diversion Case Manager with the Villa, was by her side to celebrate her triumph. The road to housing was long and full of obstacles for Norma. She and her two children had mostly lived in hotels, or in temporary shared living arrangements, as she did all she could to make ends meet. Over the years, housing instability eventually turned into crisis. Norma struggled with depression and substance use, creating distance between her and her family – including her now full-grown children. At a time when she had no supports, the economic impacts of COVID-19 forced the restaurant where she worked as a prep cook to close. Norma was no longer able to afford her hotel room, and found herself at risk of becoming homeless. When Norma contacted Flagler Housing & Homeless Services at St. Joseph’s Villa, Kristin quickly got to work and used every available resource to help her maintain housing, including temporary emergency shelter assistance. She also encouraged Norma to prioritize her mental health and self-care, and helped create a personalized list of goals that would lead her toward housing stability. As Norma grew to trust Kristin, she shared that she was having a hard time finding the energy to search for employment because of how much she loved her last job. “I reassured her that she could tell me about her challenges,” said Kristin. “You’re not going to get discharged if you don’t succeed with something. This is a partnership, and we’ll figure out how to work through your challenges together.”
Kristin suggested to Norma that she have a conversation with her former supervisor about her situation, and ask if she could be hired back when the restaurant reopened. She was put at the top of their hiring list, and rejoiced when the day finally came. Meanwhile, Kristin found Norma an affordable apartment and secured verification of her employment so that her application would be approved before she received her first paystub. Kristin says she’ll never forget how happy Norma was to meet with the property manager on the day she signed her lease. “There was so much energy in that office. She introduced herself to everybody, she was excited… she just couldn’t believe that it was happening.”
Norma has earned a promotion since obtaining her apartment, and is proud to still be clean. She also rediscovered her passion for volunteering with a nonprofit close to her heart,Veterans of Foreign Wars, in honor of her father who served in the military for 23 years. With newfound self-esteem and self-confidence, Norma is determined to do everything she can to take care of herself and make the most of her promising future. More than 4,000 households facing a housing crisis have been assisted by Flagler Housing & Homeless Services. Through additional services like employment and budget training, staff provide support for individuals and families to maintain their homes and realize their dreams – just like Norma.
Kristin works with individuals and families to address the factors that led to housing instability.
You can lend a hand to individuals like Norma through our Amazon Wishlist! Your donation of urgently needed items helps youth, families, seniors and veterans transition from homelessness to a safe, permanent place to call home. Find out more at NeverStopBelieving.org/donate-goods.
Navigating the Pandemic for Children with Autism Commentary by CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett More than two years ago when COVID-19 was declared a national emergency, the prevailing assumption was that U.S. schools would be closed for a week or two before reopening and returning to “normal.” Given that the primary challenges for students with autism in COVID were lack of structure, social interactions, and instruction delivery, our goal at St. Joseph’s Villa’s Sarah Dooley Center for Autism (SDCA) was to get our students back into the classroom as soon as safely possible while providing parents with stabilizing resources. The day after the World Health Organization announced COVID-19 as a global pandemic, our teachers and staff immediately created customized packets for each student to work toward their individualized education plans, and mailed the materials to their homes. We built a library of YouTube videos and used TeachTown software, which helps gamify education for children with special needs. Students continued receiving custom packets each week. While support at home was helpful, students grappled with new schedules and new learning environments. When 13-year-old Katherine Evans stays home from school for an extended period, she thinks of it as “vacation time,” making it impossible for her to focus on virtual instruction.To alleviate this stress, she accompanied her parents to the grocery store and other outings on a regular basis while school was closed. Her mother LaDonna Evans said, “The communitybased outings at Sarah Dooley really set Katherine up for success. Because she was used to going to Wal-Mart and other places with classmates, those social skills are what got us through the lockdowns.” Realizing the need to provide a lifeline to parents and to keep students engaged, SDCA reopened in September 2020 – well ahead of many public schools across the country. About two-thirds of students returned to school on day 1 of reopening.
