St. Joseph's Villa Alumni gathering August 3

More than 60 former children once served by St. Joseph's Villa, and their families, will visit the agency's main campus in Greece, Saturday, August 3, for an event honoring the Villa's 60th anniversary.

Beginning at 1 p.m., the day will include a brief program, tours of residential cottages, a historical photo display and a tree dedication in tribute to the legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The Sisters led the organization from the time of its founding by the Catholic Diocese in 1942 until the mid-1970s. Officials from the Town of Greece and the Greece Chamber of Commerce will also present proclamations in honor of the agency's six decades of service to the community.

For alumni and their families - many of whom have not returned to the agency since their childhoods - it will be an emotional day of memories and reflection, according to Villa staff.

The Villa began as an orphanage to serve about 90 Rochester area children who were unable to be placed in foster homes at the time. Over the years, its residential cottages have been "home" to hundreds of boys and girls who have lost parents or required placement for a variety of reasons.

Today the agency has evolved into a network of community-wide programs and services aimed at helping at-risk youth overcome serious emotional and behavioral challenges and build lifelong strengths. The agency now serves about 1,200 youth and families annually from throughout Western and Central New York through its residential, educational, preventive, group home and independent living, chemical dependency and asset development programs. Most Villa youth are working to overcome the effects of troubled backgrounds that may include poverty, abuse, broken relationships, violence, mental illness or substance abuse.