| Staff awards for effective advocacy & service |
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Maryjane B. Kelley Award winners Edward Danelski, Randi Riefner and Susan Rizzardi join Erik Hansen and Shawn Boehringer. The award recognizes longtime staff for empathetic & effective advocacy, ethics, professionalism, mentorship, and more.
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| Erica Briant, Regional Expungement Attorney, accepts the LASP Rising Star Award, honoring effective advocacy for clients, challenging assignments, leadership, and more. |
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Maryjane B. Kelley Awards go to Edward Danelski, Randi Riefner & Susan Rizzardi; Rising Star Award to Erica Briant
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LASP executive directors, past and present: Harvey Strauss (at left), Elizabeth Wood Fritsch, and Shawn Boehringer. |
PLYMOUTH MEETING -
Longtime staff members Randi Riefner, Susan Rizzardi and Edward Danelski received LASP's first-ever Maryjane B. Kelley Awards, while Erica Briant accepted the new Rising Star Award for a staff member with less than five years of tenure. Presented at LASP's annual staff retreat May 14, the honorees were nominated by colleagues.
Harvey Strauss and Elizabeth Wood Fritsch, LASP's first Executive Directors, received a warm "welcome back" at the retreat as they helped present service pins to some of the 40 employees who have been on staff from five - 43 years. Harvey also was honored for 37 years and Liz for 21 years of service to regional legal aid.
Harold Jordan, Senior Policy Advocate for the ACLU of Pennsylvania, spoke to LASP staff about the ACLU's statewide work to address the school-to-prison pipeline.
The Maryjane B. Kelley Award is named in honor of
LASP's longtime Bucks County Doylestown Managing Attorney (2002-2018). Maryjane, who passed away in 2018, compiled a distinguished record of community and public interest service at LASP and as a Commander in the Navy JAG Corps.
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| 40-year pins - Susan Rizzardi (at left) and Michelle R. Terry. Missing: Karen Tyler. |
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| 35-year pins - Donald Cheetham, 3rd; Jean Gauger; and Susan Strong. Missing: Edward Danelski and Catherine Guido. |
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| 20-30-year pins - Pat MacCorkle (at left) and Randi Riefner. Missing: , Ernestine Hightower, Rachel Houseman, Carolyn Johnson, Leo Vasmanis. |
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| 15-year pins - Phil Rosenthal, Carol Wilbur, Barbara Kaner, Carolyn Hettell and Nanci Hoover. |
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5+ year pins - Erik Hansen, Rodlena Sales, Ann Tydeman-Solomon, Mitsue Shafer (front) and Kristan Burgess. Missing: Pamela Manning
and Michael E. Kelley. |
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| 10-year pins - Kesha James (second from left), Eugene Sullivan, Pandora Murphy, Marlon Rucker, Venezla Moses, Nena Fields, Thomas Kerstan, Robin Babillis and Chris Walter, with Erik Hansen (at left) and Shawn Boehringer (at right). Missing: Christina Drzal, Rhonda Sherrod and Deborah Steeves. |
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Habitat for Humanity development in Chester County to provide 40 affordable housing units
WEST GROVE - Chester County Commissioners, West Grove Mayor, and West Grove Borough Council broke ground May 16 on a Habitat for Humanity development in West Grove that will provide 40 affordable housing units. These new homes will help local residents in the low-to-moderate income range who may not otherwise qualify to purchase a home. Habitat for Humanity is accepting applications. For more information: http://bit.ly/2YJWIUg.
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| Highlights from the counties |
Bucks County
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Click flyer above
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LASP to host legal information table at Grandfamily Expo Wed., June 19
WARMINSTER - Rodlena Sales, Managing Attorney of the LASP Bucks County, Bristol office, will host a legal information table
Wednesday, June 19 at the Grandfamily Expo at Christ's Home Community Center,
800 York Road, Warminster, PA 18974.
This countywide event is a collaboration between the Human Service Departments and other partners. This event serves to help connect grandfamilies / caregivers to services and resources available in Bucks County. Rodlena will be at the resource fair from 3-5 p.m.
LASP at annual Family Fest in Bristol
BRISTOL - Staff Attorney Rob Kim hosted LASP's legal information table at Bucks County Family Center's annual Family Fest in Bristol earlier this month. The event was part of t
he Family to Family Initiative, a cooperative program of Bucks County Children & Youth Social Services and Family Service Association of Bucks County.
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Chester County
Thanks to the Chester County Fund for Women & Girls
Thank you to the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls, which recently awarded LASP a core grant of $10,000 for the Legal Services for Mothers in Custody Disputes program!
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Celebrate the 15th Annual Trial Run 5K!
Struble Trail | Downingtown | 8 a.m.
Support free civil legal aid and enjoy the scenic, shaded, fast course! Celebrating its 15th year, the Trial Run 5K has raised more than $234,000 for LASP for legal services for low-income and vulnerable people. Organized by the Chester County Bar Association Pro Bono Committee.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
is $10 before June 1:
https://www.itsyourrace.com/event.aspx?id=631
.
* Staging area is at the Pennsylvania Avenue park entrance, across from Planet Fitness, 150 E. Pennsylvania Ave, Downingtown, PA 19335.
* Race-day registration starts at 7:15 a.m. Race starts at 8 a.m.
* Prize money awarded to first- and second-place overall male/female runners.
* Awards ceremony and post-race refreshments immediately following the race.
Thank you to our sponsors!
