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Greetings!
The new year will bring many of the same challenges we faced in the last one. We'll have to meet the ever-growing demand for legal and financial advocacy appointments. We'll hope to find enough attorney volunteers to effectively handle the case load in a timely manner. We'll need to raise enough financial support to cover our current obligations and our future ones.
And we will approach those challenges one by one. In fact, as the logo above explains, we've drawn inspiration from the last two numerals of 2011 because "eleven" is one-by-one. That will be our theme and our commitment for this entire year: to face and overcome the challenges of suburban poverty one by one.
In our newsletters, we'll share the stories of those who are trying to overcome the devastating effects of unexpected poverty, and introduce you to those who are helping them along the way. We'll break myths about poverty in our communities, and identify ways in which you can participate in our Gospel Justice ministry.
One by one, we're going to fight for every person's right to be treated with dignity as they seek justice for themselves and their families. We hope you'll take up that fight with us. One prayer at a time.
One gift at a time.
One by One. |
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 | Our Newest Satellite Office |
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Fox Valley Church now hosts Saturday legal clinics  We are excited to add a new option for clients who want to meet with an attorney for a Saturday intake appointment. Fox Valley Church in West Dundee will now host a satellite office of Administer Justice every third Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Along with our DuPage branch (at Wheaton Bible Church in West Chicago) that hosts intakes on the second Saturday of each month, and our clinic hours in Elgin on the first Saturday, we now have three options for clients looking for a Saturday appointment time. We appreciate the investment that Fox Valley Church has made into the cause of Justice for All by providing us with a space to serve the poor within the northern Kane County area. |
| Great News: Volunteer Attorney Wins Pro Bono Award |
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Volunteer Attorney Roman Seckel is Illinois Legal Aid Online's Pro Bono Attorney of the Month 
We are pleased to share that one of our volunteer attorneys was selected as December's "Pro Bono Attorney of the Month" by Illinois Legal Aid Online. Roman is an Associate at Drendel and Jansons Law Group in Batavia specializing in family law and general civil litigation. Roman personifies the concept of "One by One": he advocates for vulnerable individuals one at a time, including one difficult guardianship matter which required over 100 hours of time to bring needed stability to a family in crisis. When he completes a case he calls and volunteers to take another - one by one. Roman also shares his experience with younger attorneys by serving on our Mentorship Panel where he makes himself available to answer questions and give guidance to volunteer attorneys handling pro bono cases. Pro bono work has always been a priority for Roman and he credits his parents for instilling in him the importance of giving back to others. In his video interview, Roman discusses the benefits that pro bono work has had for his career. The video also features our own Teri Jacobs, Pro Bono Services Director. Click here or on the video still above to view Roman's video. If you would like to volunteer as a pro bono attorney, click here. If you would like to sponsor a pro bono attorney through a one-time or recurring gift, click here. |
| A New Volunteer in the Spotlight |
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Cerena Fisher (Paralegal for our Low Income Tax Clinic [LITC])
Cerena has been a paralegal for 30 years. She recently completed a bankruptcy law course at Harper College and has volunteered with Bridge Communities for over ten years, mentoring single moms and empowering families to become self-sufficient.
Cerena was introduced to Administer Justice through a friend at the YMCA and decided to volunteer in this past fall. She says, "This is such a great opportunity to work with people who feel hopeless and don't know where to turn. I often feel I get more out of helping people than I give. It is such a rewarding experience to know that my little bit of help is important."
We are excited to have Cerena with us! If you would like to know more about being a volunteer, information is just a click away! Click here to contact our Volunteer Services Director. |
| Census Reveals the Suburbs are "New" Poverty Hotspot |
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It's not news to us.
A recent census report that was picked up by many local and national news wires has been enlightening people to the realities we've been dealing with here at Administer Justice since we opened our doors: more Americans are now living below the poverty line in the suburbs than in the cities. One out of three people in the suburbs experiences a season of poverty, caused by job loss, downsizing, spousal abandonment, disability or illness, identity theft, fraud ... the list can go on and on, but ignoring this devastating problem cannot. Poverty is more than a lack of money: it brings with it legal issues that must be taken care of before they spiral out of control. Whether it's explaining the foreclosure process (and hopefully finding a way to keep a family in their home), or demanding that child support obligations be met, our neighbors need and deserve quality legal advocacy. When a landlord abuses a tenant's rights (because he figures she can't afford to do anything about it), or when a fly-by-night company preys on a senior citizen with a fixed income, someone needs to stand in the gap and fight against such abuses. At Administer Justice, we are dealing with these situations every day. We're seeing people who have driven 2 hours to see us because there is nowhere else they can go. We're doing our best to take frustration and fear and turn it into empowerment and hope.
One by one, we are listening to them, praying with them, and providing practical help and lasting hope that makes all the difference. |
| Can you help us eliminate hopelessness ... One by One? |
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Give 
Will you give and ask a friend to join you in the fight against injustice this year? Your support allowed us to finish 2010 strong but the only way we can expand to meet increasing needs is by increasing our support. Please give a tax-deductible gift this month. More than 96 cents of every dollar goes directly into our programs and services.
It is impossible to tell you how much your prayer support means to our ministry. There is simply no better way to equip ourselves for each day than through prayer. We have a goal this year to build a network of prayer warriors who would pray for us on a regular basis, mostly through electronic communication, but perhaps with an occasional prayer session with us at our office for those who would enjoy that opportunity. This prayer team would lift up of our staff and volunteers, intercede for those who come to us with extremely difficult life struggles (anonymously ... God will know who they are), and pray along with us for His guidance when we have important decisions to make. We are still developing the details, but the most important one is knowing if there are folks out there who would like to participate. Click here if you would be interested in being a part of our Prayer Team.
We have easy ways for you to share our story with people you know who also have a heart for justice. For example, you can forward this newsletter by using the link at the bottom of the page.
Or link people to our YouTube channel, featuring our new video "Out of the Shadows" -- a look at how people fall into a season of poverty, and at what Administer Justice does to put the "all" into "justice for all". Click on the video icon at left, or
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