A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide

Hoarding support in Staunton, Virginia.

A respectful place to begin, whether you are looking for support for yourself, worried about someone you love, or trying to respond to a safety, housing, care, or practical concern in Staunton and the surrounding Shenandoah Valley.

People first.Then the stuff.A Fight the Blight initiative

Start here - Fight the Blight

You do not have to know the perfect next step.

Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Staunton, the surrounding Augusta County region, and other communities. We can help you think through what is happening and what kind of next step may fit.

For immediate danger

Call 911 for immediate danger, fire, rescue, or a medical emergency. For behavioral-health crisis support, call or text 988 or contact Valley Community Services Board's crisis pathway. For general resource navigation, call 211.

First conversations

A few good places to start

You do not need to know the perfect service name before reaching out. These organizations can help you understand the landscape and identify a next step.

Private-pay hoarding support, organizing help, groups, and family guidance - broader service area, including possible support for Staunton; private-pay scope, cost, scheduling, travel, consent, safety, and capacity must be confirmed directly; not emergency or clinical care

The Peer Tree

The Peer Tree is the private-pay pathway for organizing help, decluttering support, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps when a grant or public program is not the right fit. Ask about scope, cost, travel, consent, safety, and whether support is available in Staunton or Augusta County.

Digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns - online; not therapy or emergency support

Unburied

Unburied, from The Peer Tree, offers a judgment-free digital pathway with peer support, groups, and tools for people directly affected and for friends or family supporters. It is not therapy, a crisis service, or a substitute for emergency help.

Free 24/7 call, text, and chat crisis pathway - Virginia and nationwide; crisis response, privacy, and handoff rules apply; not cleanup or emergency dispatch

Virginia 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 for confidential behavioral-health crisis support and connection to Virginia's crisis system. Use 911 for immediate danger, fire, rescue, or a medical emergency.

Public behavioral-health, substance-use, developmental-disability, prevention, and same-day-access pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta, and Highland region; assessment, eligibility, scheduling, and clinical rules apply

Valley Community Services Board

Valley Community Services Board provides mental-health, substance-use, developmental-disability, prevention, and crisis pathways. Ask about current access, eligibility, language access, and the appropriate service or referral.

Public-health, WIC, immunization, environmental-health, and vital-records pathway - Staunton, Augusta, and Central Shenandoah region; appointment, eligibility, fee, and document rules apply

Central Shenandoah Health District

The Central Shenandoah Health District serves Staunton and the surrounding region. Call ahead about public-health services, WIC, immunizations, environmental health, vital records, and current appointment or walk-in rules.

Benefits, protective-services, and social-support intake - Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County; eligibility, assessment, documentation, and jurisdiction rules apply

Shenandoah Valley Social Services

Shenandoah Valley Social Services provides benefits and human-services assistance for people in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County, including food, medical, financial, energy, child-care, employment, adult, and family services.

Safety and stability

When the concern involves safety, housing, or crisis

These pathways serve different situations. Read the labels carefully before calling, especially when a response may involve crisis care, protective services, shelter, housing rules, legal advocacy, or emergency dispatch.

Immediate danger and emergency dispatch - Staunton and the surrounding response area; use for fire, rescue, medical emergency, violence, or an active threat; not a hoarding-support program

911 Emergency Services

Call 911 when there is immediate danger, fire, a medical emergency, violence, a rescue need, or a threat that cannot wait for a scheduled service.

24/7 free and confidential behavioral-health crisis support - Virginia; call or text 988; use 911 for immediate danger; not a cleanup service

Virginia 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 for confidential behavioral-health crisis support and connection to Virginia's crisis network. It is not emergency dispatch, licensed therapy by itself, or a cleanup provider.

Local police and non-emergency public-safety pathway - City of Staunton; emergency dispatch, report, and jurisdiction rules apply

Staunton Police Department

Use Staunton Police for city law-enforcement questions, delayed reports, and safety concerns that are not immediate emergencies. Call 911 when someone is in immediate danger.

