ATLANTA VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOUNDATION INC
235 PEACHTREE ST NE SUITE 1750, ATLANTA, GA 30303 www.avlf.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO CREATE SAFE AND STABLE HOMES AND FAMILIES BY INSPIRING THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL JUSTICE.

IN 2019, THE SATURDAY LAWYER PROGRAM LAUNCHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FINANCIAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA. POTENTIAL CLIENTS WHO ARE SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY LAWYER DAY APPOINTMENTS ARE OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION WITH A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER. TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE BUDGETING AND MEETING FINANCIAL GOALS. IN 2019, 536 LOW-INCOME FULTON AND CLAYTON COUNTY RESIDENTS RECEIVED SATURDAY LAWYER PROGRAM APPOINTMENTS, MORE THAN 90% OF WHOM WERE TENANTS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR LANDLORDS. 343 ATTORNEYS VOLUNTEERED WITH THE SATURDAY LAWYER PROGRAM IN 2019, 150 OF WHOM WERE FIRST-TIME VOLUNTEERS. INCLUDING PARALEGALS AND LAW STUDENTS, 567 PEOPLE VOLUNTEERED FOR THE SATURDAY LAWYER PROGRAM IN 2019. OUR SAFE & STABLE FAMILIES PROJECT IS UTILIZING MORE FUNDING THAN EVER BEFORE FOR EMERGENCY CLIENT ASSISTANCE. THIS ASSISTANCE HELPS SURVIVORS WHEN THEY CAN'T PAY FOR EMERGENCY LODGING TO ESCAPE ABUSE, OR AN ABUSER HAS LEFT THE HOME AFTER BEING SERVED WITH A PROTECTIVE ORDER AND THE SURVIVOR CAN'T COVER THE RENT OR UTILITIES WITHOUT THE ABUSER'S INCOME. IN 2019, THE SAFE & STABLE FAMILIES TEAM SPENT 52,382.27 ON CLIENT ASSISTANCE. OUR SAFE & STABLE FAMILIES PROJECT PROVIDES TOP-NOTCH LEGAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE. MOST OF OUR SAFE & STABLE FAMILIES CLIENTS COME TO US THROUGH THE SAFE FAMILIES OFFICE: GEORGIA'S ONLY LAWYER-STAFFED, COURTHOUSE-BASED WALK-IN CLINIC FOR SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE. WE CO-RUN THE CLINIC, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE FULTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, WITH PARTNERSHIP AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AT THE SFO, WE HELP SURVIVORS OBTAIN TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE ORDERS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH LEGAL ADVOCACY, SAFETY PLANNING, COUNSELING, SHELTER ACCESS, RESOURCE REFERRALS, AND MORE. BUT THE JOURNEY DOESN'T END WITH A PROTECTIVE ORDER. OUR SAFE & STABLE FAMILIES PROJECT SUPPORTS SURVIVORS ALONG THE ROAD TO SAFETY AND INDEPENDENCE, PROVIDING SOCIAL WORK SERVICES, FAMILY LAW REPRESENTATION, AND MORE. OUR STANDING WITH SURVIVORS PROGRAM MOBILE ADVOCACY INITIATIVE MEETS SURVIVORS WHERE THEY ARE. THE TEAM IS FULLY MOBILE, READY TO MEET OUR CLIENTS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. IN 2019, THE SAFE FAMILIES OFFICE SERVED OVER 3,500 VISITORS, AND OVER 1,700 EX PARTE PROTECTIVE ORDERS WERE GRANTED. OVER 75 SURVIVORS WERE PAIRED WITH VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS TO REPRESENT THEM IN THEIR PROTECTIVE ORDER HEARINGS. ADDITIONALLY, 49 SURVIVORS PROCEEDED THROUGH OUR FAMILY LAW PROGRAM FOR ASSISTANCE WITH DIVORCES, CUSTODY DISPUTES, SPOUSAL AND CHILD SUPPORT CLAIMS, AND MORE AND 10 WERE PAIRED WITH ATTORNEYS FOR FULL REPRESENTATION. OUR SOCIAL WORKERS ASSISTED OVER 300 SURVIVORS IN OBTAINING SAFETY AND INDEPENDENCE DURING AND AFTER THE TPO PROCESS. THE STANDING WITH SURVIVORS MOBILE ADVOCACY PROGRAM PROVIDED LEGAL AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO 43 SURVIVORS, HOSTED 41 OUTREACH EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND CONDUCTED 35+ TRAININGS ON INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE WITH THE ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS. OUR STANDING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS PROGRAM EXPANDED IN 2019, AND WE ARE NOW HAVE STAFF, ATTORNEYS AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, BASED IN NINE ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OUR EFFORTS TO RESOLVE CONFLICT BETWEEN LANDLORDS AND TENANTS USUALLY INVOLVE SMALL CLAIMS, BUT NOT INFREQUENTLY CLAIMS ARE ASSERTED ON BEHALF OF A LARGER NUMBER OF TENANTS IN THE SAME APARTMENT COMPLEX. AS AN EXAMPLE, IN JULY 2019, ONE OF OUR PARTNER VOLUNTEERS NEGOTIATED A SETTLEMENT OF OVER 100,000 FOR FOUR CLIENTS IN THE ENGLISH AVENUE AREA. THESE CLIENTS WERE FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN ATTENDED HOLLIS INNOVATION ACADEMY. FOR OVER 2 YEARS, THE FAMILIES WERE EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE MOLD AND SEVERAL OTHER REPAIR ISSUES THAT THE LANDLORD CONTINUED TO IGNORE UNTIL VOLUNTEER COUNSEL APPOINTED THROUGH AVLF BECAME INVOLVED ON BEHALF OF THE TENANTS. ONCE THE SETTLEMENT WAS DISTRIBUTED, THE LOCAL AVLF COMMUNITY ADVOCATE WORKED WITH ALL THE CLIENTS TO CONNECT THEM TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES SO THAT THE CLIENTS COULD LEARN HOW TO UTILIZE THEIR SETTLEMENT FUNDS FOR MAXIMUM BENEFIT. IN 2019, AVLF EXPANDED ITS COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, BRINGING APPROXIMATELY 390,000 IN EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ROUGHLY 1,100 FAMILIES, LARGELY IN THE FORM OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE. THIS WORK, INTEGRATED WITH OUR LEGAL ADVOCACY FOR TENANTS, STRENGTHENED AVLF'S EFFORTS TO STABILIZE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS BE REDUCING STUDENT TRANSIENCY. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF ATLANTA, MUCH OF THESE EFFORTS ALSO FOCUSED ON PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS, PILOTING A NATIONAL MODEL FOR WORKING WITH TENANTS TO CREATE LONG-TERM STABILITY PLANS. FINALLY, OUR COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE WORK PROVIDED CRITICAL SUPPORT TO SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE AS THEY STROVE FOR SAFETY AND INDEPENDENCE.

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