The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank needs a new refrigerator, and the nonprofit hopes the city will use unspent federal funds to help it buy one.
Photo courtesy BRAFB.
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank served nearly 118,000 people in the last fiscal year, all while relying on aging equipment at the space it rents at 1207 Harris St. The City of Charlottesville is planning to invest $215,000 in unspent federal funds to help the organization solve a crisis.
“BRAFB’s current refrigerator unit was installed a little over 14 years ago and is, consequently, rapidly approaching the end of its rated service life of 15 years,” wrote the city’s Office of Community Solutions staff in a memo to City Council.
The source of the funding is Charlottesville’s allocation from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant funds. Projects at 10th and Page and Ridge Street that were allocated funding have not been completed, and the federal government wants its money back if it’s not spent.
“BRAFB has to turn away deliveries of significant amounts of fresh produce because they lack the space needed to safely store it until it can be distributed to those in need,” the report continues.
A freezer was installed last year, but the refrigerator is experiencing issues with decaying seals that require constant repair to keep things cool. Funding would also be used to cover the loading dock to provide protection from the elements during delivery.
According to Feeding America, the food insecurity rate in Charlottesville for 2023 was 11.2 percent, compared to a statewide average of 8.1 percent. The food bank’s annual report for that year describes a “quiet crisis,” due to both the pandemic and ongoing macro-economic conditions.
“Inflation created high hurdles for families with low incomes,” writes BRAFB CEO Michael McKee in the report. “For single mothers, that bad news is compounded by expensive child care, which can now exceed the cost of tuition at Virginia state universities.”
One concern could be making a large investment in space not owned by the organization. In response, the landlord sent a letter to the city stating an intention to renew the lease for at least another seven years.
“Eagle Corporation values the food bank as a tenant and, most importantly, as a vital organization in the communities we both serve,” wrote the organization’s David Paulson.
If another reading is approved by City Council in March, this would be the second recent capital investment council has made in a food-related nonprofit. Last March, it allocated $500,000 to New Hill Development Corporation’s BEACON, a $2.3 million food entrepreneurship program that will be located in Kathy’s Shopping Center, which is currently under renovation.
City Council also allocated $155,000 toward food equity in both of the last two fiscal years. The group Cultivate Charlottesville is hoping council will help create a community garden in Washington Park.
Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton star in Lisa Frankenstein, a too-familiar monster trope written by Diablo Cody.
Photo by Focus Features.
Director Zelda Williams’ horror comedy Lisa Frankenstein is a mediocre pastiche of older films with an uneven storyline stitched together from overly familiar macabre material. The film will appeal mainly to teens who are only just beginning to discover its sources, but to longtime moviegoers, it plays like ersatz Tim Burton, admittedly with occasionally hilarious moments.
In 1989, Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) is a misfit at her new high school, stuck in suburbia with her sickeningly cheerful stepsister Taffy (Liza Soberano), clueless dad (Joe Chrest), and vile stepmother (Carla Gugino). Shy and withdrawn, she wrestles with the trauma of hearing her mother hacked up by an ax murderer.
Disconsolate, Lisa tends a grave in the abandoned Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, pining for its 19th-century tenant (Cole Sprouse). Meanwhile, she’s smitten with her school’s lit mag editor, Trent (Henry Eikenberry). A freak electrical storm animates the corpse she’s been visiting, who then shows up literally on her doorstep. She hides him, and using Taffy’s malfunctioning tanning bed, gradually revivifies the creature and this cold, dead thing proves to be the warm protector her life has lacked.
Screenwriter Diablo Cody and Williams (Robin’s daughter) blatantly draw on many earlier, better movies, including Heathers, Carrie, and the Universal Frankenstein series. The shadow of Tim Burton’s work looms over the plot and the main characters’ style, particularly his Frankenweenie and Edward Scissorhands. Lisa Frankenstein is essentially an introductory class in goth culture for angsty kids who have just discovered The Cure. With that in mind, youngsters who are barely familiar with these venerable old favorites may enjoy seeing them.
Gleaning inspiration from its cinematic ancestors is one thing, but Cody’s script lacks the wit or tonal coherence of a great horror comedy like Young Frankenstein. Although she has definitely improved since Juno, the dialogue and storyline get overburdened with ’80s nostalgia references in the “Stranger Things” mode. They run the gamut from Orange Crush soda to a clip from George Romero’s Day of the Dead. The most successful, sweetest allusions are the recurring tributes to Georges Melies’ silent classic Voyage to the Moon.
The violence and sexuality in Lisa Frankenstein stretch about as far as the PG-13 rating will allow. Like many of the 1980s comedies it’s inspired by, most of the movie’s funniest moments are its lowest and most sophomoric.
Newton is fine as Lisa, especially given how middling the material is. Sprouse is decent as her undead beau, but his performance doesn’t fully explore the character’s potential. The rest of the cast does respectable work, and the costumes and production design are acceptable. But, overall, there is very little that’s outstanding here.
Made for a reported $13 million and with a running time that doesn’t strain endurance, Lisa Frankenstein is a fair piece of work, yet fails to maintain the balance between charming morbidity and humaneness that a masterpiece like Frank Oz’s Little Shop of Horrors pulls off. Younger viewers who, like Lisa, are trapped in high school purgatory might enjoy watching her exact Carrie White-like revenge and enthusiastically root for the film’s central couple. For a lot of viewers, it will just seem like a ragged, reanimated mass shambling out of a celluloid graveyard.
