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2011 SESSION

11105199D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 936
Offered February 18, 2011
Commending the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program.
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Patrons-- Ebbin, Englin and Herring; Senator: Ticer
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WHEREAS, in 2011 the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program will mark its 30th anniversary of serving victims of domestic violence and their children in 2011; and

WHEREAS, in 1975 the Alexandria Commission on the Status of Women, now the Alexandria Commission for Women, began to develop programs to address the needs of women; and

WHEREAS, the following year, a Battered Women’s Task Force was established; volunteers provided services to battered women and their children that included accommodations at the local YMCA, transportation, advocacy, and referrals for assistance; and

WHEREAS, it soon became obvious that battered women needed shelter for more than a few days and extensive support to escape the cycle of violence; and

WHEREAS, in 1981 the Commission, with funding assistance from the City of Alexandria, purchased a home and opened the Alexandria Battered Women’s Shelter; and

WHEREAS, the Alexandria Battered Women’s Shelter staff provided counseling, access to legal and social services, and information about housing and employment opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the Alexandria Battered Women’s Shelter also developed programs to help children in the shelter and provide follow-up care for women after they moved on from the shelter; and

WHEREAS, by the late 1980s, the demand for community services for victims of domestic violence intensified, and the Alexandria Battered Women’s Shelter changed its name to the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program to better reflect the array of services offered to victims, their children, and abusers; and

WHEREAS, today, the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program continues to furnish emergency shelter, food, clothing, and medicine to victims of domestic violence while also ensuring that they receive information and education to enhance their personal growth, independence, and self-esteem; and

WHEREAS, the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program has served victims of domestic violence with great sensitivity, skill, and commitment for three decades; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program on the occasion of its 30th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation for the services the program has provided to empower victims of domestic violence.