GoochlandCares Spring Newsletter Highlights Volunteer Needs, Community Services

Doug Chiles managed the GoochlandCares food pantry before stepping into a volunteer role, and he still shows up each week at 2999 River Road West. He is one of the regular hands keeping a pantry that now serves between 350 and 375 Goochland County families every week, nearly double the 200 families it fed at the start of the pandemic. The Spring 2026 newsletter, published this week, makes clear that the trajectory has not reversed.

GoochlandCares, which has run as a community safety net since 1952, operates 12 programs under one roof, including a Clothes Closet, free medical and dental clinic, emergency housing support, and transportation coordination for medical appointments. Spring typically amplifies pressure across all of them, and the newsletter names three volunteer roles with the most immediate impact: Clothes Closet intake, weekly food distribution shifts, and client-facing intake positions. Volunteer Engagement Director Dominic Alexander is handling signups at 804-556-0400 or dalexander@GoochlandCares.org.

On the donation side, the pantry is running shortest on spaghetti sauce, soup, canned beans, canned vegetables, and laundry detergent. Collection drives with local schools and faith communities are planned for the weeks ahead; Gayton Elementary's Student Council recently completed its second annual cereal and shelf-stable milk drive, led by teachers Mrs. Staudte and Mrs. Farrell.

Residents seeking services can call the Family Services line at 804-556-6260 or the Clothes Closet directly at 804-556-0202. Eligibility requires Goochland County residency. Transportation gaps to medical appointments and expanded summer pantry capacity remain the two pressure points that county planners and church partners are being asked to help address heading into mid-2026.