Shawna Murphy (pictured here in 2011), has been found competent to stand trial for allegedly murdering her boyfriend Matthew Farrell. File photo.
Trials and tribulations
During a February 15 hearing, Shawna Murphy was found competent to stand trial for the alleged murder of Charlottesville author and arts enthusiast Matthew Farrell.
Questions about Murphy’s competency were raised shortly after her arrest on October 25, 2022, when she called 911 to report shooting Farrell at his Albemarle County residence. At the scene, Murphy reportedly told officers she killed Farrell, who died from a single gunshot to the back of the head. Farrell and Murphy were dating and had lived together for several years at the time of the incident, according to The Daily Progress.
A beloved member of Charlottesville’s creative community, Farrell was 53 at the time of his death. In a 2011 interview with C-VILLE, he described himself as “an arts person, a fop, and a dandy.”
Efforts to restore Murphy’s competency have been long running, with the alleged killer spending more than a year at Western State Hospital, where she received mental health treatment. While Murphy has been found competent to stand trial, her state of mind at the time of the murder has not yet been determined.
Murphy is charged with second degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. If convicted, she faces up to 40 years for murder, and three years for the firearms charge. Murphy next appears in court on May 6 for an adjudication hearing.
Suit settled
The University of Virginia has reached a settlement with former student Morgan Bettinger, who was expelled in abeyance following an alleged incident at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest.
Bettinger sued UVA’s Board of Visitors, President Jim Ryan, and former Dean of Students Allen Groves in July 2023. She alleged the university failed to protect her against accusations that she threatened protest participants on July 17, 2020. In the suit, she argued that the allegations and her subsequent expulsion harmed her career and caused her trauma.
Fellow UVA alumna and local activist Zyahna Bryant called for Bettinger to face consequences for allegedly saying that protesters “would make good speed bumps.” Bettinger denies this, instead reporting she pulled over when faced with a garbage truck blocking her route home and joked that “it’s a good thing you’re here because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps.”
While the University Judiciary Committee found Bettinger guilty of “threatening the health or safety of students” and expelled her in abeyance, the UVA Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights found the student not guilty. The expulsion remained on her record.
The terms of the settlement between UVA and Bettinger are unknown at press time.
Pumped up
After a storm damaged the Rivanna Pump Station in early January, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority reports that a new bypass pumping and piping system, which routes wastewater around the old pump station, has been installed. This temporary solution replaces a different temporary pump system, increasing the gallons of wastewater conveyed per day from 10 million to 50 million. The RWSA is still investigating the cause of the initial failure. A full restoration is anticipated to take several months.
Map quest
A new virtual map of downtown Charlottesville is available through the Friends of Cville Downtown website. The map features information on dining, shopping, entertainment, parking, lodging, and more. Friends of Cville Downtown collaborated with the Charlottesville Office of Economic Development for the project. View the map at friendsofcville.org/downtown-charlottesville-map
Politically correct
The University of Virginia’s new Committee on Institutional Statements began meeting this month, with the goal of determining when or if the university should make formal statements about political or social events. The committee was formed in the wake of criticism from the student body over UVA President Jim Ryan’s initial public statement about the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel. The committee is comprised of nine faculty members, one student, an alum, and a member of the Board of Visitors.
Blue Ridge Community Bail Fund board members Taylor Pisano, Melissa Gilrain, Austin Miller, and Olena Melnyk want to grow their organization to be able to pay bonds
at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.
The Blue Ridge Community Bail Fund is pushing to increase its funding. The nonprofit, started by students at UVA law school, puts up bail for those awaiting trial, without charging a fee. The bail fund has historically been active in Middle River Regional Jail. Now, the group seeks to expand its capabilities to cover Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail as well. In its three years of existence, the community fund has been able to pay $197,000 of bail from 85 total bonds. Volunteers say that’s much less than they want to see.
Bail bond comes into play after someone has been arrested and before a trial starts. The bond amount is set by a magistrate and is supposed to serve as insurance that the person will come back for their trial.
“So, in theory, the point of it is not to be punitive,” says Melissa Gilrain, who serves on the board of the Blue Ridge Community Bail Fund. “But if you don’t have money, it is punitive because you get stuck in jail, you lose your job, you lose your house, you lose your kids, you lose all these things.”
The consequence is that the freedom of someone awaiting trial often depends on their wealth. Nationwide, a third of defendants are kept in jail pretrial because they are unable to pay their bail bonds, according to Justice Forward Virginia, an organization that advocates for criminal justice reform. Most of those being held are among the poorest third of Americans, the organization reports.
The other option for someone who can’t afford bail is to call a bail bondsman. The bondsman will pay the bail and charge 10 percent of it to the client. Bail bond is a business, but it’s a business that targets those who are poor and desperate.
The community bail fund serves as an alternative by posting bail when someone calls, and it recuperates the money when the person shows up for their trial. No extra charges.
Sometimes attorneys refer their clients to the bail fund, but more often, it’s word of mouth. Someone can call the bail fund anytime, day or night. The seven board members share the responsibility of answering. A network of volunteers take the money to the magistrate to post the bond.
