Homeless Advocacy Project Receives Pro Bono Spotlight

The Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), our nonprofit partner, has received a Pro Bono Spotlight in the Philadelphia Bar Reporter for the above and beyond work they do for Philadelphians. Read about the story of Mrs. A. below. 

Mrs. A. came to HAP during a Project HOME legal clinic for a replacement of citizenship documentation and a new Social Security card needed for a housing application. In the span of a short conversation with Reed Smith’s Lori L. Lasher, Esq., her entire reality was changed. Mrs. A.’s native language is Cantonese so the first half of the intake was challenging. After recruiting a translator, it was discovered that this woman was suffering verbal and physical abuse by her daughter, whose couch she was sleeping on. Mrs. A.’s daughter once locked out Mrs. A. in the rain on a cold February night. While HAP does not typically handle domestic abuse cases, they provided this woman with an extensive amount of resources to ensure her safety. As a result of their swift actions, she received a Protection from Abuse Order, she was able to comfortably communicate through a Cantonese interpreter, and has recently been provided with a safe home of her own.

The organizations that made this a reality include two of our nonprofit partners, HAP and SeniorLaw Center, Project HOME’s Outreach Coordination Center, and the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation. Their ability to collaborate in a person’s time of need highlights why we serve as the philanthropic hub of the legal community. We will do nothing more than continue strengthening the legal community for civil legal aid.