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sure that everyone who came in contact with a positive case knew about it before coming to school the next day. Vaccines Arrived In January and February of 2021 when COVID-19 vaccines were authorized for emergency use, we were fortunate that VDH prioritized our teachers and staff as essential workers.
Katherine enjoys engaging with her classmates and teachers at school. Exceeding CDC Guidelines A COVID-19 task force at St. Joseph’s Villa consisting of administrators and a clinical team developed protocols based on Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines to keep students and teachers safe. During the summer of 2020, as we prepared for students to come back to school, we created videos about how to put your mask on and stay apart from others. But most children didn’t understand, and about 30-60% were not wearing masks at any given time. Maintaining social distance is also not practical with these students – some of whom need help with eating and personal hygiene. We quickly determined that if all adults were strictly masked, and we conducted rigorous contact tracing, we could be successful. Pre-pandemic, we had 12 classrooms with seven or eight students in each. To socially distance the students, we split them into 24 classrooms with just four to six kids per class. It stretched our resources thin, but we were committed to making it work. Sometimes, we were up until 1 a.m., making
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Meanwhile, we also were also readying our newly renovated Sarah Dooley Center for Autism building to open in September 2021. If there is a silver lining to this pandemic, it’s that we realized the importance of virtual learning and training, and made sure to fully equip the space with the latest in broadcast technology. The Center will serve as a model for autism-specific classrooms, designed to be replicable in public school systems with existing resources. All SDCA students are placed with us by their public school systems. Since 2015, 17 have successfully transitioned back to their zoned public schools. The Virginia Department of Education reports that the number of students with autism has increased by approximately 106% over the past decade, totaling more than 24,000 today. What we learned from COVID-19 is that the need for structure is so great and so critical. As we make our way back to our new normal, we are pleased that our Center is again open to the public. To find out more about who we serve and what makes SDCA such a unique partner to public schools, schedule a tour of our campus at www.NeverStopBelieving.org. Kathleen Burke Barrett has been CEO of St. Joseph’s Villa since 2006. Her column was also published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Sunday, March 27.
Emily finds a safe space to ask for help at the Crisis Stabilization Unit The CSU serves youth in crisis, and their families, in partnership with Richmond Behavioral Health Authority Region IV.
What makes the Crisis Stabilization Unit at St. Joseph’s Villa different from a psychiatric hospital? For Emily and her mom, Heather, access to a nurturing, less clinical setting for mental health services brought healing to the entire family. “Emily walked away with coping skills, and found out that she wasn’t alone in her challenges,” said Heather. “She gained a renewed sense of pride in allowing herself to get help.” Emily experienced severe depressive episodes throughout high school, and voiced intentions of harming herself when it became too much. She transitioned from the ER to a mental health clinic, until she was ready for treatment from a place with more flexibility. Her clinician recommended the CSU. At the CSU, Emily received the intensive therapy she needed in a small group setting. Heather said the opportunity for her to make friends and talk through her emotions among peers eased her feelings of isolation. “She tends to be a closed off person, but the environment at the CSU helped her feel like she could open up. I was surprised that
she participated in group therapy, but the staff made her feel comfortable enough to do that.” Heather already knew how hopeless it can feel to have a child in crisis. Her son had also been hospitalized for mental illness before entering a long-term residential behavioral health program. She said he became resistant to getting help for fear of being “locked up” and having his freedom taken away. In the end, those programs did not help her son. “The CSU was a great alternative. I didn’t know it was an option before,” said Heather. “It wasn’t just a quick fix. The staff really took their time to get at the root of the crisis, and gave Emily the coping skills to move forward.” Now, Emily is doing well and has taken up journaling to express herself. She has not returned to the hospital since coming to the CSU. Heather also feels better prepared to support Emily at home, with resources to prevent crises in the future. To her, one of the most important outcomes of all is that her daughter no longer feels stigma in asking for help.