Taylor Pisano, who also serves on the fund’s board, says the average bond they pay is between $2,500 and $5,000.
“It’s a lot of minor charges, like failure to appear, probation violations, drug possession, petty larceny, or credit card fraud,” Pisano says. Pisano says many of the cases he sees end in a null process, which means the charges are dropped.
“We just had one case, we posted this guy’s bond in December of 2022 and the case just got finalized and it was null processed, which means they were not guilty on that charge,” Pisano says. “So, that person would have been sitting in jail for a year for something that they’re not guilty of. And that’s a really common thing—it could be as short as two weeks and it could be a year or more.”
The fund’s $40,000 seems like a sizable resource, but even with that amount of money, it has a waitlist. The demand far exceeds the bail fund’s resources, and the majority of the money is almost constantly tied up in bonds waiting to be finalized.
“We get more calls than we can post bonds for,” Gilrain says.
The Blue Ridge Community Bail Fund has historically focused on Staunton’s Middle River Regional Jail, which holds people from Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, and Augusta and Rockingham counties, and is over capacity with 629 inmates. But there are other jails in the area the bail fund could help. Closest to home is the 329-person-capacity Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, with inmates from Charlottesville and Albemarle and Nelson counties. Piedmont Regional Jail is larger, located in Farmville, and has a capacity of 600 people. Central Virginia Regional Jail is in the town of Orange, and holds about 400 people.
“What we would really like to do is to be able to pay bonds at ACRJ, the local jail,” Gilrain says. But compared to the number of people who need the service, the bail fund is too small.
A count on December 31, 2020, by the National Institute of Corrections showed that Virginia has 28,970 people in jail. Not all of them have the option of bail, but many do. There are other community bail funds in the state, the largest in Richmond. There’s also a fund in Tidewater and one in Roanoke. But for many who are waiting in jail, there’s no one to bail them out.
The Wood Frog, with a call that’s similar to a turkey’s, is one of several species monitored by FrogWatch. File photo.
Members of central Virginia’s FrogWatch are putting their ears to the ground and leaping into action.
The FrogWatch program—started by the Akron Zoo—monitors trends in frog and toad populations by training volunteers on the calls of local species. The central Virginia chapter of FrogWatch is run collaboratively by the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District and the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, and is starting strong with its first training session at full capacity.
“The Central Virginia FrogWatch chapter has been in the planning stages for nearly a year now,” says TJSWCD Environmental Programs Coordinator Courtney Harlow-Humphreys. “We are thrilled with the local interest in frogs and toads and expect our chapter to grow in the next few years as we are able to offer more trainings.”
While there are more than 6,000 species of frogs and toads worldwide, area amphibian auditors will focus on learning the calls of 15 locally prevalent species, including the Wood Frog, Fowler’s Toad, and Pickerel Frog. By monitoring the tiny creatures from February to August each year, researchers learn more about local environmental and ecological health.
Frogs and toads are key indicators of environmental trends and dangers, due to their highly permeable skin and amphibious nature. Their famously slimy skin easily absorbs bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants, making frogs and toads some of the first to be impacted by changes to the environment.
“If frogs and toads are absent, it could tell us that there may be problems with the water quality in that area,” says Harlow-Humphreys. “Frogs and toads serve two basic important functions in the ecosystem—controlling insect populations and sustaining predators. They are a vital piece of the food web and are necessary to keep it in check.”
Though Central Virginia FrogWatch just started collecting data, Harlow-Humphreys is enthusiastic about both the group’s future and research contributions. “We are excited to start monitoring sites throughout Charlottesville and the surrounding area so that we can get an idea of what our current local populations look like, as well as how they might change over time,” she says.
The environmentalist says she has already heard a number of species singing this season, including Eastern Cricket Frogs, Upland Chorus Frogs, and Spring Peepers. Harlow-Humphreys says volunteers will monitor the Eastern Spadefoot, a reclusive species in need of moderate conservation, according to the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan.
Beyond local implications, the data collected by FrogWatch volunteers helps researchers monitor national amphibian and environmental trends. Over 15,761 people have contributed to the national project, with more than 182,089 frog and toad observations to date. The volunteer nature of the project enables researchers to collect data on a much larger scale than otherwise possible.
Froggy friends interested in volunteering can sign up for the next Central Virginia FrogWatch training session on March 1 from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
The Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline began selling cookies in January, and the famous treats are available for just one more month. But selling cookies isn’t just a sweet way to raise cash, it also teaches money management, team building, and decision-making. And, of course, the funds go to other endeavors like camping trips and service projects. This week, we asked a few local Girl Scouts to take turns in the hot seat. gsvsc.org
What’s something about the Girl Scouts that people would be surprised to learn: “We go on a lot of cool trips!” (Lily, 9); “Little brothers get to tag along.” (Ava, 9); “There are girl scouts worldwide.” (Penny, 10); “We learn knife skills.” (Molly, 7); “You make a lot of new friends.” (Caroline, 9).
Best part of living here: “Basketball!” (Cora, 9); “The lovely people.” (Lily); “The mountain views.” (Ava); “It can get hot, and can snow a good amount.” (Penny); “I love my school.” (Caroline).
Worst part of living here: “Traffic.” (Lily); “Lots of loud noises.” (Cora); “When it rains, it’s really hard sometimes.” (Penny); “We don’t get enough snow.” (Molly and Caroline).
