Bill Text: VA HJR282 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Good Shepherd Housing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-06 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ282ER) [HJR282 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR282-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Good Shepherd Housing, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing homelessness, increasing community support, and promoting self-sufficiency, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024; and
WHEREAS, Good Shepherd Housing was formed by parishioners at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, who responded to the needs of a struggling family by helping them find housing, which led to the official incorporation of the organization on January 31, 1974; and
WHEREAS, as their awareness of the need for affordable housing grew, the leaders of Good Shepherd Housing set out to hire a permanent, professional staff and acquired a number of affordable housing units throughout the part of Fairfax County near Alexandria; and
WHEREAS, Good Shepherd Housing has gradually acquired houses and developed programs to fulfill its commitment to ending housing insecurity in Northern Virginia over the past half-century and now operates more than 100 housing units serving more than 1,000 families and individuals in need; and
WHEREAS, in addition to providing permanent affordable housing, Good Shepherd Housing carries out its mission by offering emergency financial services, children's resources, budget counseling, and case management to the families and individuals it serves; and
WHEREAS, to promote a safe and inclusive community for all, Good Shepherd Housing recently partnered with Fairfax County's Communities of Trust Committee, a citizens group devoted to strengthening the bonds between public safety agencies and the communities the organization serves; and
WHEREAS, Good Shepherd Housing has received numerous accolades over the years in recognition of its meritorious service, including the Organization of the Year award from the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce in 2015 and the Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management from The Washington Post in 2013; and
WHEREAS, the accomplishments of Good Shepherd Housing are the result of the leadership and hard work of its staff, the tireless efforts of its volunteers, and the generous support of its donors and other partners throughout the Fairfax County community and beyond; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Good Shepherd Housing on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Good Shepherd Housing as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the organization's history and its noteworthy contributions to the Commonwealth.
