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2017 SESSION

17103849D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 352
Offered January 31, 2017
Commending Family Lifeline.
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Patron-- Sturtevant
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WHEREAS, for 140 years, Family Lifeline, a nonprofit organization in Richmond, has worked to enhance the quality of life of local residents by providing food, shelter, clothing, hope, and support to vulnerable members of the community; and

WHEREAS, Family Lifeline was established by a group of women as City Mission in 1877 to aid in Reconstruction from the devastation of the Civil War; by 1906, the organization recognized its common goals with the Baptists of Richmond and the Citizens Relief Association and merged to form the Associated Charities; and

WHEREAS, in the 1920s, the Associated Charities expanded its mission to address the causes of poverty and homelessness in addition to providing immediate relief for people and families in need; the organization’s professional social workers provided counseling to families of all ethnicities, denominations, and financial backgrounds and changed its name to Family Service Society in 1928; and

WHEREAS, Family Service Society merged with the Richmond Children’s Aid Society in 1962, becoming the Family and Children’s Services; it was renamed as Family Lifeline in 2001 to reflect better the organization’s growing array of programs and outreach, which give families the tools and knowledge needed to create a better future for themselves and the entire community; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, Family Lifeline continued to provide intensive, in-home early childhood support to 796 families in the counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Henrico and the cities of Richmond and Petersburg; 99 percent of those families remained free from child abuse and neglect and several of those families succeeded in breaking generational cycles of domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, 98 percent of children enrolled in Family Lifeline’s early childhood programs received doctor-recommended immunizations, and 98 percent of those children now have a medical home to ensure consistent, ongoing care; and

WHEREAS, also in 2016, Family Lifeline’s team of home care professionals provided more than 32,600 hours of care to homebound adults and people with disabilities, saving the community an estimated $676,000 in Medicaid expenses by helping those individuals remain safe and comfortable in their own homes; and

WHEREAS, Family Lifeline provided 1,874 hours of additional service to seniors, including friendly visits to 66 home-bound seniors, 92 percent of whom said they felt less lonely thanks to the companionship of Family Lifeline’s volunteers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Family Lifeline for its compassionate service to families and children in Richmond on the occasion of its 140th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Family Lifeline as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the organization’s legacy of care for the community and of its work to build a brighter future for the City of Richmond.