Bodo’s order: “Cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese.” (Ava); “Everything bagel with cream cheese.” (Penny); “Ham and muenster cheese on everything bagel.” (Molly); “Cinnamon raisin bagel, jalapeño lime cream cheese.” (Roz); “Everything bagel, lox spread, herb cream cheese.” (George); “Plain bagel with plain cream cheese.” (Caroline).
What’s your comfort food: “Ramen.” (Beatrice, 10, and Penny); “Pickles.” (Roz); “Cheeseburgers.” (George); “Tacos.” (Lily); “Lemon pancakes.” (Ava); “Spaghetti.” (Caroline).
Who is your hero: “My mom and dad.” (Lily); “Taylor Swift.” (Cora); “My mom and dad.” (Penny); “My dad.” (Ava); “My mom.” (Beatrice).
Proudest accomplishment: “Scoring four goals in a soccer game.” (Ava); “Winning my heat at swim meet.” (Caroline).
Describe a perfect day: “If it was hot and we went to the pool.” (Penny); “Going to the playground with my best friends.” (Caroline).
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for: “(1) Everyone had enough money for food and houses, (2) world peace, and (3) super powers.” (Lily); “(1) Being able to teleport, (2) being famous, (3) owning the whole world.” (Cora); “(1) For my family to be rich, (2) My mom’s bakery to be very successful, and (3) for the earth to be cleaner.” (Penny).
Most embarrassing moment: “When I accidentally said ‘farted’ in front of the class instead of ‘started.’” (Beatrice); “When I raise my hand and forget everything.” (Penny).
Do you have any pets: “Guinea pigs Billie Green Beans, Huckleberry, and Turnip.” (Beatrice); “A fluffy cat named Midge.” (Ava); “Smudge and Penny (giant dogs).” (Roz and George); “Alice, my calico cat.” (Lily); “A dog named Scout.” (Molly and Caroline).
Favorite movie and/or show: “Disney’s Robin Hood.” (Roz and George); “‘iCarly.’” (Lily); “Eras Tour.” (Ava); “‘Henry Danger.’” (Caroline); “‘Bluey.’” (Molly); “The Greatest Showman.” (Cora).
Favorite book: “The Baby-Sitters Club series.” (Ava); “Dragons in a Bag.” (Lily); “Roz the Robot.” (Roz); “Pup Detectives.” (George); “Wings of Fire.” (Penny); “A Wolf Called Wander.” (Caroline); “Amelia Bedelia.” (Molly).
Go-to karaoke song: “‘You Belong With Me’ by Taylor Swift.” (Lily); “‘Call Me Maybe.’” (Roz); “‘Sweet Caroline.’” (George); “‘Flowers’ by Miley Cyrus.” (Cora).
Subject that causes you to rant: “Pokémon.” (Beatrice); “P.E.” (Cora); “Math! And pineapple on pizza.” (Penny).
Best journey you ever went on: “NYC.” (Cora); “A hike with my grandmother.” (Caroline); “Disney.” (Ava and Penny); “Hilton Head.” (Lily); “Maine.” (Roz); “The Infamous Weekend music festival.” (George). Next journey: “NYC.” (Cora); “Pittsburgh.” (Roz, and George); “Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.” (Ava).
Favorite word: “Duh.” (Lily); “Eucalyptus.” (Beatrice); “OMG.” (Cora). Hottest take: “I actually really like math.” (Cora); “I don’t like pineapple on pizza.” (Penny).
What have you forgotten today: “My water bottle.” (Penny).
Madi Diaz is done making other performers sound good. After a stadium tour opening for Harry Styles, followed by watching the megastar perform night after night as a member of his backing band, Diaz (aka “Nashville’s secret weapon”) is making her own mark with a new LP. On Weird Faith, the singer blends folk, Americana, and rock with a heartfelt charisma that has music influencers calling her a star on the rise. With Olivia Barton.
$25-30, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St. jeffersontheater.com
On a cold morning following a night with temperatures in the teens, Quincy Scott and Cheryl Burroughs are among the first to gather on the benches that line the Downtown Mall. Tents, sleeping bags, and blankets are pulled snug against the transit center to take advantage of an overhang that juts out slightly and keeps the snow off. Both are glad they didn’t spend the night there.
Scott overnighted at the Baptist church on University Avenue, and has been staying at church shelters since he was released from Central Virginia Regional Jail on December 14. He was there for a probation violation, but in the bigger picture, he’s returning from 15 years in prison. He’s staying in shelters while looking for a way to get back a piece of the life he left.
“I’ve got people rooting for me,” Scott says. “Friends, family, judges, everybody.”
Burroughs stayed overnight at Crescent Halls, a public housing facility on Monticello Avenue. She says she was taken there by police at 3am, following an altercation. Burroughs gives conflicting dates about where she’s been staying. For some time, she had an apartment at The Crossings, Charlottesville’s supportive housing community for those facing homelessness, but left. She says she’s been on the streets off and on for 15 years with chronic drug addiction.
Overnight shelters in Charlottesville are just that, for night use only. Scott has a bed through PACEM (People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry), but at 7 every morning he has to leave.
