Our History

The Rev. John von Hemert, who was serving Louisa’s St. James Episcopal Church in 1992, recognized there were many neighbors unable to  afford basic daily needs. He saw people who were hungry and struggling to stretch their meager incomes to cover rent, electricity, medicine, fuel, and clothing.

Rev. von Hemert’s dream to help a few hundred neighbors grew into an independent non-profit organization that now serves thousands. We are continually grateful to live out his legacy by serving our neighbors with caring and respect.

What We Do

LCRC provides hunger relief and life-sustaining services for residents of Louisa County, a 525 square mile community in Central Virginia with a population of 36,040 and a poverty rate of 12.3%.

Currently over 1,300 families (approximately 4,000 individuals) rely on LCRC to get enough healthy groceries to feed themselves and their families. Our clients are children, working adults, retirees, veterans, the disabled and homebound. Anyone who lives in Louisa County and meets income and residency criteria may qualify for one of our 6 food programs.

In partnership with local dentists, LCRC provides Dental Assistance Vouchers for adults who cannot afford an appointment for treatment of dental emergencies.

LCRC runs the Community Closet, a program that accepts donations of new and gently used clothes, household items, appliances, and furniture that are available for clients at extremely reduced cost. Medical aids (walkers, bedside chairs, etc.) are available for loan.

Volunteers and other local resources help with our Caring Connections program that provides routine check-ins with elderly and homebound neighbors who are socially isolated. LCRC is also the point of contact for information and referrals to other service providers in our area

Our Logo

In 2020 LCRC changed its logo to better reflects our history and expanded services. The hands represent the many hands – donors, volunteers, and staff – that are required to “lend a hand” to those in need. The person in motion represents clients moving out of hardship into better lives. The colors symbolize security and reliability (blue), optimism and hope (gold), health (green), and energy (red).