About Us

Vision

Our vision is to be the catalyst for transforming the lives of people, particularly children and youth, by helping them move from dependency toward self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

Mission

Our mission is to create pathways to success through direct delivery of high quality programs for individuals and families in need in the Richmond area, and to be an intermediary organization, engaging partners in a coordinated effort to help our clients get the information, referrals and resources they need to move toward self-sufficiency.

William Byrd Community House (WBCH) works with the entire community to create pathways to success for individuals and families. We approach our work by looking at the assets that people possess and build on that capital to address needs. This philosophy changes the way we view those who come through our doors, call us, write us, email us and see us outside of William Byrd. WBCH has a vision to transform the lives of people. We start by creating an environment of positivity, hope and safety by providing a strong message that every person has gifts and talents and these things are assets to us all.

WBCH works in the community with other partner organizations to coordinate services, form partnerships, and to move our community beyond what we see on the front page of the papers and into a vision of transformation.

A Brief History

William Byrd Community House traces its history to 1900, when a group of nurses established the Nursing Settlement House, the first of its kind in Richmond. Joined by social workers, they addressed the health and social needs of the unique, low-income community of Oregon Hill. In 1923, William Byrd Community House (WBCH) was officially established by this group with the goal of building strong neighborhoods and families. In the 1970’s, WBCH expanded its service area to include additional inner-city neighborhoods that more closely reflected the city’s racial composition. In the 1990’s, WBCH more than doubled the number of constituents served.

Today, WBCH programs and services continue this tradition and impact over 1,100 individuals each month. Our approach is simple; identify the talents and skills of every person who comes to WBCH for help and build upon them. We invite you to visit our historic facility and learn more.

Board of Governors

President: Margaret Friedenberg, Virginia Department of Social Services (Ret.)
Co-Vice President: LaMonte Thomas, CIGNA Healthcare
Co-Vice President: William Tyson, BB&T Capital Markets
Secretary: Randal M. Reaves, Tredegar Corporation
Treasurer: Carrie Gamble Wood, Media General

Immediate Past President: John V. Moeser, University of Richmond

Rudene Bascomb, Hunton and Williams
G. Allen Broaddus, First Market Bank
Christopher Cleveland, Afton Chemical
Tanner A. Collins, Jr., Richmond Economic Development Corporation
Rosemary L. Farmer, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work
Renate Forssmann-Falck, Physician
Nicholas A. Gesualdi, The Martin Agency
Katharine Hornung, Performance Solutions
Sarah Huddle, ProAct Public Relations
Leslie Lytle, Om Mamma, LLC
James Mackey, III, Community Volunteer
John O’Briant, II, Owens & Minor
Jose’ Porrata, Capital One
David Rieckmann, Dominion
Jennifer Rowe, Universal Leaf
Elise Switz, Lee Switz & Associates
Thomas Topinka, Genworth Financial
Susan Urofsky, Virginia Department Rehabilitative Services (Ret.)
Jane Weirich, Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

Executive Director: L. Robert Bolling

Upcoming Events

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