People can find themselves without shelter for a variety of reasons. Many, like Scott, are going through reentry after a period of incarceration. In 2023, about 30 percent of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. reported having a serious mental illness with 24 percent being related to chronic substance abuse, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Approximately 10.4 percent of shelter services in 2023 were used by survivors of domestic abuse and their families, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
But experts on the topic agree that in Charlottesville, as well as in the nation, the single biggest issue causing homelessness is the lack of affordable housing.
In its three-year plan to end homelessness, the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless reports that the greatest barriers in the area are lack of affordable housing, limited economic opportunity, and few supportive services for mental health and substance abuse.
“I think the causes here are the causes everywhere,” says Michele Claibourn, who works in data science at the University of Virginia’s Equity Center. Claibourn co-authored the 2023 Stepping Stones Report that measured factors related to community well-being for the City of Charlottesville. “Our population has increased, we don’t have enough housing, housing prices increase as a consequence, and people are priced out of rentals and certainly home ownership,” she says.
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness estimates that 40 to 60 percent of people experiencing homelessness do have a job, sometimes two, but housing remains unaffordable. A full-time worker would need to earn an hourly wage of $26.94 on average to afford a two-bedroom rental in Charlottesville, according to a 2023 report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. In only 7 percent of counties in the nation can a full-time minimum-wage worker afford a one-bedroom rental, the report says.
Affordable here means being able to pay rent without spending more than 30 percent of income on housing. Still, the wage needed to live in Charlottesville is almost four times the federal minimum wage, which means that households earning less than that could easily lose their housing if something unforeseen happened, such as a car accident, medical emergency, theft, or job loss. Households that spend more than 30 percent of their total income on housing are considered cost-burdened households, and in Charlottesville, about 50 percent of all households fall into that category.
Looking at the numbers
In 2022, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the area reached its highest point in the past 12 years at 266, according to the Point-In-Time count for that year. The area includes the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. However, that number on its own can be deceiving. The PIT count spiked in 2022, from 171 in 2021. In 2023, the count returned to about the same level, at 191.
According to Claibourn, the spike is related to COVID-19 relief funds. One of the limitations of getting data about unhoused populations is that many people go uncounted if they haven’t interacted with a service agency. Claibourn says that in 2022 there was more money for shelter services, so more people sought services and more people could be counted.
That high point is not indicative of a rising trend in people experiencing homelessness, Claibourn says. In fact, the trend in homelessness has gone down overall since 2010, when the PIT count was 228. Another thing the numbers show is that the vast majority of people who enter a period of homelessness are able to exit homelessness if they’re given sufficient resources. Anna Mendez, executive director of The Haven, Charlottesville’s downtown day shelter, says for most people who experience homelessness, it’s a period of a few months.
“Because of our data collection, we know that in any 12-month period of time, between 400 and 500 people in our community experience homelessness,” Mendez says. “So, what that means is that they have either slept outside or they have slept in a structure not fit for human habitation, like they’re sleeping in their car. Or they’ve slept in a shelter, because people who are merely sheltered are still people who are homeless.”
The PIT count, which counts the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single day, is much lower than that. That’s because the vast majority of people who enter a period of homelessness leave it within a year.
The PIT count also tracks the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness, which is defined as experiencing homelessness for at least a year or repeatedly over the years. In Charlottesville, that’s about a quarter of the overall count, numbering 53 in 2023.
Image: Virginia Equity Center
Claibourn says the numbers show us that homelessness is a solvable issue.
“It’s not such a huge number that you couldn’t imagine actually housing all of those people,” she says. “We’re not talking 10,000, we’re talking 150, right. The problem is there has not been enough political will to do so.”
The Haven
Both Scott and Burroughs start their day at The Haven, along with many others. The cafeteria, lounge, and lobby that comprise Charlottesville’s only daytime shelter is crowded and busy, especially on cold days. Because The Haven serves breakfast, it’s where the day begins for many of those seeking shelter.
People can also go to The Haven to take a shower, do laundry, store personal belongings, pick up their mail, and be safe. The day shelter distributes shoes, clothes, and other supplies that people have donated. It’s open every day year-round and is low-barrier.
“Low-barrier means that we do our best to welcome anyone who walks through the doors,” says Mendez. The rules are that guests can’t possess or use substances and can’t cause conflict. But people who are inebriated or under the influence or have a violent past are welcome to find rest at The Haven.
The shelter also functions as a kind of base camp where people can connect to the constellation of services available in Charlottesville, from housing to counseling. The Haven’s own housing department administers three programs that help over 200 households every year either exit homelessness or prevent them from experiencing homelessness in the first place, Mendez says.
Often, that work is preventative. If someone has an emergency and misses a month of rent, The Haven can help them. Or, if someone is facing an eviction that would result in homelessness, The Haven can help rehouse them.
“We really see a vision of Charlottesville where we are working toward eliminating homelessness,” Mendez says.
However, The Haven isn’t somewhere people can stay the night. The doors open at 7am and close at 5pm on weekdays and noon on weekends. After that, those seeking shelter have to find it elsewhere.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army on Ridge Street provides overnight beds, with 28 for men and 28 for women, plus a lobby with floor space for six men and six women in an emergency. But the Salvation Army employs a more structured approach than The Haven. Those seeking a bed have to go through an intake process and agree to the rules. The shelter opens at 4pm, with a break for dinner from 5 to 6pm.
