A Permanent Home for the Free Clinic

FARMVILLE – The Board of Directors of the Heart of Virginia Free Clinic (HOVFC) recently purchased the former Buffalo Creek Guitar Co. building on East Third Street near Downtown Farmville.

The purchase of the building was made possible by a generous anonymous donor, according to Pat Payne, Executive Director of the HOFVC.

“For years, we have rented and moved from place to place as we seek to provide healthcare to those who too often fall through the gaps, notably the working poor without health insurance,” Payne said. “Now we have a permanent home, thanks to a generous donor and the work of our staff and board of directors.”

 HOVFC is a volunteer organization dedicated to the belief that everyone should have access to basic health care services. The idea for this clinic was born from a vision of concerned healthcare professionals and other community leaders in 2009. With much hard work, the Heart of Virginia Free Clinic was incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2010, and in April 2012, opened its doors to our first patients. Since then, the clinic has held over 500 clinics, providing nearly 3,000 appointments for more than 550 patients. In the seven years the clinic has been open, HOVFC has provided more than 8,440 prescriptions valued at over $1 million dollars.

“We’re very proud of the work that Payne and her staff of steadfast volunteer doctors and nurses and volunteers have been able to do in this community,” said HOVFC Board Chairman Edith Vaughn. “We are looking forward to our move, which we hope will take place after winter, or in about three months.”

HOVFC needs to raise approximately $50,000 before the clinic moves from its current location on South Main Street to its new home on East Third Street. 

“These funds would go toward renovations we need to make before we move to the new location,” said Thomas Jordan Miles III, HOVFC Vice-President. “We’ve got a long process to get to where we need to be, and it’s going to take the help of the community to get there through monetary donations, donations of furniture, paint, cabinets, sheetrock, lumber, appliances, and lighting fixtures to make this dream become a reality.”

Payne said the new building is about 3,300 square feet large, which will allow more office space and more space for exam rooms and a larger pharmacy.

“We’re very grateful for Dr. Edward Gordon for him allowing us to use his former practice and office on South Main Street for all these years,” Payne said. 

A Facilities Committee of the HOVFC Board helped negotiate the purchase of the new building.

“We’re very grateful for the hard work of our Facilities Committee in helping secure this building,” Miles said, “which will allow us to provide more services, expand the services and programs we provide now, and, most importantly, allow better access to healthcare to those who fall through the cracks daily to lead them to better lives.”

THE HOVFC serves Prince Edward, Buckingham, Amelia, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg and Nottoway counties.

For more information on the clinic, email heartofvirginiafreeclinic@yahoo.com or call 434-315-5701.