November 2024

CCLA Attorneys With Our Mobile Justice Squad Van Reaching Homebound and Transportation-Challenged Seniors

Opening Statement From

CCLA's Executive Director

Dear Friends,

As we enter the season of gratitude, I want to extend my deepest thanks to each of you for your unwavering support of Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA). Your commitment to our mission empowers us to provide critical legal assistance to those who need it most in our community, making a lasting impact on countless lives.

Thanks to your generosity, we’ve been able to help families stay together, provide support for those affected by domestic violence, keep seniors in their homes, and stand up for the rights of the most vulnerable.

In this newsletter, you will read about Emily, who left an abusive and dangerous marriage to begin again, building a safe and secure life for herself and her child. You will watch a video of Miss Walker, who shares her story of being unable to obtain benefits until CCLA stepped in to help. And you will read about James, a senior veteran who is visually impaired, who needed CCLA's Mobile Justice Squad to help secure food assistance benefits for himself and his son.

The partnerships we share with you—whether through donations, volunteer work, or simply spreading the word about our work—are at the heart of our success stories.

As we look ahead to the coming year, I am inspired by the work we will continue to accomplish together.

Your support is not only appreciated, but it’s truly essential to our cause. Thank you for believing in CCLA, for standing alongside us, and for helping to make justice accessible for all.

With best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving,

Caregivers Month

It's National Family Caregivers Month. CCLA's Senior Citizen Law Project assists caregivers age 18 and older who are caring for a senior and caregivers age 55 and older who are caring for a minor in their home. CCLA provides much needed services to these caregivers for their civil legal needs such as housing, healthcare access, garnishments, food benefit assistance, foreclosures, financial exploitation, and elder abuse. Check out the flyers below.

Read James' Story of Justice: CCLA Advocates for James & His Son's Food Assistance Benefits

Read Emily's Story of Justice: CCLA Asserts & Enforces Emily's Victim's Rights

CCLA Advocates for Miss Walker's Naturalization & Benefits

CCLA In The Community

CCLA attended the Caribbean Bar Association's Annual Scholarship Awards & Installation Gala at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Congratulations to honorees Judge Jackie Powell and Jerry D. Hamilton, Esq, Caribbean Bar Association's Founding Member and Past President. We enjoyed celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the Broward County Bar Association (BCBA) and the Hispanic Bar Association's Noche Latina event. CCLA welcomed new attorneys at the Broward County Bar Association and 17th Judicial Circuit's New Attorney Orientation Breakfast. We explained the importance of pro bono work and the ways to volunteer with CCLA. CCLA's Family Law & Victims of Crime Unit attended BCBA's Annual Nuts & Bolts Family Law Seminar at the BCBA Conference Center.

CCLA was busy conducting outreach to let the community know about our services this month. We presented about our Economic Advocacy & Community Health services to Henderson Behavioral Health's Benefits Acquisition Team. Our Mobile Justice Squad (MJS) trained about Scams, Fraud, Exploitation, & Abuse at Palm Medical Center in Lauderhill. Our Healthcare Access Attorney answered questions at the Ask-A-Lawyer event hosted by Florida Health Justice Project. CCLA was at the Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Expo explaining CCLA's services in our three main areas of assistance Family Law & Victims of Crime, Senior Law, and Economic Advocacy & Community Health. Our Human Trafficking Legal Program Attorney conducted a presentation at Hispanic Unity about our holistic legal services for survivors of human trafficking. Our MJS Attorney was back out presenting about Scams, Fraud, Exploitation, & Abuse at the Southwest Focal Point.

We held a Virtual Legal Clinic about Small Claims Court. A big thank you to the Honorable Judge Jackie Powell and Melissa Keller, Assistant Law Librarian at The Lamar Warren Law Library of Broward County for joining our CCLA Attorney. If you missed it, you can watch it on our YouTube channel, @ccla_sfl, for a free CLE credit. Click the video link below. If you are interested in taking part in a CCLA Legal Clinic, sign up to volunteer.

CCLA recognizes the significance of our staff being experts in their field and the importance of CCLA being at the forefront of issues that affect our clients and community.

We enjoy being a part of this community and look forward to engaging with more community members and providers as the year continues. If you would like CCLA to attend an event, conduct an outreach, or you have a topic you'd like us to address in an episode of Legal Learning on CCLA's Facebook page and YouTube channel, please contact us at: CCLAInfo@legalaid.org.

Check out our Community Outreach page.

Community Outreach