GoochlandCares is a nonprofit organization that provides more than a dozen social services for residents, including medical care, transportation and emergency housing. In late 2024, its longtime executive director Sally Graham retired after more than 25 years. Andrea Ahonen, Graham’s successor, is stepping up to continue both her and the GoochlandCares legacy.
Morning Edition host Phil Liles spoke to Ahonen recently. Here’s an excerpt from that conversation.
Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and style.
Phil Liles: Tell me a little bit about the demographics of Goochland County.
Andrea Ahonen: Goochland is a rural community, the second fastest growing county in the commonwealth and is also the largest disparity county. There is a great difference in wealth distribution between residents: The average median home price is over $700,000.
Because of the geography, because of the limited resources in terms of employment, no public transportation, increasing costs of living, there's become a very large disparity between these two parts of the demographics of our people and what they're able to access on their own and the kind of support that's needed in the county.
So GoochlandCares was created to serve these individuals?
Correct. As the organization was formed, the roots were from Goochland Family and Fellowship services and started in the 1950s out of a real grassroots organization to feed neighbors and clothe children — into a free clinic that was established in the late ’90s, Sally Graham being a nurse practitioner who helped start that clinic.
In the mid-2000s the two organizations came together to form Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services to better holistically serve those in the community.
How did you get involved?
I had heard about the organization almost a decade ago, from a volunteer from a previous organization who lives in Goochland. Who knew that eight or nine years later, as the organization was undergoing a search for their next leader with Sally's impending retirement, a mutual friend reached out and asked if I'd be interested?
Of course, you're always looking for more volunteers.
Oh yes, our volunteers are really our lifeblood of the organization, and we are so thrilled to have reached over $1.1 million raised through “The Sally Graham Fund for the Future.”
Not only did you have the $1.1 million, but also there was a book. Tell us a little bit about the book.
As you can imagine, when our team of staff as well as some amazing volunteers came together to say, ‘How are we going to honor 25 years of Sally Graham's service to the Goochland community?’ It was hard to put it into a short amount of words, because it was so many different people's perspectives and experiences.
And so the team decided to do a book which, of course, is called Sally Cares. It's an 85-page book that brings together stories and poems and heartfelt messages from community members: volunteers and clients, board members, donors, staff members.
They talk about their experience with GoochlandCares, with Sally's leadership and all that's been accomplished.
Thank you so much, Andrea, for stopping by today and just giving us the insight on GoochlandCares.
Well, thank you so much for having us. We're so proud and honored to represent the Goochland community, and all of its amazing people and support that it's provided for our Goochland neighbors.
