Make a Difference with a Gift to VLSC

Dear Friend:

We would like to introduce you to some people in our community:

·A recent widow with a young child, whose only income is public assistance, is being constantly harassed by her late husband’s creditors.

·An immigrant woman, sexually abused by her husband of four months, is terrified and alone.

·A boy who never knew his father’s identity and whose mother had disappeared, is in desperate need of a safe and loving home.

·An elderly couple with limited English is being victimized by a tenant who has withheld rent for months and destroyed the property.

While these stories are heartbreaking, there is hope—these are just some of the people being assisted by the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation (VLSC):

·The widow was able to stop the harassing contact from her late husband’s creditors.

·The abused wife is getting a divorce and petitioning to stay in the United States.

·The orphaned boy is obtaining a stable guardianship with his grandparents and aunt.

·The elderly landlords have obtained a judgment to evict the tenant.

These are ordinary, hard-working people who are struggling to stay afloat—the last thing they can afford is legal counsel. This is where VLSC comes in, placing cases with private pro bono attorneys and providing 21 legal clinics each month in the areas of family law, bankruptcy/debt collection defense, guardianship, immigration, and landlord/tenant work. Last year VLSC volunteer attorneys donated more than 1,900 hours of free legal help to more than 700 clients. Approximately 80% of these cases were family-related, including domestic violence, divorce, custody, and support issues. Each month, staff provides referral, information, and translation services to over 3,700 callers.

But we can’t do it without your help. Appointments at the clinics fill up within minutes. Each month, for every widow, every child, every victimized person we are able to assist, there are many more we have to turn away.

 Yes, these are tough times for all of us, but let us not be discouraged by what we cannot achieve, but buoyed by what we can do to bridge the justice gap. We ask that you consider a year end gift to help VLSC continue their efforts to unlock access to justice in our community. By joining VLSC in supporting pro bono services, a principle that is so fundamental to the legal profession, you can help us ensure more happy endings for our neighbors.

Let’s work together to build the kind of world we want to live in, where the American promise of equality and justice for all is alive and well. Thank you for your support. 

Sincerely,

Larry E. Lulofs, VLSC President
Richard A. Waxman, VLSC Past-President