DSBA Young Lawyers Section for the CCJ
A fundraiser for Combined Campaign for Justice (CCJ)
$2,785 raised from 18 donors
$3,000 goal
Ready to spur impact?
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The pandemic has not reduced the number of cases involving domestic violence, the number of children who are abandoned or abused by parents or other relatives, or those who have been laid off, furloughed, injured, or looking to secure benefits (such as a veteran). For the more than 100,000 Delawareans who live below the poverty line, the lawyers who take on these cases are often the only lifeboat they have when it comes to taking on an abusive spouse, a predatory lender, an unscrupulous landlord, or resistant government agency. COVID-19 has made the need for these civil (non-criminal) legal services more important than ever. The Combined Campaign for Justice (CCJ) and the three legal aid nonprofits it supports – Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI), Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (DVLS), and Legal Services Corp of Delaware (LSCD) can still use all of the support you can give!
The Young Lawyers Section (YLS) of the Delaware State Bar Association provides newly admitted attorneys the opportunity to become acclimated to the practice of law in Delaware, meet their new colleagues, learn about the activities of the Delaware State Bar Association, and volunteer in the community. The YLS also pursues several community service projects a year, including supporting fundraisers like this one.
All donations on this page are 100% tax deductible and will go to support CCJ. Thanks to the Do More 24 Delaware prizes, your donation to Combined Campaign for Justice will be stretched even further!
About Combined Campaign for Justice (CCJ)
Mission: The Combined Campaign for Justice is a fundraising initiative of the three civil legal aid agencies in Delaware. We strive to fund civil legal services for low income Delawareans.
As you may know, funds raised by the Combined Campaign for Justice contribute 10% of the combined budgets of Delaware's three civil legal aid agencies:
- Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI)
- Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Inc. (DVLS)
- Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc. (LSCD)
The rest of the funding for these agencies comes from a patchwork of nearly 50 grants. Federal government grants make up 30% of these funds. Like many others, we've been closely monitoring the changes to federal funding under the current administration. We write to you today with heavy hearts. Last week, CLASI and other non-profits across the country received news that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had abruptly cancelled their Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) funding. This $425,000 grant is allocated to CLASI to enforce the Fair Housing Act in Delaware -- to ensure people seeking housing are not discriminated against based on their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or family status.
What's at Stake?
Currently, CLASI has 80 open Fair Housing cases, the majority of which involve discrimination based on disability and requests for reasonable accommodations.
A recent example: CLASI had a client, an elderly woman, who was living on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex but became wheelchair dependent and could no longer leave her unit because the building did not have an elevator. Beyond being stranded, her medical providers and loved ones became concerned about her safety in case of emergencies, as she had no way to exit the building. She had been requesting to transfer to a 1st floor accessible unit for almost a year without success; CLASI advocates were able to ensure she was transferred to an accessible unit within a month.
Other reasonable accommodations CLASI has obtained:
What's at Stake?
Currently, CLASI has 80 open Fair Housing cases, the majority of which involve discrimination based on disability and requests for reasonable accommodations.
A recent example: CLASI had a client, an elderly woman, who was living on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex but became wheelchair dependent and could no longer leave her unit because the building did not have an elevator. Beyond being stranded, her medical providers and loved ones became concerned about her safety in case of emergencies, as she had no way to exit the building. She had been requesting to transfer to a 1st floor accessible unit for almost a year without success; CLASI advocates were able to ensure she was transferred to an accessible unit within a month.
Other reasonable accommodations CLASI has obtained:
- Adjusting rent due dates to align with the timing of monthly Social Security deposit, helping clients to avoid eviction.
- Installing grab bars, an accessible bathtub and an accessible toilet in the unit of an individual with physical disabilities who could not reach the microwave, the sink, or the stove, and could not access the shower nor comfortably use the bathroom.
- Ensuring a dedicated parking space near a client's housing unit.
- Advocating to a landlord to allow a client to break a lease while she was experiencing domestic violence and harassment and needed to find a new, safe location for her family to live.
This loss of crucial funding renders CLASI unable to provide vital advocacy for the accommodations our clients need to live independently and with dignity.
Here's How You Can Help: We ask for your support through a contribution to the Combined Campaign for Justice. Your donation will immediately and directly provide free legal services for low-income Delawareans.
Here's How You Can Help: We ask for your support through a contribution to the Combined Campaign for Justice. Your donation will immediately and directly provide free legal services for low-income Delawareans.
- A gift of $1,900 covers the costs of a single case.
- Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a real difference.
- Encourage your friends and colleagues to contribute to CCJ. Share on social media, send an email, or create a challenge during #DoMore24!
County Served: Kent; New Castle; Sussex
Office Location(s): Dover; Georgetown; Wilmington
Sector: Community Advocacy; Crime & Legal Related; Public & Societal Benefit