“They are searched every time they go out the front door and come back in,” says Sandy Chirico, the Salvation Army’s social services manager. “So we look through their backpacks, turn their pockets inside out, and we do scan them with the metal scanner wand.”
Sandy Chirico says that about 75 percent of those who seek shelter at the Salvation Army have jobs. Photo by Eze Amos.
The search is to keep out drugs, alcohol, and weapons. Guests also have to pass a drug test and breathalyzer. Curfew for the shelter is at 9pm. Breakfast the following morning is at 8am and people have to leave by 9am.
The Salvation Army has a case-management program for those staying at the shelter that is aimed at rehabilitation and, eventually, stable, independent housing. One of the key points of that program is securing employment, so during the day guests must either be working or looking for a job.
After intake, those seeking shelter can stay at the Salvation Army for 21 days. If they are meeting the goals of the program, the stay can be extended. Many stay up to six months, if they stick with the program.
Finding employment comes with a number of barriers for those living on the streets. The Salvation Army helps with filling out applications, following up with employers, having access to computers, providing vouchers for clothing, and many of the little things that can become larger hurdles if you’re in a tough spot. However, employment alone often isn’t enough to get out of a period of homelessness.
“Right now, I would say 75 percent of our folks are working,” Chirico says. “I don’t think the public is aware of that. Some of them are maybe lower paying jobs. It’s hard to live in Charlottesville on $16 an hour, $17 an hour.”
If securing employment isn’t enough, Chirico says case workers can help people navigate social services, get vouchers to the Salvation Army thrift store, and, in many cases, get a second job.
The Salvation Army is the only year-round, overnight shelter in Charlottesville, but the capacity is quite limited. In the winter especially, the need for shelter is much greater.
PACEM
During the coldest parts of the year, generally from October to April, some local churches band together to provide overnight shelter where they have space. PACEM is a coalition that pulls together 80 different congregations and community groups to provide shelter, so the shelter moves from one location to another every two weeks. Officially, PACEM has a capacity for 35 men and 15 women, but it will find shelter for anyone who comes to the door.
On a night in January, PACEM had set up cots for 44 men in the basement of University Baptist Church, and provided hotel vouchers for 11 more. In the organization’s 20 years, “we have never had to turn anyone away specifically for capacity issues,” says Liz Yohn, PACEM’s operations manager. “Even when we are full, we make room.”
This winter, PACEM has seen more demand for shelter than expected. Yohn says the loss of supports that were in place for COVID has led to the increase.
“It supported so much,” she says. “It supported shelters and it supported individuals from ending up in homelessness. From things like additional food stamps and the unemployment insurance benefits to the eviction moratoriums, there were a lot of supports in place during the pandemic that aren’t in place anymore.”
PACEM doesn’t turn people away, but it does have limitations. The shelter is open from 5pm to 7am, and only operates for half the year. Because of its rotating schedule, the shelter can be hard to access, though for the more remote locations PACEM offers a shuttle that leaves from The Haven at 5:15pm.
PACEM is an emergency shelter for those who need it, but transitioning out of homelessness is a longer journey.
“We are the last rung on the safety net,” Yohn says. “In order to end up experiencing homelessness, there’s a lot of loss that you’ve probably experienced. It could be the breakdown of family and friend relationships, it could be mental or physical health that you’re struggling with.” Shelter in Charlottesville is a patchwork of overnight, daytime, and seasonal options. Without a 24/7 emergency shelter, it can be hard to hold it all together.
According to PACEM’s Liz Yohn, the group has never turned anyone away for capacity reasons. Photo by Eze Amos.
Yohn says it’s been a challenge to find space for everyone who needs it, but the group has always found a way. That said, the official overnight capacity in Charlottesville doesn’t come close to the demand, as shown by the PIT count. There are many people who never come to PACEM’s door. In January of 2022, in the heart of winter, Charlottesville’s PIT count found 26 people sleeping outside of any kind of shelter.
On the Downtown Mall
Roscoe Boxley remembers working on renovations to The Haven before it opened in 2010. He recalls painting the ceiling and floors and touching up the exterior. By 2019, Boxley was coming home from prison, and work became harder to find. In 2023, he returned to The Haven, this time seeking shelter.
Boxley says he had to leave an unhealthy relationship and that included leaving his home. “I had to get myself in a better place so that I could be more attentive to my child,” he says. “So, I ended up just leaving everything altogether to reestablish myself and start over.”
At the time, Boxley was working two jobs, earning $10 an hour at Taco Bell and $11 an hour at Burger King. But child support and garnished wages meant he couldn’t afford a place of his own. He says he met people on the street from every background imaginable.
“People that are unhoused are not what people who aren’t unhoused think,” Boxley says. “There are a lot of people with skills, a lot of people with intellect, a lot of people that can solve issues that we have as a society. But most people who look at homeless people look at them all as if they’re the same, people who decided to make bad decisions or decided to disregard the law, or things like that.”
The issue of homelessness has been one of particular contention on the Downtown Mall. Boxley says there are efforts to force the unhoused out of the area.
