Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

October 4, 2021 Giving Guide 2021

Community Legal Aid

Future Goals

1.  Community Legal Aid will provide free legal services to over 7,000 low-income and elderly clients, impacting an estimated 18,000 of the most vulnerable residents of Central and Western Massachusetts. 

2. Our Housing and Homelessness Unit will continue to help prevent homelessness by providing legal services to help tenants facing eviction or discrimination. 

3. Our Family Law Unit will strive to protect families by providing legal assistance to domestic violence victims.

4. Our Elder Law Unit will provide legal services to our elder neighbors relating to their health and safety. 

5. Our Veterans Unit will meet the unique civil legal needs of veterans, including advocacy for veteran-specific benefits.

6. Our Education Law Unit will help students from low-income families access the services they need to remain and succeed in school.  

7. Our CORI/Re-entry Unit will assist formerly incarcerated individuals overcome barriers to housing, employment, and other opportunities in order to successfully reintegrate into society. 

8. Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Central West Justice Center, will assist people seeking humanitarian-based immigration relief.

Fundraising & Giving Opportunities

2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the organizations that  evolved into Community Legal Aid. In October of 2021, we will be celebrating “70 Years of Fighting for Justice” with a virtual event. We are hoping to engage members of the business community to help sponsor this event and will be providing wonderful recognition opportunities for our sponsors.

In addition, each fall we run Access to Justice Campaigns in each of the five counties where we operate. Often, there are events associated with these campaigns where sponsorship is welcomed.

Volunteer Opportunities

Community Legal Aid coordinates the largest pro bono (volunteer) lawyer referral program in Central and Western Massachusetts and offers a diverse array of pro bono opportunities for attorneys. Whether an attorney is looking to take on a full representation case or is interested in our court-based projects, we’ll help match them with a program that fits their level of experience, geographic location, and time commitment. We have an extensive panel of volunteer attorneys throughout our service area, and are always looking for new attorneys to join our effort to help area families in need.

We also offer volunteer internships to law students, college students, and others to work on a variety of projects. In addition, individuals fluent in different languages have been helpful by serving as volunteer translators and interpreters.

Giving Opportunities

Access to Justice Campaign: Each fall, the Worcester County legal community and others join together to raise funds for Community Legal Aid’s Access to Justice Campaign. This campaign provides support  to increase access to justice for our most vulnerable neighbors. While the court appoints an attorney for those who cannot afford one in criminal cases, the same is not true in civil cases. As a result, our low-income and elderly neighbors are often left to fight for life’s basic necessities—a place to live, protection from violence, and support for their families—all without the help of a lawyer. Community Legal Aid exists to help people with these and other critical civil legal issues. Join the fight for justice for all with a gift to Community Legal Aid! Gifts can be made online at www.communitylegal.org/donate or sent in by mail at any time.

70 Years of Fighting for Justice Campaign: In honor of our 70th Anniversary, there will be special fundraising efforts, along with a special virtual event on October 7, 2021. More information can be found at https://p2p.onecause.com/cla70.

Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharper focus just how essential Community Legal Aid is in ensuring and improving the health and economic stability of our communities. Throughout the past year, Community Legal Aid has seen a surge in the number of people seeking help to stave off eviction, access unemployment benefits, or apply for food stamps. Others needed our assistance because their children with disabilities were unable to participate in virtual schooling or because they faced increased family violence as they quarantined in their homes.

MISSION STATEMENT

To improve the lives of low-income and elderly people through legal assistance that protects fundamental rights, secures access to basic needs, and challenges policies and practices that harm our clients. We work to assure fairness for all in the justice system, protecting homes, livelihoods, health, and families.

Community Legal Aid

405 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608

Phone: 855.CLA.LEGAL (855.252.5342) 

www.communitylegal.org

Full-time employees: 140

Annual revenues: $11,272,914 

Year founded: 1951
(became known as Community Legal Aid in 2011)

Service area: Community Legal Aid is the free civil legal aid provider for  the five counties of Central and Western Massachusetts (Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire Counties).

Top funding sources:

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation - 59%

Legal Services Corporation - 16% 

Massachusetts Bar Foundation - 2%

Board of Directors

Jonathan Mannina, Esq., Executive Director

Todd Rodman, Seder & Chandler, LLP

Douglas Brown, UMass Memorial Hospitals, Inc, Vice President

Jodi Miller, Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, Treasurer

Shelena Bernard, Client Representative, Secretary

Christina Andreoli, Berkshire Bank

Shari Bai, Client Representative

Terrence J. Briggs, Bowditch& Dewey

Kathryn S. Crouss, Bacon Wilson, PC

Mark S. Gold, Smith Green & Gold, LLP

Corey F. Higgins, Mirick O’Connell

J. Kendall Huber, The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.

Lyonel Jean-Pierre Jr., Harvard Legal Aid Bureau

Michele Kunitz

Buffy Duringer Lord, Donovan O’Connor & Dodig, LLP

David H. Murphy, Unum US Law Department

Timothy F. Murphy, Skoler Abbot & Presser, PC

Dr. Aladdin Naji, Client Representative

Hon. Luis G. Perez (Ret.), Glickman, Sugarman, Kneeland, and Gribouski

Maria F. Rodriguez

Sudha Setty, Dean, Western New England University School of Law

Dorothy Storrow, Storrow Law Office