Collaboration at Work: Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services
Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services (GFCFS) provides medical and social services to families in the Goochland community, including dental services, GED preparation courses, a community thrift store, and more. GFCFS depends on support and collaboration from their many partners in order to efficiently and effectively address the needs of the Goochland community.
Executive Director Sally Graham pictured with the Page Auto Team who donated the new GFCFS cargo van for transporting medical equipment, picking up food donations, collecting donations for the Clothes Clothes, & more!
One great example of how GFCFS collaborates to have a greater impact on the community is through their food pantry. The food pantry, which is open seven days a week and relies on a volunteer-base of over 125 people, serves up to 150 households per week. Last year alone, the food pantry distributed over 200,000 pounds of food to individuals in the Goochland community!
In 2015, 822 individuals, including 343 children, found clothing at the Clothes Closet!
To achieve these successes, the GFCFS food pantry relies on strong collaboration with their many community partners. In addition to partnering with FeedMore and local grocers to ensure that the pantry is reliably stocked each week, the food pantry has also fostered some additional community partnerships with Capital One and Goochland Public Schools to supplement the food pantry’s inventory in some creative and collaborative ways. Capital One donates leftovers from the food services provided at their Goochland campus to the GFCFS food pantry each week, while Goochland Public Schools have set up designated donation areas in their school cafeterias where kids can choose to donate their unopened, unconsumed food items.
Innovative collaborations like these allow community organizations like GFCFS to stretch their resources further and better serve their community.
The above post was originally featured by the Capital Region Collaborative – a collaborative effort between government, business, and the community to identify and implement regional priorities that will enhance the quality of life in the Richmond Region.
If you have a collaborative story to tell, contact CRC@richmondregional.org and subscribe to their e-newsletter!
Read more about the Capital Region Collaborative and their recent RVA Indicators Report and check out our ConnectVA Community Vital Signs for the latest data and research on the health of Virginia!
