The 2010 census data confirmed what members of Windy Hill Foundation have been suspecting for some time. Of the 678 residents of Middleburg proper, 137 of them live in Windy Hill properties. That's fully 20% of the town of Middleburg. The story of how this came about starts 31 years ago in 1981.

That was 12 years after we had put a man on the moon, and yet, at the western end of town the Windy Hill community of 12 families was served by 6 dilapidated outhouses, and water, in the form of 2 outdoor spigots, had to be carried home in buckets or jugs.

Rene Llewellyn, a local citizen, said "this is not acceptable—not anywhere and especially not here." She started Windy Hill Foundation and raised $1 million to purchase and rebuild 9 properties on Windy Hill Road. Today, the old sycamore tree at the entrance to the road remains, but the rest of Windy Hill has been transformed by Rene's vision. In all, the Windy Hill Foundation now owns 67 units of affordable housing in Middleburg, providing homes to 92 adults and 45 children.

Who is in the Windy Hill community today? First, there are hard working families. In the last five years, Windy Hill residents have worked at the Exxon, Southern States, local restaurants, local shops, and on farms in the area. The average household income for these families ranges from $14,000 to $33,000 per year.

Second, many in the community are elderly. Most of these residents come from a lifetime of farm work or service in the Middleburg area. Social Security is their only source of income and those payments are very modest due to a long history of low wages. All of these elderly residents require added subsidy from Windy Hill Foundation.

And third, the community is home to more children than ever before. A few years ago, there were only nine children in the community. Now there are 45! The Foundation's goal continues to be to encourage self-improvement and self-sufficiency through access to better healthcare, better education, and better choices for kids.

Executive Director, Kim Hart says, "Here's what makes Windy Hill Foundation different. To the Foundation, providing an affordable home isn't the end of our mission, but only the beginning. Windy Hill is unique in this area as the only provider of workforce housing that also offers a full range of family services to help our residents be successful."

Board Chairman, Joe Boling says, "When Rene Llewellyn set out to raise $1 million in 1981 for the first Windy Hill community, the task seemed overwhelming. Thanks to the generosity of the local community she succeeded in changing the lives of nine families forever. Windy Hill Foundation continues to change lives for just one reason, because enough people believe that substandard housing for hard working families is simply not acceptable in our community. In these tough economic times, never has the need been so great. We need everyone's help."

If you would like to make a donation, please send a check to Windy Hill Foundation, PO Box 1593, Middleburg, VA 20118. To learn more about the Foundation or to donate on-line, go to www.windyhill-foundation.org. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.