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