Collaborating to create a brighter future for Larry You’ve heard the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” When it comes to lifting up an individual who comes into our care, we like to say, “It takes a Villa.” Our integrated approach to addressing critical needs is holistic, solution-focused, and team-oriented. Meet Larry, who at 53 years old experienced homelessness until the Villa’s Flagler Housing & Homeless Services placed him in a hotel and referred him to Community Based Services. With a roof over his head, Larry could more easily receive counseling from a Villa mental health professional in accessing community resources and strengthening natural supports. At the same time, his Flagler case manager continued assisting with his housing search. Once Larry’s situation stabilized, Villa staff coordinated with the District 19 Community Services Board to provide him with substance use disorder services. He now meets with a psychiatrist who manages his medication for depression and anxiety. Larry takes more steps toward independence each day, as he recently secured a job at a local hotel and is now on the path to Permanent Supportive Housing. And while Larry experienced a few bumps in the road to recovery, he stayed determined to overcome them – all with the support of his Villa. Larry prepared for his job interview with help from his Villa mental health counselor, Jerry Richards.
DID YOU KNOW? Our Crisis Stabilization Unit remained open during the pandemic, serving198 youth and their families last year.
Turning experience into hope: Taylor takes action Taylor, 20 years old with severe epilepsy, found herself living under a bridge in Hopewell after her stepfather no longer wanted her at home. She remained homeless for nearly four months until she was found by local youth outreach programs. Nathan Ramos, the Villa’s Youth Outreach Specialist, connected with Taylor to meet her immediate medical and housing needs. With Nathan’s help, Taylor was able to receive essentials like grocery gift cards and hygiene supplies, and secured an Emergency Housing Voucher and SSI benefits as her case manager, Lovell Fields, assisted with rapid rehousing. Today, Taylor has a permanent place to call home and has comfortably settled in thanks to support from the CARITAS Furniture Bank. Eager to give back and help others, Taylor hopes to join the Youth Action Board (YAB) of the Crater Area Coalition on Homelessness. The YAB provides input on the unique needs of young adults, and will be instrumental in selecting programs to be supported by the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project – a $1.5 million grant recently awarded to the region by HUD.
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Meet Our Growing Team
Eric Grollman, Diversity Manager
Erica Holmes, Senior Director, Flagler Housing & Homeless Services
Dr. Eric Anthony Grollman is the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager at St. Joseph’s Villa. Eric joins the Villa after a decade as a sociology professor at the University of Richmond, where they taught classes on inequality, gender, sexuality, race, health, and research methods. They are deeply committed to transforming institutions to become vehicles for equity and social change, with particular attention to the success and well-being of BIPOC and LGBTQ people, women, people with low income, and people with disabilities.
Erica comes into this position with 21 years’ experience in the housing and homeless services field, and previously served as Flagler’s Director of Program Operations. She has served on several boards including the Southside Transformation Opportunities for Residents and Youth (STORY),Virginia Association of Housing Counselors (VAHC), and Crater Area Coalition on Homelessness (CACH). Her leadership was instrumental in a successful community-wide effort by CACH to functionally end veteran homelessness. Erica is currently enrolled in Leadership Metro Richmond’s 2022 Leadership Quest Class.
Jeremy Jones, Program Director, Crisis Stabilization Unit
Elizabeth Mason, Director of Development
Jeremy joins the Villa with 18 years’ experience of residential program management, providing crisis services, case management, community engagement and outreach, and non-profit leadership. Most recently, he was the Senior Program Manager for Catholic Charities in Washington, DC. Jeremy earned his BS in Criminology and Master of Public Policy Administration degrees from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. He is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at Virginia Union University.
Elizabeth has been promoted to Director of Development after 6 years at the Villa. She previously served as the Director of Annual Giving and Development Operations. A native of Richmond, Elizabeth is passionate about serving the needs of our neighbors, and has been involved with other local organizations including St. Andrew’s School, the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls, Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools (FOCUS), and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Elizabeth earned a B.A. in history from Sewanee: The University of the South and loves spending her free time with her dog, Teddy.
Thanks to Lewis Insurance Associates for sponsoring this newsletter.
