Elk Hill

10/30/2026

🎃👻 Halloween creativity was in full swing at Elk Hill!🧡🖤

Our schools celebrated Halloween with a week of spooky school spirit! Activities included, pumpkin decorating by students and teachers, classroom door, decorating, arts and crafts, custom, mixing Halloween trail mix, and trick-or -treating throughout the school.

Harrisonburg students welcomed fall with a local hike to view the beautiful foliage. Lessons all week also had a Halloween theme adding an element of fun.

Who doesn’t like learning about fractions and division using pumpkin seeds and candy?!?🕸️✨

Take a look at these festive creations! Which one is your favorite?

10/29/2026

Every child has a story, and every story deserves the chance to blossom.

Our latest Elk Hill Impact Report is now available! Inside, you'll discover heartwarming stories of resilience, growth, and transformation that show what's possible when children and families receive the support they need to thrive.

From small victories to life-changing milestones, these stories are a beautiful reminder of why our mission matters and the incredible impact of your support!

🌼 We invite you to explore the report and see how, together, we're helping children grow and bloom!

📖 Read the full Impact Report here:

10/23/2026

💙🧡 Every child deserves the opportunity to feel supported, build confidence, and reach their full potential.

At Elk Hill, we see every day how encouragement, understanding, and the right support can help children overcome obstacles and discover just how capable they are.

Because every child deserves a bright future. ✨

10/20/2026

Before Elk Hill began working with Z in September 2022 through our Therapeutic Day Treatment (TDT) program, school was a daily crisis. Struggling with severe anxiety, peer bullying, and early childhood trauma, Z felt unsafe in the classroom. Her fear led to extreme school refusal: she frequently ran from school property, required family and police intervention just to enter the building, and faced juvenile court oversight with a CHINS for truancy. Inside the building, her distress presented as defiance, class avoidance, and deep emotional pain, including panic attacks, self-harm, and suicidal ideation that resulted in two emergency room visits.
When Elk Hill stepped in, we connected closely with her family and school staff to create a stable, trauma-informed environment. Z learned healthy strategies to manage panic, process difficult emotions, and build trust with adults and peers. To further deepen her healing journey, Z enrolled in Elk Hill's Outpatient Counseling program and participated in Equine Therapy over the Summer of 2026, where working with horses helped her build ground-level trust, emotional regulation, and self-assurance.
Today, Z’s progress is extraordinary. She walks into school independently every morning, ready to learn and connect. Over the past two school years, she expanded her horizons by performing in the annual school musicals and stepping up as a peer mentor to guide other students facing their own challenges. Academically, she is thriving with all A’s and B’s—so much so that her principal noted Z will be remembered as one of the greatest success stories in the school’s history. Individualized care requires exceptional resources, time, and dedication. With community support, this level of life-changing care is possible, ensuring no one will walk their journey alone.

10/17/2026

A little rain was no match for the incredible volunteers from Hope Church RVA☔💪

Today, more than 40 volunteers braved the rainy weather to help beautify Elk Hill’s campus. From spreading mulch and gravel to trimming trees and clearing weeds, this amazing group rolled up their sleeves and got to work!

Despite the rain, their enthusiasm and dedication never wavered. They came with a mission to make a difference, and that’s exactly what they did!

To everyone from Hope Church, THANK YOU!💚 Your generosity, hard work, and willingness to serve mean so much to our Elk Hill family. We are incredibly grateful for your time, energy, and the beautiful improvements you made to our campus!

09/21/2026

We LOVE this! The Free Book Bus we can not thank you enough for stopping by and bringing lots of smiles to the students at Elk Hill. 🚌

Quotes from today's stop at Elk Hill Charlottesville: the student below wanted books on airplanes, and when they found these, said "These are my favorite!" And a teen student boarded the bus, saying, "You should have seen me run when I heard the book bus was here!" 🥹

09/17/2026

🚁 Talk about an exciting day at Elk Hill! 🌭

Our Goochland campus had a VERY special visitor when HeloAir, Inc. landed a helicopter right on campus! Our kids had the incredible opportunity to get an up-close look, climb inside, check out the cockpit, and learn more about the helicopter. 🚁✨

For many of our kids, this was a brand-new experience—and one they won’t soon forget!

