In 1952, the population of rural Goochland County was less than 9,000 people.
A small group of local women led by Mary Ross Reed created Goochland Fellowship and Family Services to provide assistance to individuals who were not eligible for state or federal help. A house and property on River Road West were purchased to provide a home base for the Fellowship.
By 1999, the population of Goochland had nearly doubled to just under 17,000 residents. The Fellowship was well known for serving county residents in need. A group of parishioners from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church realized that there were additional needs not being met by the Fellowship: medical care for uninsured residents of the county. They formed the Free Clinic of Goochland, starting in 2000 with one part-time nurse practitioner Sally Graham, and an annual budget of $89,000.
After serving the same clients for many years, the Free Clinic of Goochland and Goochland Fellowship and Family Services merged to form Goochland Free Clinic & Family Services in 2007. Sally Graham became the full-time Executive Director of the merged organization. Realizing the benefits of providing all the nonprofits’ services in one physical space, the Board of Goochland Free Clinic & Family Services launched a $7.1M capital campaign in 2016 to build a 20,000 square foot building to bring all the programs under one roof. The campaign successfully raised $8M and funded the conversion of the previous Family Services building into emergency housing. The new building opened at 2999 River Road West at the beginning of 2018, and the 12-program organization was rebranded to its current name of GoochlandCares.
Today, the population of Goochland is more than 27,000 residents. Each year, GoochlandCares serves nearly 10% of the county’s population with essential human services including medical care, food, clothing, transportation, financial assistance, critical home repair, emergency housing, and sexual and domestic violence support. The same nurse practitioner who worked one evening a week in 2000 now leads a staff of 45 with a $4.3M annual budget. GoochlandCares is supported by nearly 1,000 volunteers every year.
A humble figure who deflects praise to the strong leadership team behind her, Sally Graham has nonetheless been recognized as the dynamic community leader she is. Her accolades include an Allen & Allen Hometown Hero Award in 2015, a 2016 RTD Person of the Year nomination, 2019 Outstanding Woman of the Year honors from the YWCA Richmond, and induction into the Goochland County Parks and Rec Wall of Fame in 2023. During her 25-year tenure at GoochlandCares, Sally has raised three daughters, served her alma mater on the UVA School of Nursing Advisory Board, actively participated in Goochland Rotary, and faithfully attended St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
This fall, Sally will retire and turn over the continuation of her legacy to a new CEO, Andrea Ahonen. Sally’s vision for a one-stop shop providing comprehensive services to address health, housing, safety, and hunger will live on in the work done every day at GoochlandCares. As longtime GoochlandCares colleague Adair Frayser says, “Sally’s vision, passion, and integrity combined with a visionary and entrepreneurial spirit make her a true Goochland County hero.”
Source: River Road Living, August 2024 edition
