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SJ200 • 2026

Commending BetterALife.

Commending BetterALife.

Children Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Perry
Last action
2026-03-14
Official status
Passed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Commending BetterALife

This bill commends BetterALife, a nonprofit that helps children and families in need with food and education.

What This Bill Does

  • Commends BetterALife for its work helping people in Loudoun County and Fairfax County through food and educational assistance.
  • Recognizes the founder Elizabeth Ford's efforts to fight poverty through food assistance.
  • Highlights BetterALife’s programs like weekend food bags, meal deliveries, and educational support.

Who It Names or Affects

  • BetterALife organization
  • Elizabeth Ford, founder of BetterALife

Terms To Know

nonprofit organization
A group that does not make money for its leaders and uses all the money it gets to help others.
food insecurity
When people do not have enough food or cannot get healthy meals regularly.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill does not give BetterALife any money or change laws, it only commends the organization.
  • The bill does not specify how many people will see this commendation or what they might do because of it.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ200ER)

  2. 2026-03-12 House

    Agreed to by House by voice vote

  3. 2026-03-11 House

    Received

  4. 2026-03-11 House

    Laid on Speaker's table

  5. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Agreed to by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  6. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Presented 26107607D

  7. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Laid on Clerk's Desk

Official Summary Text

Commending BetterALife.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Commending BetterALife.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 10, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, BetterALife, a nonprofit organization based in Purcellville dedicated to helping children and families in need through food and educational assistance and life-skill services, has greatly served the Loudoun County and Fairfax County communities for several years; and
WHEREAS, BetterALife was founded by Elizabeth Ford, a Reston native whose experiences of food insecurity in her youth inspired her to create an organization that would disrupt generational patterns of poverty and transform young people's lives, one meal at a time; and
WHEREAS, through its recently expanded food pantry and meal deliveries throughout Loudoun County and Fairfax County, BetterALife has served more than 10,000 households and provided more than 75,000 pounds of food to those in need; and
WHEREAS, BetterALife delivers meals both door-to-door and at locations throughout Loudoun County and Fairfax County, including schools, meeting people where they are, and facilitating access to their programs and services; and
WHEREAS, BetterALife established a weekend food bag program to nurture the health and well-being of children who may otherwise go hungry outside of school, and the program has already provided more than 8,000 meals; and
WHEREAS, in addition to its flagship Growth for a Life nutrition program, BetterALife also implements Cook for a Life and Inspire a Life programs to teach children about healthy eating and nutrition and to offer a variety of education services, including tutoring, General Educational Development test support, and career counseling; and
WHEREAS, the accomplishments of BetterALife are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the organization's volunteers and staff who give generously of their time to make a difference in the lives of others; and
WHEREAS, BetterALife has benefited from partnerships with a number of local schools and business sponsors, which have provided resources and expertise to enhance the organization's ability to fulfill its mission; and
WHEREAS, by addressing food insecurity and related issues in the community, BetterALife has made a profound and lasting impact on countless lives in Loudoun County and Fairfax County; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend BetterALife for its legacy of service; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Elizabeth Ford, founder of BetterALife, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the organization's contributions to the Commonwealth.