September 2011 Newsletter

Dear Supporters:

In the past, Legal Aid has been so busy providing services, and raising funds, that we have not done enough to tell you, our supporters, how much your support makes a difference to this community. This first quarterly newsletter is an attempt to rectify that.

We will share some of our clients stories, some of our client statistics/community impacts, and yes, some of our challenges too. We, Legal Aid and our donors, have a lot to feel good about, from having the largest volunteer program in the bay area to bringing legal representation to domestic violence victims for the first time in this county's history, to being ranked the #1 program by County's Human Services Commission.

We also want to hear from YOU! If you have questions or suggestions about our services, or want to help out, contact me at any time. And if you want more information about our Safety and Shelter programming, check out our website at: www.legalaidsc.com

See everyone at the Circus/Golf Classic on September 16th!

Ronit Rubinoff
rrubinoff@legalaidsc.com 688-4034
Executive Director

Legal Aid
    Mission Statement

Legal Aid’s mission is to help at risk children and families obtain safety and shelter. We use the legal system to secure basic human rights, protect children from abuse and help families maintain housing.

You may donate online securely
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button on our website at:
www.legalaidsc.com

Oscar and Illsley Ramirez enjoy talking about their granddaughters, arranging their dance lessons, and planning for their future. Without a guardianship obtained through Legal Aid’s Child Abuse Prevention Project, they might have instead been worrying about the girls’ safety and life on the streets.

Ella and Teresa are 6 and 2 years old. Their mother, a homeless addict, abandoned them after Teresa’s birth. Their father is mentally disabled and unable to care or provide for them. Without an adult to take care of them, the girls would at best have grown up in foster care or a group home, if not on the streets with their mother.

Fortunately, the Ramirezes wanted to raise the girls. What they needed was a guardianship, without which they could not enroll the children in school or obtain medical insurance for them. Furthermore, without the guardianship, the girls’ mother could take them at any time, subjecting them to their transient, unsafe lifestyle.

• FACT: Domestic violence victims across the country ask for LEGAL help more than for any other kind of services or assistance.
• FACT: One third of all domestic violence court petitioners in Sonoma County are assisted by Legal Aid's SAFE program.
• FACT: Until 2005, Sonoma County was the only county in the bay area where a domestic violence victim did not have access to a free lawyer. Legal Aid of Sonoma County changed that. Our SAFE attorney provides free representation to domestic violence victims throughout the County seeking the court's protection.
• FACT: National studies documenting thousands of victims show that LEGAL services are the most effective way to reduce domestic violence. Increased legal services in the 1990's helped reduce domestic violence around the country.
• FACT: 70% of our SAFE clients have no further domestic violence incidents after using our services.
• FACT: One third of our SAFE services are supported by YOU!