VOLUNTEERS OF THE MONTH
September 2009:
Law Office of
Stanley R. Askin August 2009: ARACOR Search & Abstract Services, Inc.
July 2009:
Click here to volunteer
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AVAILABLE CASES
Please click here for a list of available cases that offer you an opportunity to help with critical legal issues of low income Philadelphians.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Pro Bono Opportunities Day:
Spotlight on Preventing Homelessness
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SAY YES!
Take advantage of this opportunity to invest in Philadelphia VIP. VIP
can in turn say YES to clients to help them break the cycle of
poverty or exploitation, overcome obstacles, and navigate complex
issues.
Click here for more ways to Say YES
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Letter from the Executive Director
Welcome to Philadelphia VIP's Impact e-newsletter! We hope you enjoy reading the stories of
clients who have been helped by VIP, as well as special features on our
volunteers and supporters.
We chose "Impact" as the title of our newsletter
deliberately. We want to show you,
through these stories, how our volunteers positively impact the lives of our clients.
And how our clients' stories impact our volunteers. We also wanted to show you, through a few key
statistics, the collective impact of
our work together.
Of course, we hope the impact
of this newsletter is that more people say YES to our clients by taking a case
with VIP. Know someone who might be
interested in volunteering? Please send
them this newsletter and encourage them to sign up with VIP.
Together, we are making a positive, tangible impact on the lives of those most in
need in our community. Thank you! Sincerely,
Sara Woods
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Saving Gloria's Grandchildren
 After her daughter died of a terminal illness, Gloria Brown* sought
to adopt her daughter's three young children to give them a stable living environment and secure future. However, her granddaughter's father wanted
custody of his daughter who had behavioral and learning disabilities due to his abuse. Gloria came to VIP seeking help to gain custody of her grandchild.
 Thanks to VIP volunteer Suzanne Root, we could say YES to Gloria. Suzanne, a solo practitioner from Merion,PA, worked
on this case for three years. Because of her diligence, Gloria was awarded full
custody of her granddaughter. Nevertheless, Suzanne's stellar legal
assistance did not stop there. She ensured that Gloria retained custody of her
other two grandchildren and connected the children to
counseling to deal with the loss of their mother. Finally, Suzanne put the home Gloria's daughter owned before her
death in a trust for her children and created a will
for Gloria. Suzanne's compassion and quality legal
services contributed immensely to the safety and survival of these young
children. In responding to VIP's request about her experience with Suzanne, Gloria expressed her sincere appreciation for everything Suzanne did to ensure the stability of her family. Suzanne humbly replies, "I'm very grateful
the grandmother was around to take these kids. She is fabulous. She should be praised."
When VIP volunteers like Suzanne say YES to VIP's clients, they help VIP achieve its mission of access to justice for all.
To read more about how you can make a difference, click here.
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Citi partners with VIP to prevent homelessness
Philadelphia VIP recently hosted Citi at the Court of Common Pleas, Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program. Representatives of Citi observed VIP volunteer attorneys serving clients who
are facing foreclosure, financial ruin and potential homelessness in negotiations
with lenders to save their homes. Citi representatives met with
Judge Annette Rizzo, VIP staff and volunteers to discuss Citi and VIP's shared goal to mitigate
the housing crisis. "The Citi
Foundation applauds Philadelphia VIP and the national leadership it has
provided in helping to curtail foreclosures," said Don Haskin, Citi's Director
of Community Relations in Pennsylvania. 
Citi has an ongoing partnership with VIP. In June 2009, Citi agreed to waive conflicts
for law firms participating in the Philadelphia Residential Mortgage
Foreclosure Diversion Program and awarded VIP a $25,000 grant to recruit and
train volunteer attorneys for mortgage foreclosure proceedings.
To read more about the partnership between Citi and VIP, click here.
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QUARTERLY STATISTICS
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July -
September 2009
Clients Receiving Assistance: 1,011
Volunteers Providing Service: 1,202
Requests for Assistance since January: 1,781
Volunteers Needed for Open Cases: 168
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