This month, from April 18-24, we celebrated National Volunteer Week! VLP is proud to work with outstanding volunteers year-round, and National Volunteer Week gave us a special chance to reflect on and highlight their work.
To all of our volunteers: thank you for everything you do! There's no way we could continue offering quality access to justice to our clients without your dedication and expertise.
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Steve has been volunteering with VLP for many years in different capacities--whether it's his work at our SERV (Settlement & Early Resolution Volunteers) Clinic, our Family Law Clinic, or his participation in SPJ (Senior Partners for Justice), Steve is an invaluable asset to VLP and our clients. Steve freely admitted at the beginning of the pandemic that he had lots to learn about technology. Since then, he has been dedicated to learning everything he can about Zoom and has been a steady volunteer at virtual clinics.
Thank you, Steve!
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Max has been an amazing new addition to our panel of volunteers. Max is a new attorney in Massachusetts and has been volunteering with us since he graduated from Boston University Law School this Summer. Even though he always seems to get some of our most complex cases, Max has been a consistent volunteer and is always ready and willing to go above and beyond for our clients. Thank you, Max! |
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Tristan Axelrod, Esq.
Brown Rudnick
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Tristan is an active volunteer with VLP, assisting our clients across multiple units. In the Housing Unit, Tristan recently volunteered during Lawyer for the Day in Housing Court and picked up a case where he is helping a client fight an unjust eviction. Despite the complex subsidy issues involved, Tristan has proceeded in this case undaunted, helping this client stay housed. Thank you, Tristan! |
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Sullivan & Worcester has been integral to our work fighting the unemployment crisis in Massachusetts. They have recognized the tremendous need this year and stepped up to do all they can to help. But not only are S&W attorneys eager to help, they have incredible track records of success. What’s more, when a case is wrongly decided, they are enthusiastically willing to appeal, even all the way to the BMC! We are so grateful for the incredible work S&W has done for our clients. |
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Ernie Sarason, Esq.
Lawyers Clearinghouse
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Ernie has been a great asset to the Consumer Unit clinics – before and during the Covid pandemic. Throughout late 2019 and early 2020, he was instrumental in helping VLP get a new small claims debt collection clinic off the ground in Malden District Court. Ernie has consistently attended VLP’s virtual small claims sessions, provided us with valuable feedback on smoother processes for our volunteers, and represented clients in debt collections cases. He also recently agreed to assist a VLP law student intern prepare for a civil motion hearing. Thank you, Ernie! |
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Ted Papadopoulos, Esq.
Ashton Law
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Ted is always willing assist us on a limited assistance basis, even if it is providing 15-minute advice to a client. He has taken a weight off of many clients just by making contact which is always does in a timely manner. Ted is always positive and willing to work through any challenges for a client, including language and tech barriers.
Thank you, Ted!
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If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to
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VLP provided assistance to over 360 clients who spoke a language other than English! |
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Intake Specialists at ERLI provided information or advice to more than two and a half thousand clients! |
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Our volunteers and staff successfully discharged almost half a million dollars in bankruptcy debt! |
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Since January, over 700 clients were able to receive legal assistance from our case and clinic volunteers! |
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Are you interested in helping our clients? There are lots of ways you can support the VLP community. Here are three things you can do right now: |
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Follow us!
Click on the links at the bottom of this page to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where we share client stories and communicate important updates about our services, volunteer trainings, and other opportunities to connect with our community.
Give!
A donation of any amount will support the work of our volunteer attorneys currently assisting hundreds of clients in need.
Volunteer!
We have short and long-term volunteer opportunities for lawyers, paralegals, and law students. Find one that fits you! |
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For those who may be unfamiliar, VLP's COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP) is a statewide project providing referrals & legal information, assistance, and legal representation to two vulnerable groups. CELHP aids low-income tenants and low-income landlords who reside in the 2-3 unit homes they manage.
Since its creation in October 2020, CELHP's team of 13 staff members and numerous partner organizations have served over 150 people throughout Massachusetts!
As CELHP expands, our team is eager to connect with more tenants and small landlords across the state who require legal assistance in COVID-related eviction cases. We're also excited to combine our efforts with local organizations and community advocates as we strive to support households throughout Massachusetts in their search for housing stability.
If you are interested in joining these efforts, CELHP is looking for additional volunteers to support our low-income landlord clients! Please reach out to CELHP Pro Bono Coordinator Orquidea Peña for more information.
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From living in an attic in dangerous conditions to receiving justice, this family knows firsthand the difference having an attorney can make!