Fire, rescue, emergency-management, and fire-prevention pathway - City of Staunton; response and inspection limits apply

Staunton Fire & Rescue

Use Staunton Fire & Rescue for fire-prevention and non-emergency information. Call 911 for an active fire, medical emergency, rescue need, or immediate threat.

Water, sewer, trash, street, storm-drain, and infrastructure emergency pathway - City of Staunton; service-area and response limits apply

Staunton Public Works After-Hours

Staunton Public Works lists an after-hours number for city infrastructure emergencies. Use 911 for immediate danger or a medical emergency, and call Public Works for a city service issue that cannot wait.

24/7 urgent behavioral-health crisis pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta, and Highland region; clinical triage, response, and transport rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Valley Community Services Board Emergency Services

Valley CSB lists 24/7 emergency services for urgent behavioral-health concerns. Call 911 for immediate danger, fire, rescue, or a medical emergency.

24/7 emergency and critical medical-care pathway - Fishersville and the Staunton-Augusta region; emergency evaluation, transfer, payment, and clinical rules apply

Augusta Health Emergency Department

Augusta Health's emergency department provides 24/7 emergency care for critical illness and injury. Go to an emergency department or call 911 for immediate medical danger.

Urgent or rapidly reportable public-health pathway - Staunton and Central Shenandoah region; public-health triage rules apply; not emergency medical dispatch

Central Shenandoah Health District Urgent Public Health

The district directs urgent or rapidly reportable public-health situations after normal hours to its after-hours line. Use 911 for a medical emergency or immediate danger.

Adult and child protective-services pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County; assessment, confidentiality, jurisdiction, and emergency rules apply

Shenandoah Valley Social Services Protective Services

Contact Shenandoah Valley Social Services for adult or child abuse, neglect, exploitation, or urgent social-service concerns. Call 911 when there is immediate danger.

Confidential domestic-violence, sexual-assault, human-trafficking, advocacy, and shelter pathway - Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro; survivor intake, confidentiality, shelter, and capacity rules apply

New Directions Center

New Directions provides support and advocacy for people affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Use a safe communication method if someone may monitor calls or messages.

Regional homelessness response, shelter coordination, diversion, and housing-support pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, Lexington, Augusta, Rockbridge, and Highland region; intake and availability rules apply

Valley Homeless Connection

Valley Homeless Connection provides regional coordination, referrals, diversion, housing support, and needs-based assistance. Contact the intake team to ask what is available now.

McKinney-Vento and school-stability pathway - Staunton students and families without fixed, regular, adequate nighttime housing; school eligibility and liaison rules apply

Staunton City Schools Homeless Education

Staunton City Schools can help students and families experiencing housing insecurity with school stability and related supports. Contact the McKinney-Vento liaison rather than waiting for a housing situation to resolve.

Property-maintenance, building-safety, planning, and code pathway - City of Staunton; notice, inspection, permit, correction, and jurisdiction rules apply

Staunton Community Development Property Safety

City Community Development handles property-maintenance and building-safety questions. Ask about the least disruptive appropriate path when a property issue overlaps with hoarding or clutter concerns.

City water, sewer, billing, and service-restoration pathway - City of Staunton utility customers; account, payment, cutoff, and reconnection rules apply

Staunton Utilities and Water Cutoff

Use the city's utility information for water or sewer billing and service questions. No after-hours reconnection is provided; call 911 for an immediate safety emergency.

State emergency preparedness and disaster-information pathway - Virginia; incident-specific guidance and local-response rules apply

Virginia Department of Emergency Management

Virginia Department of Emergency Management provides preparedness and disaster information. During an active local emergency follow 911, city, and public-safety instructions first.

Veterans' primary-care, behavioral-health, social-work, and referral pathway - eligible veterans in Staunton and the surrounding region; VA enrollment, eligibility, appointment, and emergency rules apply

Staunton VA Clinic

The Staunton VA Clinic lists primary care, behavioral-health, and social-work services for eligible veterans. Call the clinic about enrollment and appointments; use 911 or the nearest emergency department for immediate danger.

