St. James the Less Free Clinic
Healthcare access for uninsured residents in Hanover County since 2006.
Our Mission
Healthcare for All
Our mission is to offer a faith-based healing ministry to our qualified Hanover neighbors by providing free medical and dental health care with compassion, dignity and respect.”
We serve uninsured, low income Hanover County residents’ medical, dental, and eye-care needs with the Hanover Interfaith Free Clinics network.
How We Started
It was the dream of Thomas M. Hubbard, MD, DDS and his wife Susan to establish a free medical and dental clinic in the Town of Ashland, Virginia. Soon others from the church and community became enthused and joined in the brainstorming and planning. In 2006, Hanover County Social services estimated that over 8,000 folks were eligible for our services.
The Saint James the Less Free Clinic opened its doors in October of 2006 in the lower level of St. James the Less Episcopal Church in Ashland, Va. In that first year, some 200 volunteers donated over 4800 hours to make the dream a reality. Within a few months of opening we had a long waiting list for medical and dental services.
In 2026, we celebrate 20 years of serving our community!
The clinic is open on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 pm and provides free medical and dental services and prevention education to Hanoverians who are uninsured and meet income requirements.
Our Impact
Every set of dentures we provide makes it easier for that patient to get a job and feel better about smiling! Our access to pharmaceutical programs helps us provide free life-saving pharmaceuticals to folks who could never begin to afford them. It is amazing how many folks live with significant dental pain due to the fact that professional dental care is financially out of reach for them. One patient who was embarrassed because of the condition of her teeth, told us that her children wanted her to smile more. Another patient told us that after having some teeth extracted at our clinic, she has been without pain for the first time in years.
The Impact on Our Own Parishioners:
Some of our teens and seniors have learned how to provide dental assistance which may involve developing x-rays, mixing fillings and providing suction during procedures. One of our teens has enjoyed dental assisting so much that he added “dentist” to his list of possible careers. It’s pretty special to see a young man in his last semester of high school helping at a free clinic on a weeknight. And it’s pretty wonderful that, aside from helping patients, we are also helping to develop young people in our community through this experience.
How We Grew
Due to demand and enthusiastic response from the community we have grown over the years and now have two other church clinics and one on-site provider office within Hanover County serving as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and sharing the name of Hanover Interfaith Free Clinics. We would love you to help us continue to write it in ways that we have yet to envision.
We see the Ashland/Hanover community as one big chain of folks who are committed to making our world more like the kingdom that God envisions for us.
Want To Help?
So how can you be involved? First and foremost, if you are in need of our services, please call us at 804-798-8890 to register for care. Otherwise, one of our greatest needs is for more professional help – if you are a doctor, dentist or hygienist we would love you to talk to us about volunteering. If you are not a professional, we would be thrilled if you would talk to your doctor, dentist or hygienist about the possibility of volunteering.
We are also looking for folks who would like to provide food for about 20 volunteers on a Wednesday evening. A number of our volunteers come straight from full-time jobs to work at the clinic and this is their dinner. Please call the clinic at 804-798-8890 and leave a message to learn about non-professional volunteering opportunities. Also, we are looking for folks who are interested in helping us raise money, whether it be a church donation or pledge, an individual donation or pledge or ideas and help with putting together fundraisers.
How you can get involved: Contact 804-798-8890 with any questions.
Volunteers: We appreciate time and service of healthcare providers, as well as administrative staff.
Donations: Generously supported by donations and grants, all funds are used to facilitate patient care.
Services Offered
Free Comprehensive Care at SJTL
- medical, eye, and dental care
- Referrals for specialty care
- Prevention education and prescription assistance
How to Access
Getting Care
The St. James the Less clinic location is open Wednesdays from 6:00–9:00 PM in the lower level of St. James the Less Episcopal Church, at the corner of Beverly Road and Lee Avenue. Call to schedule an appointment or learn about eligibility.
Contact the clinic:
St. James the Less Free Clinic · P.O. Box 117, Ashland, VA 23005
Our locations
- St. James The Less Free Clinic at St. James the Less Episcopal Church in Ashland - medical and dental care
- Cheryl H. Watson Memorial Free Medical and Vision Clinic at Shady Grove United Methodist Church in Mechanicsville - medical and eye care
- Mechanicsville Dental Clinic at Mechanicsville Christian Center
Volunteer & Support
Our clinic depends on volunteer medical professionals, administrative support, meals for about 20 Wednesday-evening volunteers, and donations. Doctors, dentists, hygienists, and community members can all help.
(We prefer you call the clinic for all questions rather than the church, as they will redirect you to the clinic.)