The abuses our client and her family faced at their landlord's hands were as unacceptable as they were consistent.
For example: the landlord refused to provide our client's home with heat for the entirety of winter. So severe were the health implications of the cold, that our client's mother was forced to brave the pandemic and visit an emergency room on two separate occasions.
It is worth noting that family members who had previously been employed were all left without jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Due to their unemployment, our client's family eventually received a notice to quit due to nonpayment of rent. The family did not have enough money to pay all they owed, nor did they have the budget to find a new home. As a result, the landlord accepted partial rent payments and payment from RAFT (Rental Assistance for Families in Transition). Despite these payments making up several months of missed rent, the landlord turned off the family's utilities--including electricity which they needed to keep food refrigerated--and sent a text that read: "If you want electricity, pay the rent."
The clients were feeling understandably hopeless. And it's at this point in the story where things start to turn around!
Staff Attorney Alana Clark hadn't been with VLP for more than a few months before she agreed to tackle this complex case. Alana began representing our client and asked for a temporary restraining order against the family's landlord, and she succeeded! This first step ensured that the landlord could no longer harass the family without severe legal repercussions.
The next part of Alana's representation was to convince the judge that our client's landlord should pay for alternative housing and food until the family could find a new place to live. The judge agreed! However, the landlord did not comply with this order and only paid our client a fraction of the money owed. Alana then brought forth a motion to enforce the court's judgment, which resulted in the landlord being ordered to pay our client an additional $1650!
Not only this, but Alana was able to assist our client in obtaining RAFT funds to move into a new apartment! These funds have recently come through, and our client's family is on their way to a new, stable, safe home.
Legal victories for low-income Bostonians are made possible by our staff and volunteers' persistence and tireless advocacy. It is due to your hard work that extraordinary outcomes like this will only grow in frequency!
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Are you looking to mentor, or be mentored, with regard to Housing Law? RSVP today for our upcoming Housing Law Mentoring Chat, presented by VLP and the Senior Partners for Justice (SPJ). Learn more about the different ways you can get involved--from our virtual Housing clinics to offering your time with our COVID-19 Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP), and more.
We will be joined by the Honorable Wilbur Edwards, a retired Housing Court judge. There will be a brief presentation, followed by a Q&A session where you can ask VLP and Judge Edwards questions. We can't wait to see you there!
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On May 6, VLP is hosting a live Q&A Session about our Handling 209A Hearings training. Attendees can watch VLP's recorded training video, then come with questions for our staff attorneys! Read more and RSVP today!
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The next New Volunteer Orientation will be here before you know it! If you are considering volunteering with VLP, or would like a refresher on VLP's volunteer opportunities, RSVP today for a live, virtual orientation with our Pro Bono Manager and one of our Staff Attorneys!
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Pro Bono Manager Emelia Andres
Emelia joined VLP in March of 2021. Prior to VLP, she served two years with AmeriCorps NCCC in Baltimore MD, and AmeriCorps State and National here in Boston serving at a youth mentoring organization. Most recently, Emelia worked as a Senior Partnerships Manager at Boston Partners in Education, an academic mentoring organization that supports students in the Boston Public Schools. Emelia is excited to continue supporting volunteers as they provide access to justice for clients. She is originally from Kansas City MO and graduated with a bachelor's degree from Wingate University in NC.
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CELHP Staff Attorney Monique Aziza
Monique Aziza joined VLP as a long-term temporary Staff Attorney in March 2020. As part of the COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP), she represents landlords that occupy and own two or three multifamily homes. Monique interned at VLP while in law school as an alternative spring break project. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and American University Washington College of Law.
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CELHP Marketing and Communications Coordinator Edo Chorm
Edo joined VLP as a Temporary Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the Covid Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP) in March 2021. She graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology and co-founded a jewelry brand that focuses on preserving her native Khmer arts and culture. She is looking to give back and help make a difference for underserved communities and to help those most affected by the pandemic.
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CELHP Bilingual Paralegal Cristian Mejia
Cristian comes to VLP from Texas, where he received his bachelor’s in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Psychology at the University of Houston. Cristian started with VLP in 2021 as CELHP's newest Bilingual Paralegal.
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CELHP Education and Outreach Coordinator Sarah Tseggay
Sarah Tseggay graduated from Rice University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sociology. She deeply enjoys working with justice-centered organizations and has a passion for supporting those facing housing-related challenges. She is excited to work with VLP as CELHP’s Education and Outreach Coordinator.
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Thank you for all that you do!
Stay happy and healthy, VLP family!
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