December 2024

Congratulations to Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida's Executive Director Lisa G. Goldberg and Director of Operations Katianna Mazard on their honor of being named Florida Trend's 2024 Legal Elite Notables Women Leaders in the Law!

Opening Statement From

CCLA's Executive Director

Dear Friends,

This National Giving Month, we celebrate the extraordinary power of generosity to change lives. At Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA), every act of giving helps us create brighter futures for individuals and families in crisis.

Your support allows us to provide critical legal services to those who need it most—survivors of domestic violence, families facing eviction, and vulnerable seniors seeking safety and security. These are not just services; they are lifelines, and they are only possible because of compassionate people like you.

As we reflect on the impact we've made together, I invite you to join us in making an even greater difference this year. Your contribution—whether it’s a one-time gift, a recurring donation, or the gift of your time—has the power to:

Keep families in their homes.
Protect children and seniors from harm.
Empower survivors of abuse to reclaim their lives.

This month, as we unite to give back, I ask for your support to help us continue this vital work. Together, we can bring justice and hope to those who need it most.

People like Louis, a disabled veteran who was saved from homelessness through the unwavering efforts of our CCLA attorney and the strong partnerships we have forged in out community. You can read about Louis in our newsletter below.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to justice and compassion.

With your help, we can make this National Giving Month a time of transformation and hope for all.

With gratitude,

Donate Today

Meet Our Client Louis

Louis, a 63 year old veteran with disabilities, was living in Section 8 housing when was served with an eviction. With a fixed income, he had fallen behind on his rent. After reaching out to other organizations for help without success, Louis turned to CCLA for assistance.

Through our negotiations and partnerships with Goodman Jewish Family Services and The Jim Moran Foundation, Louis’s rent was brought current.

CCLA’s intervention allowed this senior veteran to remain in his Section 8 housing, prevented his eviction, and probable loss of his Section 8 voucher which often follows an eviction. More importantly, our client avoided homelessness and will now be able to age in place.

Read More Stories of Justice

CCLA In The Community

CCLA attended the Broward County Bar Association's (BCBA) Paralegal Section Reception with Judicial Assistants. Our paralegals had the opportunity to participate in a meet and greet with the 17th Circuit judicial assistants and share information about our services. As the backbone of our firm, our paralegals work closely with judicial assistants every day; this event allowed them to put a name to a face and discuss ideas on collaboration and effective work strategies. BCBA highlighted CCLA in its Firm Spotlight this month, thank you BCBA! We had a wonderful time at BCBA's Annual Holiday Party this month. CCLA loved seeing everyone and celebrating the holidays with you!

This month, Broward State Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate Interns visited CCLA. Another semester another opportunity to engage with future victim advocates working tirelessly in our community! Each semester, our friends at the Broward State Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate Unit bring their interns to our office so we can discuss our work and how we collaborate with the advocates. We love the lively discussions that result from hearing firsthand the challenges the interns face in their roles as victim advocates and the creative solutions that result from collaborative problem solving.

CCLA's Mobile Justice Squad and Senior Law Unit presented to Memorial Health System Senior Partners. Our Mobile Justice Squad (“MJS”) Attorney, Geraldine DeBianchi, and Milena, a Paralegal in our Family Law and Victims of Crime Unit, shared CCLA's services to an interested group of seniors at the Boulevard Heights Community Center in collaboration with Memorial Health System's Senior Partners.

CCLA led an outreach at Deerfield Beach Community Cares. Two staff attorneys discussed CCLA's services and how we serve their community members. Be on the lookout for upcoming events with Deerfield Beach Community Cares!

Our EACH Unit attended the Annual Broward County School Social Work Association Resource Fair this month! We had a great time working alongside our friends in social work!

We attended Nina's Place Food Distribution weekly event at Zion Methodist in Deerfield Beach this past weekend. We had the opportunity to meet with the community and learn about the amazing work Deerfield Beach Community Cares does for their community.

We sat down with Crystal Dernier from Children’s Home Society of Florida and learned about their new Visitation Center in Broward County. If you missed it, you can watch it on our YouTube channel, @ccla_sfl. Click the video link below.

If you are interested in appearing on a Fridays With Friends to talk about your organization's programs or if you're an attorney who would like to volunteer to teach a CCLA Legal Learning 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