Civil legal-aid pathway for housing, public benefits, family, and other poverty-law matters - Staunton and the Shenandoah Valley service area; income, conflict, intake, and case-acceptance rules apply

Blue Ridge Legal Services

Blue Ridge Legal Services serves Staunton and surrounding Shenandoah Valley localities. Contact intake about housing, public benefits, family, or other civil legal issues; it is not emergency dispatch.

People and practical help

Housing, food, care, transportation, and ongoing support

These listings connect the local community with housing, food, behavioral health, benefits, transit, survivor advocacy, disability support, peer support, and practical resources. Ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.

Food, medical, financial, energy, child-care, employment, and protective-services pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County; eligibility and documentation rules apply

Shenandoah Valley Social Services Benefits

Start with Shenandoah Valley Social Services for local benefit screening and social-service intake. Programs may include SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, energy help, child-care assistance, and other supports.

Online application and benefits-navigation pathway - Virginia; program, income, household, identity, and documentation rules apply

Virginia CommonHelp

CommonHelp is Virginia's official application and screening pathway for food, health, cash, energy, and child-care assistance. Availability and eligibility depend on the program and household circumstances.

Free confidential resource-navigation pathway - Virginia; local availability, eligibility, language access, and referral limits apply; not emergency dispatch

211 Virginia

Call 211 or search Virginia's resource directory for food, housing, utilities, health care, employment, veteran, child-care, and crisis-navigation options. Call 911 for an emergency.

Income-based public housing and Housing Choice Voucher pathway - Staunton and Augusta County; income limits, waitlists, unit availability, inspections, and documentation rules apply

Staunton Redevelopment and Housing Authority

SRHA administers HUD income-based housing programs, including multifamily apartments and Housing Choice Vouchers. Its waitlist status can change, so verify current openings and application rules directly.

Affordable-housing, CDBG, home-repair, accessibility, and housing-insecurity resource hub - City of Staunton; program funding, eligibility, application, and partner rules apply

City of Staunton Housing Programs Division

The city's Housing Programs Division lists local, state, and federal housing resources, including rental assistance, home repair, accessibility, supportive housing, and legal-support pathways.

Regional homelessness response and housing-stability pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, Lexington, Augusta, Rockbridge, and Highland region; intake, referral, funding, and availability rules apply

Valley Homeless Connection

Contact Valley Homeless Connection for regional shelter coordination, diversion, referrals, housing support, and needs-based assistance. Confirm current intake and capacity before relying on a referral.

Shelter, meals, clothing, hygiene, and practical-assistance pathway - Staunton; shelter eligibility, household configuration, capacity, and current intake rules apply

Valley Mission

Valley Mission serves single adults and families and provides shelter, meals, hygiene supplies, clothing support, and limited community assistance. Contact the organization about current intake, capacity, and service rules.

Domestic-violence, sexual-assault, human-trafficking advocacy, shelter, and education pathway - Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro; confidential intake, eligibility, and capacity rules apply

New Directions Center

New Directions offers confidential advocacy, support, and shelter pathways for survivors. Use the crisis hotline or a safe contact method if immediate safety or monitored communication is part of the concern.

Area-agency-on-aging information, referrals, case management, Medicare counseling, respite, meals, wellness, and transportation pathway - adults 60+ and caregivers in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County; eligibility and scheduling rules apply

Valley Program for Aging Services

VPAS serves older adults and caregivers in the Staunton area. Ask about information and referral, case management, Medicare counseling, respite, meals, wellness programs, and transportation.

Home-delivered meal and nutrition-support pathway - adults 60+ in the VPAS service area who meet current homebound and meal-support criteria; assessment, route, and scheduling rules apply

VPAS Meals on Wheels

VPAS describes Meals on Wheels for older adults who cannot prepare meals and can safely remain at home with meal support. Ask about current eligibility, assessment, delivery area, and frozen-meal options.

Home-delivered meal pathway - homebound Staunton neighbors or people unable to prepare meals, regardless of age or income; intake, delivery, and contribution rules apply

Martha's Meals on Wheels

Staunton Connect lists Martha's Meals on Wheels as a Monday-through-Friday meal delivery option. Contact the program about current intake, delivery area, and the listed per-meal cost.

