The Miller Home for Girls’ Legacy of Empowerment and Transformation
By: Olivia Carter | Photos By: Ashlee Glen
For 150 years, the Miller Home for Girls has provided a safe place for young women in need, guiding them toward stability, self-sufficiency, and a brighter future.
Executive Director Stacy Garrett, who has led the organization for two decades, passionately upholds the mission that has remained steadfast since the home’s founding in 1875: to care for girls and help them build a positive path forward.
“Miller Home opened its doors in 1875 and has been taking care of girls who needed a safe place to live, redirect their path, and become smart, intelligent, well-rounded individuals who can go back into our community after the age of 18,” Garrett said. “That has always been our mission.”
Above: When first established, the Miller Home was known as the Lynchburg Female Orphan Asylum. At that time the home could care for approximately 100 girls at once and it was located in a four story building on a working farm. The Asylum was located on Memorial Avenue where E. C. Glass High School and The Plaza are today. Photo courtesy of Lynchburg Museum System.
Originally established as the Lynchburg Female Orphan Asylum, the home primarily served orphaned girls. Back then, a guardian, family member, or parent could drop off a girl and she would remain at the home until she married or finished school. In the 1950s, the institution was renamed the Miller Home of Lynchburg and the term “orphan” was phased out as societal needs and the structure of child welfare evolved.
Today, girls come to the Miller Home in various ways.
Many are placed by a guardian or through the Department of Social Services due to changing home circumstances, truancy, or court orders. The home serves as an alternative to detention centers, offering preventive care rather than treatment.
“We’re not a treatment facility; we are a preventive care facility,” Garrett said. “We aim to smooth out a bumpy road and build a network of professionals to help these young women transition back home, move into foster care, or age out and become independent members of the community.”
Dr. Selinna Creasy, volunteer while in college, full-time staff member, and Board of Directors member, said as a volunteer, she witnessed firsthand the organization’s profound impact on the community.
“Inspired by the dedication of the staff and the lives being transformed, I transitioned into a full-time staff role, contributing to the mission that I deeply believe in, ‘Changing Lives, One Girl at a Time.’ Over the years, my commitment to Miller Home grew stronger, eventually leading me to serve on the Board,” Creasy said. “As the current vice president of Miller Home for Girls, this progression has been incredibly fulfilling, allowing me to support and advocate for a place that continues providing hope and strength to so many. It’s a privilege to be part of such a legacy and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Miller Home.”
The Miller Home focuses on three key areas to support the girls in their care: academics, mental health, and life skills.
“We work to ensure our girls are engaged in school, attending every day, and striving for academic success,” Garrett said. “We also connect them with professional counseling services to help them develop problem-solving and coping skills, particularly if mental health is a factor in their placement.”
The Miller Home also helps girls develop essential life skills.
“We teach them how to keep their rooms clean, cook meals, do their laundry—basic skills they need to be self-sufficient,” Garrett said. “By combining these three aspects, we help them build a strong foundation for the future.”
Unlike some institutions, the Miller Home does not offer in-house counseling. Instead, they partner with outside professionals to ensure an unbiased perspective on each girl’s progress.
“Having a third-party professional involved means we’re not the only ones making the call, especially when it comes to mental health,” Garrett said.
The Miller Home has never relied on state, federal, or city funding to sustain its operations. Instead, it has thrived for 150 years thanks to unwavering
community support.
“The reason our doors are still open is because of our community,” Garrett said. “Through donations, volunteering, and in-kind gifts, our supporters ensure we can continue our work. But it’s getting harder. With economic uncertainties, people are more cautious about giving, yet the needs of our girls remain.”
Local organizations, civic groups, and businesses have played an instrumental role in keeping the home running. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Park View Community Mission, Food for Thought, the Lynchburg Hillcats, and Liberty University have all contributed through fundraising, pantry donations, and volunteer efforts.
Phil Vassar, a country music artist, has partnered with the home since 2008.
“We are incredibly grateful for the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation’s grants, which have helped us purchase necessary items,” Garrett said. “And our community always steps up, whether it’s Dave and Chris Henderson at Water Dog supporting our fundraising events or Starr Hill Brewery organizing an Angel Tree for us. The generosity is overwhelming.”
The Miller Home has an ability to tailor individualized service plans for each girl. As one of only three programs in Virginia licensed by the Department of Social Services under minimum standards, the Miller Home develops monthly goals and structured plans based on each girl’s specific needs.
“We don’t take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach,” Garrett said. “Each girl has her own plan, reviewed on a monthly basis. Because we have a small number of residents, usually eight to ten girls, we can work with them closely and ensure they are making progress.”
She said it’s this hands-on approach that is one of the reasons the Miller Home continues to thrive and make a lasting impact.
Justine, who was a resident from middle school until her first semester of college, then becoming an intern and a full-time staff member with Miller Home, said the impact that the organization had on her life as a resident inspired her to want to come back and complete an internship.
“During my internship a full-time position opened and I decided to take it and become a Child Care Worker,” she said. “Miller Home has had such an impact on my life that I wanted to come back, stay involved, and keep Miller Home in my life.”
Over the decades, the challenges faced by the girls at the Miller Home have evolved.
“In the past, our girls had to sew their clothes and work on farms. Now, we’re dealing with issues like technology, social media, vaping, and the aftermath of COVID-19,” Garrett said. “But our mission remains the same, which is to provide a stable, nurturing environment that prepares them for a successful future.”
One of the most significant measures of success is the transformation that takes place in the lives of the girls.
“Success for us isn’t about numbers, it’s about the quality of the time we spend with these girls,” Garrett said. “It’s seeing a girl make the honor roll for the first time, getting a job, opening a bank account, or applying to college.”
The consequences of not having a place like the Miller Home are stark. Without its support, many of these young women could face homelessness, fall into gang-related activities, or continue cycles of instability, Garrett said. Instead, they are given the chance to break generational patterns and build a better future.
“We’ve had girls who are the first in their families to go to college,” Garrett said. “They learn to trust people outside their immediate family, gain self-worth, and see possibilities they never imagined.”
Kayla, current intern for Miller Home, said her time at the nonprofit has been one of the greatest blessings of her college journey.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact Miller Home has on the lives of the girls it serves, and the incredible difference made when dedicated individuals, like the Miller Home staff, step up to care for them every day,” she said. “Miller Home is not just a building or a temporary place for the girls to stay, it’s a true home, where they can find safety, support, and a sense of belonging.”
Every single day, the staff gives 100 percent to these girls, Garrett said.
“We make sure they are fed, safe, clothed, and supported,” she said.
“That’s the heart of what we do. I definitely think our community is proud of it and I appreciate them riding along with us and we need their support to keep us here for another 150 years.”
