Priscilla Little
Priscilla Little was the founding member of FOCUS Women’s Resource Center first located in a donated Westminster Presbyterian church room in 1972. Their mission was to provide a place for women to receive affordable counseling, develop marketable skills, develop a career or educational path, and build self-esteem. FOCUS grew into a city agency in the late seventies and later FOCUS fostered a host of agencies and programs for women, such as: Shelter for Help in Emergencies, Sexual Assault Resource Agency, Teensight, The In-School Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program, GEMS (Girls Empowered to Make Success), the Lawyer’s Assistance Night, and the Financial Assistance Night. FOCUS folded in 2012, after nearly forty years of invaluable service. In her reflections on founding FOCUS, Priscilla Little recalled the resistance she first encountered from the Charlottesville community, including the UVA School of Continuing Education. “But we went to Richmond and visited a women’s educational resource center there and just copied everything they did and brought it to Charlottesville and it was a success.” Little went on to participate in another “First” in Frances Brand’s 1974-78 portraiture period. She founded the Ash Lawn Opera in 1978, with performances held on the grounds of the home of President James Monroe. Although relocated and renamed the Charlottesville Opera, Little’s original operatic vision continues to enrich Charlottesville’s community into the present. For her 'firsts' with founding FOCUS and the Ash Lawn Opera, Priscilla Little was given the 1981 Woman of the Year Award by The Virginia Women's Forum.
References
Email from family member, March 20, 2025.