“There used to be benches on the Downtown Mall,” Boxley says. “There were benches and stuff all around, but because homeless people laid on them, they took them up. Then they locked the power outlets, so you’re not allowed to plug your phones and stuff up. And they put these spikes along the windows of the bank where the heat exhaust is so that homeless people wouldn’t sit there. In the winter it’s the only place that blows heat, so you’ll see homeless people kind of gather right there.”
Boxley had put his own work into the downtown area. Years ago, he helped build some of it. But now, it was a place where he was unwelcome. Boxley says police were regularly called to enforce the 11pm curfew at Market Street Park to prevent people from sleeping there.
“Before COVID, a lot of these people were holding this society up,” Boxley says. “And now, because they’re homeless, people just want to get them out of the way.”
Frustrated, Boxley refused to leave the park. He set up a chair, held a sign, and wouldn’t go. It was a one-man protest. He was arrested and charged with trespassing and violating probation.
“My sign,” he says, “said ‘Make Room For Homeless People.’”
Tents in the park
A September 16 incident in which a police officer was accused of kicking an unhoused man sleeping in Market Street Park, and public outcry at a September 18 City Council meeting, led City Manger Sam Sanders to lift the park’s 11pm curfew.
Boxley estimates that 60 to 70 people were staying in the park. What sprang up was a refuge, but it was also a community where people who needed support were able to support one another.
“One, it was easier to access the resources that we needed, that was the most important thing,” Boxley says. “Then, to be close to each other, community-wise, it was about having a support system.”
But friction between the housed and unhoused population only became more evident. Boxley heard complaints that the homeless people in the park were dangerous, that the residents felt unsafe. There was also hostility.
“People throwing rocks or fruit, yelling ‘Get out of my damn park,’” Boxley says. “You know how many fights I got in over that park?”
The calls to remove people from the park grew proportionately with the calls of support. On October 21, those calls were heard. The curfew was reinstated, and by 11pm all the tents were gone.
Reflecting on the episode, Mendez says, “For us at The Haven, what saddens us most, is that at times it seems like people are more upset about having to see people who are experiencing homelessness than they are about the fact that in a community as wealthy as ours, the experience of homelessness still exists.”
Permanent supportive housing
The ultimate goal of the network of services and nonprofits in Charlottesville is to end the experience of homelessness in the community.
For Jessica Moody, the programs worked.
Moody was 47 when she lost her job at a customer service call center. In the beginning, she moved in with her daughter in Buckingham, but eventually had to leave because of limited space and the commute to her new job in Charlottesville.
“So I ended up being homeless in Charlottesville, working in hotels,” Moody says. “I was working in hotels, so I was staying in the hotels at night.” Moody bounced around between her car and hotel rooms.
“I’d worked hotels before and I know how they work,” she says. “A lot of hotels, if you work for them, they’ll give you a discount on a room or they’ll give you a room, you know, they’ll work with you. That’s why I came to work in the hotels here.”
Moody also worked weekends at a domestic violence shelter where she was expected to stay overnight. No one there knew she was homeless.
That went on for over a year before Moody sought help. She was referred to The Haven and, through The Haven, found PACEM. There, she was able to get a room for a year at PACEM’s now-defunct emergency shelter, Premier Circle.
Though Premier Circle closed due to funding last spring, the program highlighted how effective stable shelter and long-term support can be in successfully helping someone get rehoused. The future of the property, which was formerly the Red Carpet Inn, will serve a similar purpose. A renovation project, spearheaded by Virginia Supportive Housing, aims to build 80 permanent supportive housing units where Premier Circle once stood.
Shayla Washington, executive director of the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless says that is the best tool for addressing homelessness.
“The most effective thing is permanent supportive housing. That comes with case management, it comes with rental assistance, and really just providing that strong case management piece that folks really benefit from.”
Like Premier Circle, permanent supportive housing offers a long-term room. Many, such as Moody, find the most value in the personal support and case management they receive at the facility.
“It’s great to have a good case manager, people who care,” Moody says. “That was very important to me. That’s what helped me.”
Typically, there are a series of losses that come before the loss of housing—loss of relationships, loss of jobs, loss of health. Resolving those issues is complex.
“We believe in a housing-first model, that you’re not going to address any other aims in your life until you have a stable house,” says Julie Anderson, director of real estate development at Virginia Supportive Housing.
Virginia Supportive Housing, which has operated at The Crossings since 2012, has 60 units available to those experiencing homelessness. The facility will add another 80 units by the spring of 2025, more than doubling Charlottesville’s capacity.
“The development will be 77 studio apartments, full studios with a kitchen and bathroom and living/sleeping area, as well as three one-bedroom apartments, and onsite supportive services, all for homeless or low-income individuals,” Anderson says.
The room isn’t free, but the cost is sliding to meet each person’s means.
“Residents sign leases and their rent is based on their income. They pay a monthly rent equivalent to 30 percent of their income,” Anderson says. “On average, our residents pay $200 a month. However, if you have zero income, the rent is just $50 a month and our services staff onsite can help the individual be connected with a church or somebody that will help them pay that rent every month if they need that help.”
That same system is what allowed Moody to finally find her own place last summer. Her case manager helped her get a voucher from the Charlottesville Housing Authority, which allows her to pay 30 percent of her income in rent. After a lot of searching, she found a room at Mallside Apartments.
“I’m in a place now and I’m so happy. I love it,” Moody says. “My apartment is nice. It’s small but it’s nice. I love the area. I’m happy to be in my own space.”