After all the excitement, we wrapped up the day with hot dogs and chips. 🌭😊

A huge THANK YOU to HeloAir for taking the time to give our kids such a unique, hands-on experience. Days like this make some pretty great memories! 💙🧡

09/17/2026

🌻 A beautiful Day of Caring in Charlottesville! 💙🧡

Yesterday, we were fortunate to welcome an amazing team of volunteers to our Charlottesville girls group home for Day of Caring!

The team rolled up their sleeves and transformed the outdoor space with fresh landscaping, giving the flower beds some much-needed love. 🌿🌸 They also added an extra-special touch by creating beautiful handmade signs with inspirational messages to place throughout the flower beds and brought some fun goody bags for the girls who call Elk Hill home. 💛

We are so grateful for volunteers who give their time, creativity, and energy to make our spaces feel welcoming, cared for, and special.

Thank you for spending your Day of Caring with Elk Hill! 🌼

08/05/2026

Elk Hill’s beloved summer camp programs have expanded this year, allowing even more children to experience outdoor adventure and the healing power of nature.
In June, campers aged 8-12 spent four weeks exploring the wild side of Richmond. They gardened with Shalom Farms, rock-climbed with Peak Experiences, and went white-water rafting with RVA Paddle sports, among other activities.
July saw the official launch of Elk Hill’s Camp Ubuntu for 6 to 10year-olds, which includes children from the Scottsville community as well as kids from Elk Hill’s programs and community partner referrals. Each day begins with a social circle, quiet time in a “sit spot” outdoors, and free play in the creek. The kids then hike into Scottsville for an afternoon in the town’s historic Victory Hall theater, where they create and perform plays based on children’s books.
In our eight-week camp, our youth aged 10-16 have learned about farm life at Bellair Farm, gone swimming at Sugar Hollow, hiked in Shenandoah National Park, and tooled around Walnut Creek on our new kayaks and bellyaks (kayaks that are used while lying down). One of their favorite experiences: camping out at Elk Hill, surrounded by fireflies and the magic of a summer night.

07/31/2026

It was a tough year for Gracie. She had assaulted the principal at her previous elementary school and had been hospitalized because of her aggressive behavior. In Gracie’s new school in Virginia, the behavior continued: uncontrollable outbursts, inappropriate touching, even throwing things across the classroom. School staff didn’t know what to do. Then, Gracie met Cookie.
Cookie the rabbit is one of Elk Hill’s therapy animals, which are used by our school-based counselors during their daily sessions with children in schools. Our rabbits, chinchillas, and bearded dragons (plus one tortoise) all were rescued from local shelters, then screened to make sure they would thrive in a school environment.
Cookie understands what it’s like to endure tough times. When he arrived in our care, he was malnourished and covered with mud. Now, he’s a big, healthy bunny who enjoys interacting with children. Children turn to Cookie for calm and comfort, says counselor Elizabeth Ganey.
When a child is upset about something that happened at school, she’ll say: “If you don’t want to tell me, tell Cookie. He’s a good listener.” If a child is having a great day, they want to tell the bunny about that too. “Are you proud of me, Cookie?” they ask.
Gracie had a history of violence toward animals, but her team believed she could learn to treat them with love and respect. Ms. Ganey taught Gracie how to pet the bunny gently and eventually, how to hold him.
Together, they set a goal: If Gracie could follow the rules, improve her behavior, and complete her work, she would be allowed to bring Cookie to her classroom for a year-end show and tell. Gracie achieved that goal.
She explained to her classmates the “rules of the bunny”: Always ask before picking him up. Always set him down gently. Cookie, Gracie told them, was “her favorite person.”
Because of you, our donors, Elk Hill never gives up on children like Gracie. We know they’re capable of overcoming overwhelming challenges. It just takes expert care, coaching, and patience—and sometimes, a bunny’s love.