Support Your Favorite Team For a Cause
By Meredith S. Auten, President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.
Who can forget the way the city of Philadelphia celebrated the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in 2018? Underdogs became champions. Last year, Phillies fans cheered on their come-from-behind heroes all the way to the World Series. The Eagles flew back into another Super Bowl, the 76ers swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and all of Philadelphia buzzed with civic pride. And even though our hometown heroes were not ultimately victorious, who better than Gritty, the beloved mascot of the Flyers, to rally Philadelphia’s indomitable spirit?
What better way to demonstrate our civic pride, and our commitment to our community and our home team pride than participating in the Philadelphia Bar Foundation’s Jerseys for Justice campaign!
Our Jerseys for Justice campaign invite people to donate at least $5 and wear athletic gear to support their favorite teams while they work. This is a great way to celebrate our city, celebrate with our colleagues, and support our civil legal aid community. Jerseys for Justice welcomes our diverse workforces to share their interests and include them directly in the work of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation as we seek to remove barriers to justice. Anyone can become a stakeholder in the work of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation – and we hope everyone will.
We are grateful to all who participate and especially grateful to the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association for helping us coordinate our efforts by identifying team captains in our law firms and local businesses. Captains will select the date and time that works best for each office. While we are timing the start of the campaign to coincide with the new Eagles season, you can plan a Jerseys for Justice event at your office anytime until December 31, 2023. For more information about Jerseys for Justice, visit our website: https://www.philabarfoundation.org/ events/jerseys-justice
The Philadelphia Bar Foundation relies upon charitable donations to remove barriers to justice, engage the wider community in philanthropy for justice, and build system-wide capacity to strengthen the delivery of civil legal services. Civil legal aid helps deliver on the promise of justice for all, helping members of our community avoid eviction, receive essential benefits and escape domestic violence. The Philadelphia Bar Foundation develops programs, provides fellowships, offers assistance with technical and operational issues, and provides unrestricted grants to address racial and economic inequities within the legal system.
As the justice gap widens, resources are decreasing. In 2022, charitable giving as a percentage of the nation’s gross domestic product decreased from 2.2% to 1.9%. Jerseys for Justice gives all Philadelphians a chance to participate in the solution by helping us to raise funds to close the justice gap. Your donations help us deliver on the promise of justice for all. Please join us!