Ken Vandermark’s Edition Redux blows past traditional jazz at The Front Porch on Sunday. Details at cvillejazz.org. Supplied photo.
By Dave Cantor
In early February, saxophonist Ken Vandermark flew from his Chicago home to London for a series of shows paying tribute to the late Peter Brötzmann—a prickly figure who is rightly considered among the most disruptive influences in jazz over the past 50 years.
“I learned … I don’t really even know how much I learned from Peter in lots of important ways—many, many important ways,” Vandermark says about the departed saxophonist.
The two performed in the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet for more than a decade, weaving together concise horn lines and unrepentant, impromptu bursts of improvisation. Each member of the ensemble was encouraged to compose for the group, though the elder European player eventually pushed the band to play completely improvised sets.
“They’re all these different ways of approaching improvised music that worked with composition. And we were learning these different systems of thought,” Vandermark says about his time in the ensemble. “Then when we moved away from the page and went totally improvised, we had that foundation.”
Vandermark’s time in the band followed the beginning of his weekly performances in the mid-’90s at a well-regarded Chicago rock club. The saxophonist says he didn’t think the series would last a week, let alone the five years it ran. But during that time—in addition to having a platform to experiment in front of an audience—the bandleader, who was then helming The Vandermark 5, made contact with a wealth of European improvisers, including Brötzmann.
“I started relationships—creative, collaborative relationships—with many musicians from Europe through that series. And continued to pursue them after that series ended,” he says. “It’s way more than economics, it’s a creative thing. I don’t know exactly why, but I find a rapport with European artists that’s very different than in the States.”
In a roundabout way, the series also introduced Vandermark to a long-term partner, Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. The two have performed regularly for more than 20 years, most recently releasing a seven-disc compendium called Japan 2019, a collection of live recordings alongside musicians the duo encountered on tour.
“I think that there’s still a thing in Europe, where the idea of being an artist is a legitimate pursuit. It’s like a real thing,” says Vandermark. “In the States, if I tell someone who doesn’t know me, ‘I’m a musician,’ they go, ‘Oh, what do you do? What’s your job?’”
Within avant-jazz, Vandermark’s a known quantity—a burly improviser with an approach to the horn that enables him to slip just as easily into a 10-piece ensemble or power a sax-drums duo. But amid a 30-year career that’s already connected him with some of the best-known improvisers in the world, taking a new tack would entail more than convening trusted collaborators and angling for something new.
“I realized that I needed to work with people who didn’t know me,” Vandermark says. “The thing is that when you work with people that know you really well, it’s human nature for them to think that they know what you want. If you want to make a change, it actually can be difficult to do that with someone who knows your music really well.”
In 2017, the bandleader convened Marker, a project that found Vandermark leading a group of generationally distinct players through knotty charts dedicated to everything from a Jean-Luc Godard sci-fi noir film to foundational New Orleans performers.
Unlike his previous groups, he decided to include a guitarist. And a violinist.
Sonically, the band still fit into Vandermark’s sound-world: snatches of discernible melody artfully skittering into beautiful cacophony.
His Edition Redux ensemble—which is set to perform Sunday, February 25, at The Front Porch—would be something different. Vandermark wanted to investigate his love of Tropicália, post-punk and funk, among other music—even if those ideas were explored through compositional concepts tied to the jazz tradition.
The second track on Edition Redux’s 2023 debut, “Summer Sweater/Matching Shocks/Coherence/Swan Zig,” opens with languid funk from drummer Lily Finnegan and keyboardist Erez Dessel. (The quartet’s rounded out by tubist Beth McDonald.) The tune’s dedicated to a raft of the bandleader’s interests: a soul vocalist, Constructivist artists, and a European saxophonist. It swings in service of artistic expression and discovery as the groove gives way to jittery improvisation.
“We’ve got to discover this stuff ourselves,” Vandermark says about working with the new ensemble.
Finnegan connected with the bandleader after completing a master’s at Berklee College of Music and moving to Chicago. A mentor—keyboardist Kris Davis—played with Vandermark on an album several years back, and made the introduction. Vandermark sent some charts to Finnegan and set up a time to play.
“Coming from a school setting, you’re kind of always wanting some validation,” the drummer says. “He was just down with it. And I could tell he just wanted me to be myself. That’s what he liked about me—all the parts of me. And the fact that it wasn’t just a jazz thing—it was all these different styles and influences together—it just kind of clicked right away.”
Vandermark says the ensemble’s Charlottesville date likely will serve as a way to test some material not on the troupe’s first recording, Better A Rook Than A Pawn.
“Right now there’s a dozen new tunes,” he says about mixing recent compositions with songs from the record for live dates. “I can write anything I want for them—and they’ll play it better than me.”
When Guatemalan singer-songwriter Sara Curruchich sings in her mother tongue, the heart and soul of her message is clear. A Mayan Kaqchikel woman, Curruchich performs rock, folk, and traditional music as both activism and art. The passionate advocate for women’s rights has performed around the globe, releasing albums since 2015, and receiving numerous awards for recordings and documentary films that illuminate the history of resistance, struggle, and injustices faced by Indigenous women.
7pm, free. Old Cabell Hall, UVA. arts.virginia.edu or saracurruchichatuva.mavllata.org
