Piedmont Peace Center

04/29/2026

Another year and another opportunity to help support peace in our communities. We are proud of our 36 years of peaceful initiatives for our families, businesses and organizations. Please help support our work by donating to Give Local Piedmont. Thank you.

02/12/2026

Action has not yet been taken on budget amendment 31 , so there is still time to contact your representatives in the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees!

You could call your legislator's office or write an email message like this:

Dear Senator (or Delegate) ____,
My name is ____ and I live at ____.
My phone number is ____.
I write to request your support of the $503,840 budget amendment sponsored by Senator Dave Marsden (Amendment number 31 ). These funds would be used to reduce judicial burden by increasing awareness and use of mediation in Virginia's courts and communities.
Thank you for considering this request and for your service to our community.
Sincerely,
(Your name)

If you have any questions, you may address them to Resolution Virginia's Executive Director, Christine Poulson, at [email protected].

02/09/2026

Piedmont Peace supports the efforts of the Virginia Restorative Justice Policy Coalition to define Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices and establish confidentiality rules.

The Virginia General Assembly is considering a bill to ensure confidentiality for the Restorative Justice process, HB489. Between 2020 and August 2025, lawmakers in 9 states have enacted 14 new confidentiality, admissibility, and privilege statutes providing a range of protections for the use of RJ In criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings.

Restorative Justice(RJ) has been practiced in the Commonwealth since the 1980s, and many RJ programs operate with the approval or partnership of judges and prosecutors. The Virginia General Assembly is now considering a bill to ensure confidentiality for the RJ process, HB489, patroned by Delegate Patrick Hope.

Restorative Justice is a powerful tool in addressing the needs of those who have experienced harm, persons who caused harm and communities affected by harm. HB489-Delegate Hope. It broadly defines RJ, encourages the use of RJ, and enables honest communication by ensuring anything said during the process is privileged and may not be used in any judicial or administrative proceeding, arbitration, or mediation.

02/02/2026

02/02/2026

We, along with our sister community mediation centers in Resolution Virginia, have worked together with Senator Marsden to propose a budget amendment to support community mediation over the next two years. Budget amendments are notoriously difficult to get through the General Assembly, but this is a modest proposal that will help support centers as we navigate a turbulent time for nonprofit funding. Please take time to reach out to your representative.

You could call your legislator's office or write an email message like this:

Dear Senator (or Delegate) ____,
My name is ____ and I live at ____.
My phone number is ____.
I write to request your support of the $503,840 budget amendment sponsored by Senator Dave Marsden (Amendment number 31 ). These funds would be used to reduce judicial burden by increasing awareness and use of mediation in Virginia's courts and communities.
Thank you for considering this request and for your service to our community.
Sincerely,
(Your name)

If you have any questions, you may address them to Resolution Virginia's Executive Director, Christine Poulson, at [email protected].

If you don't know who represents you, go to https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

01/23/2026

We are inspired by The Arbinger Institute's Influence Pyramid. The simple reminder that solutions to problems at the top of the pyramid are found by going deeper informs so much of what we do.

When influence fails, we usually try harder instead of deeper.

We correct.
We push.
We explain (again).

And then we wonder why nothing changes.

The Influence Pyramid flips the script. Real, lasting influence doesn’t start with fixing what’s wrong. It starts with who we’re being.

Before you correct, teach.
Before you teach, listen.
Before you listen, build trust.
Before you build trust, check your heart.

Because when our heart is at war, even the “right” words land wrong. And when our heart is at peace, people become willing (and sometimes even eager) to change.

If influence isn’t working, don’t try harder at the top. Go lower. Get deeper.

Do the work most people skip. That’s where influence actually begins.

01/12/2026

Looking forward to attending this fantastic training from our friends at Mental Health Association of Fauquier County and Youth for Tomorrow. Hope to see some of you there!

Training Opportunity for Mental Health Professionals

The Power of Connection: Family Systems Approaches to Complex Cases

Join us at Youth For Tomorrow for a FREE 5.5-hour CE training focused on how family systems can be leveraged to create meaningful change in complex cases.

Friday, January 30, 2026 | 9:00–3:30
Bristow Campus | Lunch provided

Presented by Jessica Huntt, PhD & Robyn Mehlenbeck, PhD, ABPP

Register here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/4cyu6km

01/12/2026

09/24/2025

Family fun!

Join us for a day of fun, learning, and community at our 2nd Annual "Reach the Roots" Kinloch Farm Tour, held at our family farm in The Plains, Virginia. We

09/24/2025

Join us October 1 at the Montclair Library in Dumfries for a class on emotional regulation in teens from a parent's perspective.