BE WHAT’S POSSIBLE!
At Virginia Home for Boys and 
Girls (VHBG), children usually come to us with troubled pasts. But the minute they step on our campus, we want them to feel that they’re welcome, safe and that there’s hope for their future. By providing trauma-informed care, children have a chance to see what’s possible for them to achieve. Sometimes, they come to us with nothing more than a few belongings in a plastic garbage bag. But thanks to generous donations, we’re able to outfit children with everything they need to begin to start over.
This out-fitting effort is supported by volunteers who give their time, talents, and money. It started years ago when Banana Republic/Gap Community Leaders, Deb Worten and Sue Dibert, visited our campus and the “General Store” which was located in the basement of the VHBG Gym. The “General Store” was just a room stashed with unsorted donations of clothes and other goods. Banana Republic/Gap associates saw a need and got to work to create a real “shopping experience” for kids who have nothing. They were able to relocate the “General Store” to an unused house on campus. With their expertise in merchandising, they staged the clothes, accessories, and other comfort items in separate rooms. This helps youth feel the dignity of getting a ‘boutique’ shopping experience rather than having to scavenge through piles of stuff.
We appreciate in-kind donations of comfort items, toiletries, art supplies, and household goods that delight the youth we serve. And, we greatly appreciate all of our volunteers for helping make our campus beautiful and for providing the campus store experience to youth in crisis.
For more information on volunteering, click here.