Advocating with Passion and Purpose
JANUARY 2021
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HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM INDY LEGAL AID
Indy Legal Aid has much to celebrate in 2021. We are very proud to announce that we marked our 80th anniversary on January 8th! Our longevity is due to the outstanding attorneys and staff members who have worked for us over the years, board members who have given their time, talent, and treasure, and our donors, including local law firms and attorneys, who have generously funded our efforts.
Speaking of our generous supporters - - we would like to thank all of them for giving to our 2020 Holiday Campaign. In previous years, the holiday campaign has raised approximately $150,000. We are happy to say we have exceeded this amount to just over $200,000, largely due to our attorney campaign with law firms throughout Central Indiana. We'll have more to share next month regarding this campaign..
In 2020, our attorneys helped nearly 7,000 Hoosiers with their legal issues - - that is a 40% increase in additional clients in recent years. With Covid-19 Court restrictions, our attorneys had more time to take more clients.
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January Client Success Story
“John” is a 65-year-old disabled man who was living alone and was wheelchair-bound. Following an inspection by the Marion County Public Health Department, John was cited for ordinance violations regarding the home’s interior and the porch of his home. The case was filed with the court. John was also cited for non-urgent violations that would be filed with the court in the future if the property was not brought into compliance with the Code.
John’s two siblings were willing to help with the maintenance and repairs, but they lived out of state and had to make arrangements to be away from families and jobs in order to help.
Indy Legal Aid attended court hearings on John's behalf so he would not have to travel downtown for hearings during the pandemic, along with negotiating with the Health Department to divide the tasks into manageable projects that could be completed.
Over a few months, John and his siblings were able to bring the property nearly into compliance, with the Health Department finding that only the tasks on the porch remained, and upon the porch being completed the court case would be dismissed. Unfortunately, John's health began to fail, and he had to be hospitalized and then admitted to a rehab facility for an extended stay.
As a result of the house being vacant during his time away, however, the Health Department dismissed the court case because the remaining violations did not pose a health or safety concern since no one was living there. The additional time that Indy Legal Aid was able to negotiate with the Health Department for the projects to be completed allowed John to remain in his home while he was well enough to do so. He was relieved and thankful not to have to worry about transportation, parking, or maneuvering his wheelchair through the City-County Building to attend hearings.
Hopefully, John will regain his strength and be able to return home soon. When he does, his siblings will have had the time and opportunity to have conducted the remaining repairs and maintenance required by the Health Department.
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Meet Indy Legal Aid's New Social Worker |
Recently, Indy Legal Aid received a grant from United Way of Central Indiana’s Social Innovation Fund that allowed us to hire a social worker to help our clients with additional issues they may be experiencing. We are excited to announce and would like to welcome Colie DeWaal as Indy Legal Aid’s first social worker.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Colie received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Indiana University and her MSW at IUPUI. She has a great deal of social work experience at Kid’s Voice, Community Hospital North, and as a volunteer guardian-ad-litem.
Colie also conducted assessments with inmates at the Marion County Jail who had a history of mental issues. Colie explained that every day she experienced delusional and psychotic inmates and those who were detoxing. Colie commented that her time working with the inmates was very humbling because “you never really know the mental health needs of inmates until you see it for yourself.”
At Indy Legal Aid, Colie will be assisting with the Second Chance Workshop at the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office by helping with the administration, coordinating our volunteers as needed, and providing a social needs assessment for all the participants in the Workshop. For over a year, Indy Legal Aid has participated in the Workshop which gives a second chance to people who may have had their driver’s license suspended due to unpaid traffic tickets or past due child support. Indy Legal Aid attorneys work with individuals to negotiate agreements with the Prosecutor’s Office to dismiss tickets, waive balances owed, or enter into deferral agreements.
All participants who attend the Workshops will have the option of meeting with Colie who will help them determine if they have any social service issues that need to be addressed. In addition, Colie will act as a community liaison and resource specialist.
We are thrilled to have Colie working with us and helping our clients with their social service needs!
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Indy Legal Aid has a number of volunteer opportunities for attorneys, students, and the general public. For attorneys, we have pro bono cases, internships for students, and our spring and fall events, along with
light office work.
For more information, click here.
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We have several ways for you to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable Hoosiers in Central Indiana. Approximately $.87 of every dollar donated to Indianapolis Legal Aid Society is directly used to provide programs and services. For more information, click here.
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615 N Alabama St, Suite 122
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 635 - 9538
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Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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"The Indianapolis Legal Aid Society is dedicated to ensuring that qualified low-income persons living in the Central Indiana community have access to quality legal assistance for civil disputes." |
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