2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26104325D

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 142

Offered February 16, 2026

Commending the Junior League of Richmond.

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Patrons—Carr, Dougherty, McQuinn, Schmidt and Willett; Senators: Bagby, Jones and VanValkenburg

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WHEREAS, in 2026, the Junior League of Richmond will celebrate its centennial anniversary, commemorating 100 years of effecting change through trained volunteers in the Richmond community; and

WHEREAS, the Junior League of Richmond was founded in 1926 by 59 enterprising young women who were looking for a way to give back to their community; and

WHEREAS, the mission of the Junior League of Richmond is to advance women's leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training; and

WHEREAS, from its inception, the Junior League of Richmond focused its support on women and children in the Richmond community; its inaugural project at the Therapeutic Workshop for the Memorial Child Guidance Clinic, where members taught classes in dance, music, and art to children with behavioral issues, was the first of its kind in the nation and continues today through ChildSavers; and

WHEREAS, in 1929, the Junior League of Richmond assumed responsibility for the receiving home for the Children's Home Society of Virginia and ensured the home for neglected and abandoned children remained financially stable; and

WHEREAS, the members of the Junior League of Richmond successfully advocated at the state capitol for a mother's aid bill and continued advocacy efforts for Richmond's children through long-standing community and legislative affairs work; and

WHEREAS, maternal and child health issues were central to the Junior League of Richmond's early efforts, including establishing well-baby and immunology clinics at what was then the Medical College of Virginia and founding a speech clinic that provided more than 14,500 speech and hearing assessments to Richmond schoolchildren; and

WHEREAS, the Junior League of Richmond helped with World War II efforts by hosting weekly dances at The Jefferson Hotel for soldiers, registering blood donors, and raising over $155,000 for war bonds; and

WHEREAS, support for the arts and local museums was a priority for the Junior League of Richmond, which was demonstrated through its work to reorganize the Children's Theatre of Richmond, establish a junior center in coordination with the Valentine Museum, and create the Discovery Room at the Science Museum of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the Junior League of Richmond created literacy and education programs such as the Language Education Assistance Program, or LEAP, which successfully screened, tested, and tutored Richmond Public Schools' children; and

WHEREAS, in honor of its 50th anniversary, the Junior League of Richmond sponsored a Conference on Children that led to the creation of the Greater Richmond Child Advocacy Center; and

WHEREAS, the Junior League of Richmond established the family crisis center at the Sacred Heart Center, which provided a preschool setting for children alongside basic education classes for parents; and

WHEREAS, the Junior League of Richmond focused on helping senior citizens, founding the Senior Center of Richmond and publishing a guide for area nursing homes; and

WHEREAS, the Junior League of Richmond continues to make an impact on the Richmond community through its focus on Women Helping Women initiatives and through partnerships with organizations such as REAL LIFE, Forward Foundation, the Anna Julia Cooper School, the YWCA's Sprout School, Safe Harbor, Dignity Grows, Girls on the Run of Greater Richmond, and others, as well as by providing trained volunteers who serve on numerous additional nonprofit boards; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Junior League of Richmond on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Junior League of Richmond as an expression of the General Assembly's respect and admiration for a century of dedicated work and inspiring volunteer leadership, which has made an impact on women and children in the Richmond area.