2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 159

Commending Project PEACE.

Agreed to by the Senate, March 13, 2026

WHEREAS, Project PEACE, which stands for Partnering to End Abuse in the Community for Everyone, celebrates 20 years of collaboration, innovation, and leadership in Arlington County's response to domestic and sexual violence, bringing together public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community partners to strengthen survivor safety, promote accountability, and advance prevention efforts across Arlington County; and

WHEREAS, for two decades, Project PEACE has served as a cornerstone of Arlington County's commitment to building a community grounded in safety, dignity, and respect and ensuring that survivors and their families have access to compassionate support, trauma-informed services, and pathways to healing; and

WHEREAS, through the collaborative work of Project PEACE partners, survivors in Arlington County have access to 24-hour crisis advocacy, shelter and housing assistance, counseling, legal services, hospital accompaniment, and specialized supports for minors, immigrant communities, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community, ensuring individuals and families experiencing abuse are met with responsive and survivor-centered care; and

WHEREAS, Project PEACE partners work to prevent violence before it begins by engaging youth, families, and community members in education and awareness initiatives that promote healthy relationships, strengthen community capacity to respond to harm, and center the voices, experiences, and leadership of survivors whose stories continue to inform and guide Arlington County's response to interpersonal violence; and

WHEREAS, as Arlington County recognizes the 20th anniversary of Project PEACE, the community also honors and remembers those whose lives have been lost to domestic and sexual violence, and recommits to the work of preventing harm, supporting survivors, and building a future where all individuals can live free from violence; and

WHEREAS, the success of Project PEACE reflects the commitment of a broad network of partners, including the Arlington County Department of Human Services, Police Department, Sheriff's Office, and Fire Department, the Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and Court Services Unit, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for Arlington County, Arlington Public Schools, Ashiyanaa, Partner/SHIFT, the Center for Youth and Family Advocacy, Doorways for Women and Families, the Ethiopian Community Development Council, Arlington Safe Havens, Inova Health System (FACT), Ayuda, Just Neighbors, Legal Services of Northern Virginia, the Domestic Violence Resource Project, Northern Virginia Family Services, and Restorative Arlington, among other community organizations working collaboratively to support survivors and strengthen community safety; and

WHEREAS, over the past two decades, Project PEACE and its partners have supported tens of thousands of survivors and community members through crisis response, advocacy, prevention efforts, and coordinated services, strengthening Arlington County's capacity to prevent violence, support healing, and build safer communities for all residents; and

WHEREAS, the accomplishments of Project PEACE are the result of the dedication of the professionals, advocates, community partners, volunteers, and survivors whose voices, resilience, and leadership continue to shape Arlington County's coordinated response to interpersonal violence and strengthen the community's commitment to justice, safety, and healing; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Project PEACE hereby be commended for two decades of leadership, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to advancing safety, accountability, and healing for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Arlington County; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Project PEACE as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration and best wishes for its continued success in building a safer and more compassionate community for all.