Our History

We come from humble beginnings but are excited to have the growth that we have!

A local non-profit organization Liberation Veteran Services has acquired Freedom House Community Shelter at 1201 Hull St. on Richmond’s Southside.
The company promises to continue Freedom House’s 30-year mission of providing food and shelter to people in crisis.

In April of 2013, the Board of Directors of Freedom House published a statement in which they announced it would cease operations effective May 3, 2013. Jay Patrick who, at the time, worked as the Chief of Operations for the agency brokered a deal that would keep the Hull Street property open and cause no change in services for the over 30 full time residents of the shelter. The deal was agreed upon by the shelter’s board of directors and Patrick, who founded L.V.S. in 2009 and managed to lead daily operations for Freedom House through the dissolution and transition into strategic planning for the future.

Understanding the rich history of Freedom House, the new leadership sees the opportunity to go beyond the current offering and expand its services. “Currently, LVS has been awarded the contract to house homeless veterans and we are in the midst of negotiations with several other potential partnerships. Our vision is to use the work of Freedom House to add to our strong foundation and grow beyond providing shelter and food but also mental health, employment services, permanent housing, and economic development programs. This is why our name references families, because our total scope of services will not just impact single adults, but eventually will holistically impact families and communities”, says Patrick. “This is the best case scenario for everyone involved. So many community groups, churches, and individuals have invested their time and resources to serve the homeless through Freedom House and we wanted to ensure its continued success”, says Jay Patrick, CEO of Liberation Veteran Services. “LVS is fortunate that we were in a position where we could assume the programs within the scope of our original mission.”