Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Inc

TO CREATE SAFE AND STABLE HOMES AND FAMILIES BY INSPIRING THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL JUSTICE.

STANDING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS NPU- V IN 2018, AVLF LEARNED THAT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS BEING SCHEDULED TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE FOR RENOVATIONS. THE COMPLEX FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE NOTICE OF THE RELOCATION TO THE FAMILIES, MANY OF WHOM HAD CHILDREN ATTENDING A SCHOOL IN OUR SWON ZONE. AVLF WORKED WITH KILPATRICK TOWNSEND AND ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PREVENT THE SUDDEN RELOCATION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD APARTMENT COMPLEX, ORIGINALLY TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE APS SPRING TESTING WEEK. AFTER OUR INTERVENTION, THE COMPLEX DELAYED THE RELOCATION FOR A MONTH, ALLOWING THE STUDENTS TO FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR AND NOT BE DISRUPTED BY THE RELOCATION OF THEIR HOMES. WESTSIDE THROUGH OUR PARENTS AND PARTNERS AT HOLLIS INNOVATION ACADEMY, AVLF LEARNED THAT THE WATER IN A NEIGHBORHOOD APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS SHUT OFF DUE TO THE LANDLORD'S FAILURE TO PAY. BY LEVERAGING CITY CONTACTS AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH PARTNER LAW FIRMS, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE WATER SERVICE RESTORED. ALL SWON SITES IN 2018 WE HOSTED OR ATTENDED OVER 91 EVENTS IN ALL THREE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ZONES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO KNOW YOUR RIGHTS SESSIONS REGARDING TENANTS' RIGHTS, FAMILY LAW POP CLINICS, AND HOME BUYING SESSIONS. THESE EVENTS WERE COLLECTIVELY ATTENDED BY SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE SERVE AND RESULTED IN THE DISSEMINATION OF CRITICAL INFORMATION AND SERVICES TO THE POPULATIONS THAT WE SERVE. SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES - THE INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE PROGRAM'S SAFE FAMILIES OFFICE, THE ONLY LAWYER-STAFFED, COURTHOUSE-BASED WALK-IN LEGAL CLINIC IN THE STATE THAT ASSISTS ALL SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE REFERRED BY THE COURTS WITH FILING FOR PROTECTIVE ORDERS, WAS NAMED A NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES MODEL IN 2018 BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION'S COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE, FOLLOWING PREVIOUSLY BEEN NAMED SO IN 2009 WHEN IT FIRST OPENED. - THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM IS SO EFFECTIVE AT SERVING THE COURTS AND CHILDREN THAT IN 2018, THE COURT MADE 88 REQUESTS FOR GALS, A 184 % INCREASE IN REQUESTS FROM THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. - IN 2018, OUR SOCIAL WORKERS WERE ABLE TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY IN WHICH THEY ASSIST SURVIVORS IN MAINTAINING THEIR INDEPENDENCE BY IDENTIFYING GAPS IN THEIR FINANCIAL NEEDS AND PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO PREVENT HOUSING DISPLACEMENT AND UTILITIES BEING DISCONNECTED. THESE TYPES OF HARDSHIPS ARE FREQUENTLY WHAT DRIVE SURVIVORS BACK TO AN ABUSER ON WHOM THEY WERE FINANCIALLY DEPENDENT AND THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE SUCH ASSISTANCE HELPED MANY SURVIVORS FULLY BREAK FREE FROM THEIR ABUSERS. - IN 2018, OUR FAMILY LAW PROGRAM CONTINUED TO MEET THE GREATEST CIVIL LEGAL UNMET NEED FOR SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE BY PAIRING SURVIVORS WITH MEMBERS OF THE METRO ATLANTA FAMILY LAW BAR WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO REPRESENT SURVIVORS FOR FULL REPRESENTATION IN 19 CASES. SATURDAY LAWYER PROGRAM - IN 2018, AVLF'S SATURDAY LAWYER PROGRAM INTERVIEWED 490 CLIENTS WITH LANDLORD-TENANT OR UNPAID WAGE CLAIMS AT OUR SATURDAY MORNING CLINIC. - IN 2018, THE SAFE & STABLE HOMES PROJECT HIRED ITS FIRST VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, A FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER DEDICATED TO VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. - IN 2018, THE SAFE & STABLE HOMES PROJECT MADE A FINANCIAL DIFFERENCE TO OUR CLIENTS IN AN AMOUNT EXCEEDING 440,000 (MONEY RECOVERED AND DEBT AVOIDED).