AMARA LEGAL CENTER

Amara Legal Center provides free legal services to individuals whose rights have been violated while involved in commercial sex, whether involvement was by coercion, necessity, choice, or otherwise, in the DC metropolitan area. The WBAF grant supports the Legal Representation Project which provides full representation to 20 survivors of sex trafficking with civil legal services in DC Superior Court over the course of a year. @AmaraLegal

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AYUDA

Ayuda envisions a community where all immigrants overcome obstacles in order to succeed and thrive in the United States. It advocates for low-income immigrants through direct legal, social, and language services as well as training and outreach in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The WBAF grant will allow Ayuda to provide low-barrier, culturally appropriate legal services to low-income immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Ayuda is also able to provide immediate legal assistance for victims fleeing emergency situations on a walk-in basis. @ayudadc

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BREAD FOR THE CITY

Bread for the City began as a volunteer-run free health clinic in 1974. Over the years, their programs grew to include the addition of a legal clinic, social services program, and, most recently, an advocacy program. Their mission is to provide vulnerable residents of Washington, DC, with comprehensive services, including food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. The WBAF grant will assist the operation of Bread for the City’s Domestic Violence Community Legal Services Project, which serves low income minority women in their fight to obtain protection from domestic violence. This year, Bread for the City aims to provide advice and representation to over 150 DC residents, aiding them in obtaining Civil Protection Orders, income supports, child custody, and divorce proceedings in order to ensure their safety. @BreadfortheCity

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DC VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT

The DC Volunteer Lawyers Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to address the critical shortage of legal assistance for low-income people in Washington DC, especially in cases involving domestic violence. The WBAF grant will support the Domestic Violence Program which provdes pro bono legal assistance and social services to domestic violence victims, most of whom are women living below the poverty line in Wards 5, 6, and 8. @DCVLP

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT AND APPEALS PROJECT

DV LEAP’s mission is to provide a stronger voice for justice by fighting to overturn unjust trial court outcomes; advancing legal protections for victims of domestic violence and their children through expert appellate advocacy, training lawyers, psychologists and judges on best practices; and spearheading domestic violence litigation in the Supreme Court. The WBAF grant supports the DC LEAP project which provides essential services including appellate representation, in-depth consultations at the trial level, and technical assistance to victims of domestic violence. @DV_LEAP

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FIRST SHIFT JUSTICE PROJECT

First Shift Justice Project empowers low-income pregnant women and parents to safeguard the economic security and health of their families by asserting their workplace rights. By receiving advice and representation, working parents are able to assert their rights before they lose their positions or before their workplace stress becomes untenable, First Shift helps them safely maintain their employment, their health and their family commitments. The WBAF grant will allow the organization to establish a pro bono volunteer program. @1stShiftJustice

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LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

For more than 80 years, Legal Aid’s mission has been to make justice real – in individual and systematic ways – for persons living in poverty in the District of Columbia. The WBAF grant will support the Domestic Violence Underserved Communities Representation Project. The project will provide extended representation, advice, counsel, and brief assistance to clients in at least 150 cases. In addition, at least five outreach sessions will be coordinated, allowing the Legal Aid Society of DC to serve more than 500 DC residents. @LegalAidDC

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LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE ELDERLY

The Legal Counsel for the Elderly aims to improve the quality of life for elderly District residents, and its primary goal is to serve and empower thousands of low-income seniors each year in those areas of law involving “basic human needs”: income, housing, long-term care, personal autonomy, and consumer protection. The WBAF grant will support the implementation of the organization’s Schedule H pro bono clinics. These clinics will assist older, low income DC residents, the vast majority of whom are women, in completing the Schedule H form in order to receive the tax credit which they use to avoid eviction, cover property tax payments, pay off debts, purchase food, obtain prescription drugs, and more. @LCEinDC

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LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The Legal Resource Center on Violence Against Women aims to improve legal representation for domestic violence survivors, specifically those who need representation in interstate custody cases. Survivors regularly cross state lines with their children among the DMV, which raises safety and legal concerns, including the issuance and enforcement of conflicting protection and custody orders. Through the WBAF grant, the organization anticipates serving at least 30 new survivors and train at least 40 attorneys and victim advocates.