LCIC began with an interest in the needs of the Lorton area in early 1974, by Jane McVey and Jeff Krebs from the Springfield Mental Health Center, local ministers and church leaders, the Lorton Fire Department, school principals, civic associations, and residents of Lorton.
Christine Herbstreith is recognized as one of the main founders of LCIC. Her drive and efforts led to many of the organization’s major accomplishments.
At LCIC’s first health fair in June 1975,
200 adults received physicals. This was thanks to the National Institutes of Health and LCIC Volunteers.
On January 9th, 1978 LCIC became LCAC.
This name change was to describe the goals and evolving services of the organization.
The services we offered back in the early days look similar to many of the ones that are still offered today: emergency referrals for services, emergency food help, a thrift shop, and an inventory of human services.
Before the Lorton Community Center or the yellow “Herbstreith House,” LCAC was housed on the grounds of Gunston Elementary School. In December of 1978, construction of a small new building on the school property began.
For years Lorton did not have a library, only a County Book Mobile that visited Lorton every Tuesday. The closest Fairfax County Library was more than 25 miles away for some residents.
People could request books to be dropped off at LCAC between Book Mobile runs, but this was not a permanent solution.
In 1980, the former Engleside Library relocated to the Williamsburg Square shopping center in Lorton. The new Lorton Library Storefront (aka Lorton Mini Library) finally provided a physical location for residents of Lorton to borrow books.
This was a result of 4 years of work by LCAC, passionate locals, the Fairfax County Library Board and the Board of Supervisors.
After years of searching LCAC found a location to centralize their operation. It was the “Murphy Property”, located along Route 1 in Lorton.
Using a $94,000 block grant as down payment and reaching an agreement with Fairfax County, the Board of Supervisors, and the County Library Board, LCAC received rights to half of the property. The second half of the land went to the Library Board for the construction of a library in Lorton.
LCAC used other block grant funds to renovate the location. And continued their work in the “Butler Building” at Gunston Hall Elementary until they moved into the new house in September of 1984. The thrift store would remain in the Butler Building.
This is the same land LCAC, the Lorton Library, and the Community Center sits on today.
In partnership with the Fairfax County Library and Fairfax County Park Authority the Lorton Library began construction on the Murphy Property sometime in 1987. The library had its grand opening on April 6th, 1990.
The First Annual Fall Festival was held on October 20th, 1991 at Gunston Hall. This was LCAC’s biggest fundraiser at the time and included food, music, and a silent auction.
This event became the Annual Gala LCAC holds today.
In January of 1993, LCAC’s Board of Directors made the decision to hire the first paid staff member, Lillian Haynes, Assistant to the Director.
In May of 1993, the number of staff increased by two. LCAC hired a Thrift Shop Manager, Shyria McKelleget and after the retirement of Christine Herbstreith, Jeannine Deem Purdy was hired as a part-time Executive Director.
On September 19th, 1993, LCAC dedicated the “Murphy House” to founder, long-time director, and president Christine Herbstreith. Following this event, the house became known as the “Herbstreith House.”
Act II Thrift Store opened in Williamsburg Square on March 8th, 1997.
Until this point, LCAC’s thrift store had been operating out of the “Butler Building” (aka Gunston Shed). This new thrift store location previously housed the Lorton Mini Library.
LCAC’s Thrift Store is still in its Williamsburg Square at 9506 Richmond Hwy.
The Lorton Community Resource Center opened on April 27th, 2002.
The LCRC was made possible through a partnership agreement with the Fairfax County Police, LCAC, and the Department of Family Services.
Together, these agencies strove to work within the Lorton community by providing outreach services to benefit children, individuals, and families
In June of 2010, LCAC was forced to close the Community Resource Center (CRC) located in Williamsburg Square in Lorton.
Over the years the co-founding community partners stopped supporting CRC and LCAC became the sole service provider.
In April 2010 the county withdrew their annual funding for this program due to their shift in focus from youth programming to food and financial assistance. LCAC couldn’t replace the amount lost from the county and was forced to close the CRC.
“We felt a name change was needed to more adequately reflect the store’s geographic location in southeast Fairfax County and to also make the name a little more enticing.”
-From Holiday 2010 Issue of LCAC Center Page Newsletter
“ELEVEN. That is how many steps that volunteers and staff will no longer have to go down and then back up to prepare food bags for distribution at Lorton Community Action Center.
On Wednesday, May 11th, 2011, LCAC, the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, Vulcan Materials and numerous county and state officials joined with the community to celebrate the dedication of the new food pantry. The 2,000 sqft, one-story modular structure streamlined the entire food collection and distribution process due to all of the food being on the same level.”
-Excerpt from LCAC’s Spring 2011 newsletter
In 2018, while the Lorton Community Center was in the design, zoning, and permitting stage, some Lorton residents greatly opposed the new building.
The main complaint was that the community center would take up much of the “green space” of Lorton Park. The residents and community members who supported this complaint were generally not opposed to the community center, but instead the location.
Fairfax County, the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC), and the community celebrated the construction of the new Lorton Community Center and Lorton Library with a groundbreaking ceremony in Lorton Park on August 22, 2020.
Planning for this project started in 1984. Click below to see timeline of the Community Center Project.
The LCAC “toy store” is available to our client families to pick out free gifts for their child’s birthdays and special holidays. The store features gifts for all ages from stuffed animals to puzzles, Legos, and sports gear!
The March 6 leveling of LCAC’s former home was an emotional experience for the nonprofit’s staff members who have since adjusted to their new surroundings in the community center.
“We felt an element of time passing,” said LCAC director of development Jessica Cogen. “A passing of the torch from those who created the opportunity to center LCAC in the old house and an element of great excitement knowing LCAC has entered another strong era since we moved into the new Lorton Community Center on the lot adjacent to the old house.”
LCAC’s trailer, which sat next to the Murphy House, will also be knocked down, creating more open space — including for an extension to the community center and library’s main parking lot, which often is quite full, according to Cogen. What will remain standing at the site, however, is the large monarch oak tree, located just north of where the Murphy House once stood.
LCAC’s All Can Be Healthy (ACBH) Initiative responds to the need to make health resources more widely available to underserved individuals and families. ACBH focuses on expanded nutritional assistance and accessible health services. The goal is to enable residents to be healthier, allowing households more stability. The All Can Be Healthy initiative is made possible with funding from the Potomac Health Foundation and Sentara Cares.
LCAC helps qualified clients with vehicle repairs in partnership with Gunston Shell Service Center. Our goal is to help clients with their commutes to jobs, schools, or daycare providers.
We have a fantastic team that continues to grow and a dedicated network of volunteers that support our everyday functions.
We are looking forward to continuing our growth as an organization. And we hope the next 50 years will be even better than the last!
Have something to share about LCAC’s history? Email Sofia@LortonAction.org to share your stories.
Special thank you to Pam Chase, Lynn Nestor, Joshua Henry, and Sofia Chu.
LCAC provides food, clothing, emergency financial assistance and outreach programs to southeastern Fairfax County.
Monday – Friday:
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Monday – Friday:
8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Monday – Wednesday:
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday – Friday:
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday:
11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