EVENT SPONSOR: MacElree Harvey
GOLD SPONSORS: Fox Rothschild | Gawthrop, Greenwood, P.C. | John McKenna, Esq. | Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees
SILVER SPONSORS: Lamb McErlane PC | Riley, Riper, Hollin & Colagreco | Steven Sugarman & Associates
BRONZE SPONSORS: Bailey & Ehrenberg | The Law Firm of Barley Snyder
| Brutscher, Foley, Milliner, Land & Kelly, LLP | Buckley, Brion, McGuire & Morris, LLP | Chester County Paralegal Association | D'Amico Law, P.C. | First Resource Bank |
Morton & Kubacke Family Law, LLC | Univest Bank and Trust Co. | Catherine Voit, Esq. | Wetzel Gagliardi Fetter & Lavin, LLC
FRIENDS OF LEGAL AID: Chester County Bar Association | Kevin Cronin, Esq. | Platt, DiGiorgio & DiFabio | Law Firm of Barry S. Rabin | Terri Smith Insurance Agency, LLC | WSFS
PATRONS OF LEGAL AID: KeyBank | Reger, Rizzo & Darnall, LLP | Wusinich & Brogan, P.C.
Sponsorships are still welcome! Please contact Brian Doyle, LASP Staff Attorney & Chester County Pro Bono Coordinator, at 610-436-4510 x211 or [email protected].
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Delaware County
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| William L. Baldwin (at left), Executive Director of the Delaware County Bar Association & LASP Board of Directors; Shawn Boehringer, LASP Executive Director; Gregory L. Volz, Esq., member of the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission Youth Court Advisory Committee; Brian Foster, Youth Court Trainer; Hon. Nathaniel C. Nichols, retired Court of Common Pleas judge, and primary judge for both Juvenile Dependency Court and Juvenile Delinquency Court in Delaware County from his election in 2011 to his retirement in 2018; Leslie Faith Jones, Esq., Policy & Advocacy Director, Montgomery County Public Defender's Office; Edgar Cahn, Esq., Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of District Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, TimeBanking creator and Youth Courts advocate; Kathy Smith, Harcum College Law & Justice Program Director & Visiting Scholar at Rendell Center for Civics & Civic Engagement; Dr. Christine K. Gray, Ph.D., TimeBanks USA board member who, together with her husband, Edgar Cahn, teaches courses and workshops on Co-Production, TimeBanking, and systems change at community, professional, and graduate schools; and David Keller Trevaskis, PA Bar Association Pro Bono Coordinator. |
Youth Courts in our communities:
Systems change via the work of EDGAR CAHN
& the CAHN COLLABORATIVE
Edgar Cahn discussed "true peer justice" and Youth Courts as part of a 4-hour CLE/Act 48 training at the
Delaware County Bar Association
on May 7. The 84-year-old founder of TimeBanking has devoted decades of his career to educational and juvenile justice reform. Recounting how the day before, he'd asked fourth grade students: "'Have you ever been subjected to something unfair?', over and over, t
hey said, 'I've been bullied'" but didn't speak to an adult about it. The students "understand the basic concepts of justice" even at that young age, Cahn noted.
Southeastern PA school districts with Youth Courts in place include Chester city, Upper Darby, Norristown, Cheltenham, Philadelphia and Methacton, primarily at the high school and middle school levels. Students are trained to serve as jurors, to ask questions of the student offender (respondent) about why s/he made the infraction, and how it affected the school, other students, etc. before determining a restorative punishment such as an apology to those affected, community service, and/or later service on a Youth Court jury.
Interested in youth courts but missed the CLE at Delco Bar? On Thursday, Oct. 17, the PA Council for the Social Studies (https://pcssonline.org) will hold a 6-hour Youth Courts session for both CLE and Act 48 credits.
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Montgomery County
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| The Montgomery County Public Defender's office presented a reentry simulation at the Access to Justice Summit. |
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LASP's new Staff Attorney Michelle Dempsky (at left) at the Access to Justice Summit.
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ACCESS TO JUSTICE Summit: Addressing obstacles to reentry
NORRISTOWN - The Montgomery Bar Foundation's third ACCESS TO JUSTICE SUMMIT on May 2 raised awareness about challenges individuals face after being released from prison. A reentry simulation put attorneys and nonprofit leaders through the paces as they tried to re-establish a viable existence, gain employment, access food and transportation, successfully complete treatment and probation requirements, and more.
Led by the Montgomery County Public Defender's office and the Montgomery Bar Association Leadership Academy, participants also heard the personal stories of those who'd gone through the reentry process and brainstormed possible local solutions to obstacles.
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Registration is open!
Sponsorships available!
2019 LEGAL AID GOLF CLASSIC
Monday, June 24
The 1912 Club
888 Plymouth Road, Plymouth Meeting PA 19462
- 7 a.m. Registration, Breakfast, Practice
- 8 a.m. Shotgun Start, 18-hole Scramble
- 1 p.m. Awards Luncheon, Raffle, Silent Auction
Net proceeds from this year's Golf Classic will directly benefit LASP, and a portion or all of your commitment may be tax-deductible. Be sure to bring staff, clients, friends, family and neighbors as this year's event promises to be nothing short of...a true Classic!
Lots of ways to support free civil legal aid!
- Raffle tickets: $5 or five for $20. Remember the MBA Section Challenge! (When purchasing raffle tickets, select which MBA section you would like to purchase from (Family Law, Probate & Tax, Trial Lawyers, or Young Lawyers). To donate items, tickets or gift cards to the raffle: [email protected] or 610-279-9660, ext. 219.
LASP thanks the
Montgomery Bar Association, Montgomery Bar Foundation,
presenting sponsor
High Swartz, and to all sponsors!
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There's still time to support the 2018-19 Annual Giving
Campaign, through June 30!
YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE! To support free civil legal aid for low-income and vulnerable people in Bucks, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery counties, please be sure to visit:
http://bit.ly/LegalAidHelps. Our 2018-19 Annual Giving Campaign finishes Sunday, June 30!
Your donation changes lives. Thank you!
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