Dear ,
“If not me, then who?” is Julie Peck’s motto as she works to heal her community in Russell County, Southwest Virginia. “Somebody’s got to make some changes in this area," Julie says. “If I have the ability to do it, why not do it?” That same call to action inspires our work at the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP).
Julie has spent two decades confronting some of the most difficult experiences: substance use disorder, especially among pregnant and postpartum mothers, and the grief of losing a baby. She is a certified birth and death doula and a peer navigator for a national study on how substance use affects infant and child brain development.
Substance use disorder hit Southwest Virginia hard, and Julie’s mission is to support pregnant mothers through recovery. They trust her because she knows their pain. She marked 20 years of her own recovery this July.
“I don’t have to be anyone important,” Julie says, “I just have to be there and show up for my community.” She’s also shown up for all Virginians by supporting a bill at the 2026 General Assembly.
Last February, Kathryn Haines, VICPP’s health equity manager, shared Julie’s testimony in support of Senate Bill 133 with lawmakers. VICPP led the advocacy work, and Gov. Spanberger signed the bill in July. It requires state agencies to reevaluate whether Virginia law discourages mothers in treatment from seeking prenatal care for fear of a mandatory referral to Child Protective Services.
Asked why she spoke to lawmakers, Julie said, “I got tired of being the quiet person and decided that it was better that I opened my mouth.” Her work offers many lessons, but one of the strongest is this: There is power in showing up and speaking out. Read Julie’s story here.
VICPP partners with people like Julie throughout the commonwealth to bring their voices to the legislature. And this summer, staffers traveled across the state to meet with residents of all faiths in towns including Suffolk, Wise, Farmville, Christiansburg, Abington, and Tazewell for our Interfaith Justice Revival Tour.
Staffers from the Virginia Poverty Law Center and the NAACP Virginia State Conference joined VICPP to bring people together to share the struggles their community faces. These conversations help to inform our advocacy work at the General Assembly. Learn more about the Interfaith Justice Revival on our podcast (listen/watch here).
We encourage everyone to use their voices, like Julie, in the upcoming November elections and to help with VICPP’s get-out-the-vote efforts. Click the button below to learn how you and your congregation or community can get involved.
In Solidarity,
Roberta Oster
Communications Director | 
