WHEREAS, the C. Waldo Scott Center for H.O.P.E. in Newport News marked its 30th anniversary in 2020; and

WHEREAS, the C. Waldo Scott Center for H.O.P.E., which stands for "Helping Our People Emerge," was founded in 1990 in the Southeast Community of the City of Newport News in large part thanks to two community activists, the late Effie Ashe and the late Theodore BaCote, with the hope of emulating the Door Center in New York City; and

WHEREAS, while the Scott Center was primarily a teen center when it opened, it now provides comprehensive services to educate and foster the growth and development of youth and families in the area, offering educational services, family support services, health care services, and other community-based services and programs; and

WHEREAS, the Scott Center, named for surgeon and civil rights pioneer C. Waldo Scott, sits on property owned by Newport News Public Schools, and the center pays rent of $1 per year; most funding is provided by the city's community support grants, along with other grants and donations; and

WHEREAS, the Scott Center also offers two educational scholarships, afterschool and out of school programs, adult and parenting workshops, case management services, and more; and

WHEREAS, the work of all those involved with the Scott Center is a testament to their dedication to improving the lives of others; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the C. Waldo Scott Center for H.O.P.E. for its more than 30 years of service to the Southeast Community of the City of Newport News; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the C. Waldo Scott Center for H.O.P.E. as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for its many years of service to the Newport News community.