Fixed-route, trolley, paratransit, and regional transportation pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County; fare, route, ADA eligibility, and schedule rules apply

BRITE Bus Transit Service

BRITE connects Staunton with regional destinations and lists fixed routes, trolleys, and ADA-compliant paratransit. Confirm current schedules, exact fares, and eligibility before a time-sensitive trip.

Transit-information hub for BRITE, Virginia Breeze, and regional connections - Staunton; schedules, ticketing, route, and operator rules apply

City of Staunton Public Transportation

The city's transportation page links BRITE routes and Virginia Breeze intercity service. The city does not operate BRITE, so direct route questions to the transit provider.

Public library, computer, Wi-Fi, meeting-room, printing, research, and referral pathway - Staunton; library-card, appointment, and usage rules apply

Staunton Public Library

Staunton Public Library offers public computers, free Wi-Fi, printing, research help, meeting rooms, and technology support. Ask staff about current hours, access, and available community-resource information.

One-on-one technology, research, and information-help pathway - library users; appointment and service-scope rules apply; not case management or legal advice

Staunton Public Library Book a Librarian

Book a Librarian can provide short one-on-one help with basic technology, online resources, and research. It can be a practical bridge for completing forms or locating official information, but it is not legal, clinical, or benefits advice.

School counseling, nursing, special-education, assessment, and family-support pathway - Staunton students and families; school enrollment, eligibility, evaluation, and confidentiality rules apply

Staunton City Schools Student Services

Staunton City Schools Student Services includes school psychologists, support staff, nurses, counselors, special-education staff, and family-transition supports. Contact the district about current school-based help.

School nutrition and family-resource pathway - enrolled Staunton students and qualifying households; school-calendar, meal, enrollment, and eligibility rules apply

Staunton City Schools Nutrition and Family Supports

Staunton City Schools and Virginia's school-quality information describe school nutrition and free or reduced-price meal pathways. Contact the district for current menus, enrollment, and family-support rules.

Free grocery, pantry, meal, and mobile-distribution locator - Staunton and Central/Western Virginia; pantry service areas, hours, delivery, and program-specific eligibility rules apply

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Food Finder

Use the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Food Finder to locate nearby food pantries, meals, mobile distributions, and delivery options. Call ahead to confirm hours and any address or service-area rules.

Regional food-bank and SNAP-navigation pathway - Central and Western Virginia; partner-site, language, frequency, and program rules apply

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

The Food Bank's resource pages explain how to find food, connect with partner pantries, and get help applying for SNAP. Local pantry rules vary, so call before visiting.

Local food, pantry, hot-meal, WIC, school-meal, and meal-delivery resource hub - Staunton and surrounding region; schedules, eligibility, and partner availability apply

Staunton Connect Food Resource Hub

Staunton Connect lists Valley Mission meals, Trinity Episcopal Church lunch, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Food Finder, WIC, CommonHelp, school nutrition, and meal-delivery options. Verify current times before traveling.

Public-health, WIC, immunization, environmental-health, and vital-records pathway - Staunton and Central Shenandoah region; appointment, eligibility, fee, and document rules apply

Central Shenandoah Health District

Use the Central Shenandoah Health District for public-health questions and to locate current health-department services. The district announced temporary appointment relocation during Staunton-Augusta construction, so call ahead.

Local health-department clinic and environmental-health pathway - Staunton and Augusta-area residents; appointment, service, fee, and location rules apply

Staunton-Augusta Health Department

The Staunton-Augusta Health Department is the local public-health contact for services such as WIC, immunizations, environmental health, and vital records. Confirm the current appointment location before going.

Veterans' health, behavioral-health, social-work, and referral pathway - eligible veterans in Staunton and the surrounding region; enrollment, appointment, service, and emergency rules apply

Staunton VA Clinic

Eligible veterans can ask the Staunton VA Clinic about primary care, behavioral health, social work, and referrals. Use the nearest emergency department or 911 for an emergency.

Civil legal-aid pathway for housing, public benefits, family, and poverty-law matters - Staunton and the Shenandoah Valley; income, conflict, intake, and case-acceptance rules apply

Blue Ridge Legal Services

Blue Ridge Legal Services' Harrisonburg office serves Staunton and surrounding localities. Contact intake about housing, public benefits, family, and other civil legal issues.

