On behalf of the Legal Aid Society of Hawai
ʻ
i staff, our board of directors, and the thousands of clients Legal Aid serves each year, we thank you for supporting Legal Aid's past campaigns and fundraisers.
We asked a Legal Aid attorney why she chose to serve the most vulnerable in our
community
and her response resonates
with many of us who have chosen a career in law,
"I believe the world may not be fair but it should be just."
A client Legal Aid helped to keep her family from being homeless shared this story:
Before I came to Legal Aid I was sick, tired, overwhelmed by the system and people who didn't seem to care. Three months in a shelter was a nightmare and I was ready to end it all. Legal Aid helped me understand the process and guide me through complex appeals. They gave me hope in humanity and people caring about justice and decent treatment for the poor, vulnerable, and disenfranchised.
Now, I am in my own apartment . . . . Legal Aid staff were the rare bright spots whose kindness, compassion, and commitment to their job gave me hope that I could get through it and wasn't alone. They are people who do work they love and believe in.
Her story speaks to our ability to make a difference in someone's life. Getting legal help
can be the difference between life and death
in an abusive relationship. It can be the difference in deciding if a family
stays in their home or is forced into homelessness.
Legal Aid is embarking on a new, four-year (2016-2019) Justice Campaign and
invites the legal community, businesses, and individuals to join in the work towards building a more just society.
We are reaching out to you now, in 2015, for your support beginning in 2016, given that many are currently working on their budgets for 2016. With your help, Legal Aid will have the resources it needs to continue serving our community.
If you would like to know more about our programs and services, we can provide you additional information or schedule a meeting at your convenience. We look forward to including your commitment to the Justice Campaign in 2016.
Thank you for your continued support,
M. Nalani Fujimori Kaina Jodi Shin Yamamoto
Executive Director President, Board of Directors
