ASHLEIGH STARNES | June 28, 2018
AVLF is proud to officially release our 2017 Annual Report. Read it here, or email Ashleigh Starnes to request a paper copy. Here’s how we’ve grown.
The 2017 Report covers a wide range of information on AVLF’s programs, community involvement, finances, and more. Here are some of the highlights.
5. AVLF hosted and participated in dozens of community outreach events.
As part of “Love Day,” AVLF staff and volunteers partnered with Thomasville Heights Elementary’s third grade class to clean-up the neighborhood. Love Day is a day focused on loving your neighborhood and giving back. It takes place every year on February 14, shifting the focus of Valentines Day from romantic love to self- and community-focused love.
Community involvement is crucial to the success of our programs. We cherish each opportunity to participate in the conversation, to uplift our community, and to learn. Last year, AVLF hosted and participated in an assortment of community outreach events, including movie nights, staff appreciation days, award ceremonies, Lawyer in the Library events, fall festivals, and more.
4. We upgraded the Safe Families Office.
AVLF clients can now fill in their information on handheld tablets.
The Safe Families Office had over 3,000 visitors this year – and the more efficient the intake process, the more survivors we can serve. Thanks to the generous support of Techbridge, the Safe Families Office is now equipped with tablets and desktops for clients and staff.
3. The Standing with Our Neighbors™ program expanded from 1 to 7 schools.
Staff Attorney Erik Provitt and Community Advocate Shameka Dixon serve communities on the Westside. Here they are at Hollis Innovation Academy.
The Standing with Our Neighbors™ (SWON) is a place-based program that embeds a lawyer and a social worker – called a Community Advocate – in local schools. It’s received a lot of press in the past year. In 2017, the program expanded into 7 schools, providing greater ease of access to legal services for under-served Atlanta families.
2. AVLF saw a 10% increase in clients served in 2017.
AVLF served more families in 2017 than ever before. Thanks to generous support from our partner firms, our volunteers, our donors, our grantors, and everyone in between, we’ve grown. We’re proud of this growth and are looking forward to expanding our reach in Atlanta communities in 2018.
1. Atlanta attorneys donated over an estimated $1,800,000* worth of pro bono services in 2017.
And that’s a conservative estimate. Volunteer lawyers are the center of our organization: we owe the success of our programs to Atlanta lawyers who are committed to fighting for equal justice. Each donated hour can mean a world of difference to our clients. Atlanta lawyers continue to uplift and transform their communities year after year through service. We can’t thank you enough.
*This figure is calculated using an average billing rate of $250/hour.
Our annual Winetasting fundraiser has become a thank-you event for donors to our 2018 Annual Campaign. We’d love to see you there this November!
Ashleigh Starnes
Communications Associate
As AVLF’s Communications Associate, Ashleigh helps Katie King with website content development, social media outreach, and various other forms of communication with our fiercely compassionate supporters. Ashleigh is ever-eager to share the remarkable stories of our clients, and the impact of AVLF’s staff and volunteers on our community.
Before joining AVLF, Ashleigh was a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey. She holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Georgia. She is also a performance artist, and can occasionally be seen performing movement pieces, poetry, and combinations of the two around Atlanta and beyond.
Check out more from this author.
