…s are constantly adapting to the ever-changing landscape. Our staff at the Safe Families Office, along with our friends at Partnership Against Domestic Violence, are helping survivors get the legal and social services they need to achieve safety and stability — without having to risk coming into the courthouse. Our attorney volunteers have been hopping on Zoom calls to stand with survivors during their hearings. Whether it’s for a custody dispute…
…We launched the Standing with Survivors mobile advocacy program. Our Safe Families Office provides free legal and social services to survivors of intimate partner abuse. But what about survivors who can’t make it to the courthouse? Our Standing with Survivors program is a mobile advocacy initiative that meets survivors where they are. The team is fully mobile, ready to meet our clients out in the community. We help with legal advocacy, emotional…
…e room for trips to the bookstore,” writes Cole Thaler, Director of AVLF’s Safe and Stable Homes Project. “We want the children who pick up free books in our offices to see themselves reflected in the pages.” But Thaler noticed that characters in our books did not reflect our client demographics. “AVLF gives free children’s books to the low-income Atlanta families that we serve, because we believe that reading opens doors and inspires dreams,” say…
…asey Family Programs, the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care in the United States and an AVLF supporter and partner, developed What are community-based, multidisciplinary preventive legal advocacy programs?–a strategy brief that highlights unique efforts providing upstream support to help families avoid needless involvement with the child welfare system. Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s…
…mediately, we got a ‘yes! Retrofitting it took a few months, so we didn’t take possession until November, but we’ve been using it in earnest since the beginning of the year” After the foundation’s initial contact with a victim, arrangements are made to take the van to a safe space for an in-person meeting. “We first find out what’s going on, and that determines where we go to meet them” said Gould. “It could be a park or a Walmart parking lot. It’…
…d I am excited to see how the programs will grow with her. My coworkers at Safe Families, both from AVLF and Partnership Against Domestic Violence, made even the craziest day at the courthouse an adventure. I will miss you all. I also want to thank all of my programs’ volunteers. Our programs would not be possible without attorneys sacrificing their time. Domestic Violence cases and Guardian ad Litem cases are not easy. Our attorneys’ desire to he…
…gal Services for the Safe & Stable Families Project. Cristina oversees the Safe Families Office, the Family Law Program, and the Guardian ad Litem Program. Together, these programs assist survivors of intimate partner abuse with an array of legal and social services. Prior to her position at AVLF, Cristina served the low-income community of Atlanta for 12 years as an attorney with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Cristina obtained her Juris Doctor d…
…hip program of the Safe & Stable Families Project. Housed primarily in the Safe Families Office in the Fulton County Courthouse, the program provides survivors support and advocacy through the temporary protective order (TPO) process. This means access to social workers and legal advice and representation in their TPO and related family law matters. This isn’t a change in terms of the program’s operation, but it is a big change in the way we talk…
…anada to Haitian parents. She is fluent in French and Haitian Creole. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews, hiking, and traveling. Christen Ansuini Staff Attorney, Safe and Stable Families Project Desni Scaife Staff Attorney, Standing with Our Neighbors Project Susan Leonard Volunteer Engagement Manager, Safe and Stable Homes Project 12682…
…nities where we are already changing lives. It will allow us to expand our Safe & Stable Families Project’s capacity for outreach, education, training, and importantly, for holistic services for survivors of intimate partner abuse. It will empower us to keep improving living conditions, reducing displacement, and positively impact both educational and health outcomes through our Standing with Our Neighbors program. It will invest in our Saturday L…
…sion and prescription medication use than those who did not. Many of those families, however, have legitimate reasons that would prohibit eviction, but do not have the financial resources to hire a lawyer and fight back. CareSource members now are eligible to participate in AVLF’s eviction defense program that provides lawyers for individuals who are facing eviction. A safe, sanitary and affordable place to live is one of the most basic human need…
…virtual, assisting their children with virtual learning, keeping their own families healthy and safe—stood by AVLF and our clients. They continued to show up and to advocate for their fellow Atlantans, and we knew we had to find a special way to honor them. The first ever All-Star Awards was a virtual event, livestreamed to our supporters. It was hosted by members of AVLF’s staff with a keynote speech by Milton Little, president of United Way Grea…
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