Residential trash, bag tags, bulky-item, yard-waste, and recycling pathway - City of Staunton residents; bin, schedule, accepted-material, fee, and holiday rules apply

Staunton Public Works Trash and Recycling

City Public Works explains trash collection, bag tags, yard waste, annual heavy-trash pickup, and prohibited items. Use the city recycling center for accepted clean, sorted materials and call ahead about current schedules.

Resident recycling drop-off pathway - Staunton residents; residency, accepted-material, sorting, and operating-hour rules apply

Staunton Recycling Center

Staunton's recycling center accepts specified plastics, paper, cardboard, metal, and glass. It is for Staunton residents, and materials left outside operating hours are treated as trash, so check hours first.

City-issued-bin, weekly trash, yard-waste, and overflow-bag pathway - City residential customers; service address, bin, tag, schedule, and fee rules apply

Staunton Residential Collection

The residential collection page explains city-owned bins, monthly yard-waste service, bag tags, set-out times, and how to request another bin. Confirm current collection rules before placing large volumes of material at the curb.

City water, sewer, payment, leak-adjustment, and service-restoration pathway - City utility customers; account, payment, fee, and cutoff rules apply

Staunton Utility Billing

Use City Utility Billing to pay or ask about a bill, leak adjustment, payment plan or service restoration. Eligibility for adjustments is not guaranteed, and no after-hours reconnection is provided.

Planning, zoning, permits, inspections, stormwater, environmental, and property-maintenance pathway - City of Staunton; permit, fee, inspection, notice, and jurisdiction rules apply

Staunton Community Development

Community Development links planning, zoning, building, GIS, permitting, stormwater, and environmental programs. Ask staff which process fits a property concern before starting work or moving materials.

Affordable-housing, CDBG, home-repair, accessibility, and housing-insecurity resource hub - City of Staunton; funding, eligibility, application, and partner rules apply

Staunton Housing Programs Division

The Housing Programs Division connects residents to affordable rental, homeownership, repair, accessibility, supportive-housing, and legal-support resources. Availability and eligibility depend on the specific program.

Employment, training, career, veteran, disability, and senior-work pathway - Shenandoah Valley; eligibility, appointment, and program rules apply

Virginia Career Works Valley

Virginia Career Works provides employment and training services and can connect eligible workers, veterans, people with disabilities, and adults 55+ to current opportunities. Ask about the nearest center and appointment rules.

State homeownership, rental, and housing-finance information pathway - Virginia; lender, income, property, waitlist, and program rules apply

Virginia Housing

Virginia Housing provides state housing-finance and rental information. Use it as a starting point and confirm current income, property, lender, and funding requirements before relying on a program.

Rural housing and community-development pathway - eligible Virginia rural properties and households; income, property, location, and funding rules apply

USDA Rural Development Virginia

USDA Rural Development lists rural housing and community-development programs. Ask whether a Staunton-area property and household meet the current program rules; approval and funding are not guaranteed.

Substance-use prevention, naloxone, treatment-referral, and family-information pathway - Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta, and Highland region; clinical assessment and service eligibility rules apply

Begin With Hope

Valley CSB's Begin With Hope resource hub explains local prevention, naloxone, treatment-referral, and crisis options. It is educational and referral information, not a substitute for 911 or emergency care.

Hospital, primary-care, specialty, behavioral-health, and patient-support pathway - Staunton-Augusta region; service, insurance, payment, and clinical rules apply

Augusta Health

Augusta Health is a regional hospital and health system near Staunton. Use its service directory to identify appropriate care and confirm availability, cost, and emergency limits directly.

A note from the Alliance

Start with the person. Then decide what the situation needs.

This guide is anchored in Staunton, Virginia, and includes city, county, state, nonprofit, national, and independent pathways. A listing here does not mean Fight the Blight endorses every provider or can guarantee availability. The Hoarding Alliance is not a city or county agency, therapy practice, emergency service, or cleanup company. We will keep reviewing this page, but please confirm details directly before relying on them.

Need help choosing a path? Contact Fight the Blight