Philanthropy Across Generations From one generation to the next, philanthropy and service to the Villa have long been a part of the Bennett family. Dr. Lillie Bennett and her son, Dr. Richard Bennett, are more than doctors. They are healers. “She is my hero,” he says of Dr. Lillie, and inspired by his hero, he followed in his mother’s footsteps and became a community doctor as well. Like medicine, St. Joseph’s Villa is a legacy that Dr. Lillie has passed down to Dr. Richard. She recalls being introduced to the Villa’s Flagler program in the 1990’s and served on the Board for fourteen years. “I fell in love with it,” says Dr. Lillie, and when Richard became a community doctor, “I thought he might want to become involved as well.” They appreciated the Villa’s service to those on society’s margins, but what they truly admired was the Villa’s dedication to seeing and serving the whole person. Doctors know it’s essential to meet immediate needs, but healing calls for a more holistic approach. Dr. Lillie says, “The Villa keeps people out of harm, but it’s more than just a safe haven. It equips them to provide for themselves.” Dr. Richard served on the Villa’s Board from 2011-2019, and one of the profound things he learned, which inspires his personal philanthropy to the Villa, is just how much this holistic approach means. “If we’re impacting lives, that’s great, but it’s not about us,” says Dr. Richard. “We all live on borrowed time and resources, so the choice is how to use them now, and for the future.” Dr. Richard concludes, “I’ve included the Villa in my estate plans to honor the values that my mother instilled in me, and to ensure that the Villa’s future is bright for generations to come. I hope other families have similar plans to continue their legacies as well.”
Pamela Ann Weed 1952-1994
Ardent activist for the disabled population in Richmond
From a young age, Pam Weed struggled with muscular dystrophy, but never let it overtake her. When she was forced to use a wheelchair, she began serving on committees throughout Richmond dealing with transportation for people with disabilities, Medicaid funding, and live-in care.
She did so much to help me integrate into the University of Richmond drama department. She was a powerhouse. We ran the lights for Wizard of Oz together. I was very shy and she dragged me around to everything.
- Cheryl, UR alumna
Pam worked closely with the General Assembly, the Department of Rehabilitative Services, the Virginia Advisory Committee of Disabled Individuals, and the advisory committee to the Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities. In 1985, Governor Charles S. Robb appointed her to the Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council.
To learn how you can start building your legacy at the Villa, please visit sjvarchwaysociety.org or contact:
In the late 1980’s Pam moved to Hollybrook Apartments at St. Joseph’s Villa, seeking greater independence until the end of her life. We are proud to honor Pam’s achievements, and for her work to lift up the lives of others.
P.J. Shaver, CFRE Major Gifts Officer pshaver@sjvmail.net | 804.553.3220
8000 Brook Road • Richmond, VA 23227 804.553.3200 • NeverStopBelieving.org The Newsletter of St. Joseph’s Villa
Inside:
NAVIGATING COVID FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM
We never stop believing in children and their families.
CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett shares how our Autism Center reopened amid pandemic
NORMALIZING STRUGGLES WITH MENTAL ILLNESS Emily learns it’s OK to ask for help
FINDING A WAY HOME A personalized approach helps Norma sign her first lease at 56 years old
St. Joseph’s Villa Board of Trustees Richard P. Wintsch, Chair Kathleen C. Duke, Chair-Elect Kathleen Burke Barrett, Executive Vice President Thomas S. Zachry, Secretary Suzanne K. Hinton, Treasurer Donald Alexander Cynthia P. Balderson Byron D. Berry Brantley D. Hathaway Christopher M. Layne Mark D. Nichols Darren J.Nolt Linda M. Warren Katina Williams
Join our Villa Family! Are you looking for a career where you’ll make a difference each and every day? At St. Joseph’s Villa, we change the lives of more than 3,000 children and families each year through an array of integrated support services. Our staff bring expertise from many fields to meet each person’s unique needs and build upon their strengths. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and collaborative workplace. Small staff sizes within our individual programs allow for added flexibility in a friendly and client-focused environment. Our team loves being a part of the magic at St. Joseph’s Villa, and we think you will too!
To view and apply to current job openings, visit our website: www.NeverStopBelieving.org
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