Loisann's Hope House
Loisann’s Hope House is the region’s oldest and largest family homeless shelter, having opened our doors in 1987. Our story begins on a bitterly cold night over three decades ago, when members of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg held a meeting at the church. Upon arrival, they found a homeless man sleeping in the entrance foyer, and he was invited to take part in the meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided to address the problem of homelessness in our community.
The house at 902 Lafayette Boulevard, our first home (and now one of five houses), was for sale and the members decided to attempt to purchase the property. An offer was made and financing was secured by the vestry and congregation of St. George’s Church. Renovation began in early 1986 with many volunteers and contributions from the community. During this time, the shelter was named “Hope House” at the suggestion of the Reverend Charles Sydnor.
The doors of Hope House opened in January 1987 in the middle of a big snowstorm! In 1988, the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors raffled a house and netted more than $50,000, which they donated to Hope House. Combined with the assistance of a bank loan, this enabled Hope House to purchase the property from St. George’s Church.
In the decades that followed, Loisann’s Hope House has grown to fit the needs of our community. A new house at 904 Lafayette Boulevard was constructed by volunteer community members, and over a decade ago we purchased the adjacent property at 900 Lafayette Boulevard. In 2017 we acquired the house at 826 Lafayette Boulevard, and most recently we added the house at 909 Lafayette Boulevard to our campus, enabling us to provide shelter to 19 families.
Loisann Silver Chacon, 1950-2011
Loisann Silver Chacon , 1950-2011, the greatest friend you could have; always there when we needed her....
Hope House is honored to bear the name of a compassionate, kind social worker who began her life in Fredericksburg.
Loisann Silver Chacon was blessed with an extraordinary ability to connect with people. This gift served her well throughout her too-brief life, not only in her relationships with family and friends, but also in her career as a social worker. Over the years , she worked with mentally ill patients, young people who were homeless, abused children, and people trying to find their way.
For more than two decades, Loisann was employed by Upward Bound, a government program that helps poor and minority students pursue a college experience. She was a counselor to the teens who wanted to attend college, helping them identify loans, fill out applications, and proof their writing samples.
All who knew Loisann knew they had a true friend for life, and that she would be loyal and supportive, no matter what the circumstance. Loisann exemplified the ideals of Hope House, which strives to instill hope in and provide direction for hurting, children and their families.
Loisann was sister of Larry D. Silver, President and CEO of Silver Companies, and daughter of the company’s founder, Carl D. Silver and wife Maxine.
