Whenever anyone asks me what I do for a living, I have a standard answer: “I work for a nonprofit that provides pro bono legal services to low-income Atlantans.” If it seems like the person is still listening, I’ll throw in, “We do civil work – typically landlord-tenant and domestic violence issues.”
That’s not really what I do, though.
As Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s marketing director, I’m typically juggling about a dozen projects. There are days when I feel like I’m not doing anything gracefully, but as Marty Ellin told me when I was having a near-nervous breakdown about coming back from maternity leave, “This is a really soft place to land.”
(Fun tidbit: I had a baby about eight months after I started working here. Do the math. The timing was not great, though it did support the longtime theory that if someone wants to get pregnant, they should accept a job with AVLF.)
Anyway, as usual, Marty was right. AVLF is a nurturing, forgiving, flexible circle of trust.
I have what I think is the best job here. (One of the reasons this is a wonderful place to work is that each of us thinks that our own job is the best job here.) But really! I get to post on Facebook. I tweet. I update this beautiful website. Here’s my favorite part: I plan parties. They’re really great parties, too.
Sure, there are times when I feel a little frivolous, especially considering the in-the-trenches work my colleagues do every day. That’s why I’m always grateful to hear the victories our volunteer attorneys win on behalf of our clients. It helps remind me that I’m a cog in a very important wheel and reinforces how grateful I am that I get to work here.
Since I handle AVLF’s marketing, my clients are, well, you. The person reading our newsletter. The attorney who takes a case. The donor who writes us a check. (If I’m really lucky, you’re all three of those things – but I’m grateful for you no matter what your connection is to AVLF.)
You get to hear from me all the time – even if you don’t know it’s actually me. Now I’d like to hear from you. How are we doing? Are we giving you the support you need? Are there any stories in particular you’d like to hear or read about? Anything we can improve? Send me your comments and suggestions at ckersten@avlf.org.
Thank you!