In case you missed it, this January, we said farewell to our 25th anniversary year and we set our sights ahead. In 2020, we will continue to explore and share our vision for the future of the Clinic. We have faith that the Lord will guide us through this time of new beginnings. Thank you for walking alongside us. We wish you the most beautiful and blessed new year!

The Clinic is approaching this new year as an opportunity to refocus our vision for the future. As such, during the first staff meeting of 2020, we took time to review and reflect upon our Clinic values, which include: Jesus, Humility, Love, Gratitude, Daring, Wisdom, Flexibility, and Flourishing. While there are many important qualities that we hope to emulate in our actions and through our work, these eight are meant to be the driving force behind what we do. And first and foremost among these is Jesus.

In case you missed it, this October, we celebrated our faithful supporters, sharing stories about our donors, prayer partners, volunteers, and community partners. We would not exist without YOU!

In case you missed it, this September, in advance of our 25th anniversary Justice for All Gala, we featured important supporters who help make our work possible, as well as some of our favorite clients!

In case you missed it, this August, we featured our Victim Justice Program (VJP), exploring the hardships faced by many of our clients and the provisions in place to help them achieve safety and stability.

On the blog, we started the month with a moving message from VJP Staff Attorney Annie Anderson called, “There Is Room At The Table.” We also learned a little more about the aspirations and achievements of our summer interns, and we introduced you to three amazing staff members in our VJP.

In case you missed it, this July, we highlighted our Immigrant Justice Program, sharing our hearts for our immigrant neighbors, focusing on compelling client stories, and clarifying the historical context for immigration in this country.

In case you missed it, this March, we shared stories about the work done by our Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), information on the biggest scams that threaten our clients, and helpful tips and resources for those who are facing tax-related issues.

In case you missed it, this February, we shared stories about the work done by our Housing Department, information on the biggest threats to safe housing faced by our clients, and helpful advice regarding housing-related topics. We kicked off the month with a message from Staff Attorney Chase Haller on “The Hidden Housing Crisis.”

In case you missed it, this January, we kicked off our 25th anniversary year with a close look at the Clinic’s Biblical Roots. Executive Director Chris Purnell shared a four-part blog series that explores the matter of justice and its role in the work we do. Read the whole series now: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, & Part 4.

At Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, our faith in Jesus is the foundation of all the work that we do. Inspired by a powerful sermon to create the Clinic, Abby Kuzma and the other founders relied heavily on their faith to make this dream become a reality. Abby recalls being especially encouraged by Ephesians 2:10 in the early days: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

It was God’s love that compelled him to come to all of us who were far off. It is God’s peace that makes everything as it should be.

“I don’t know how many people we helped that first year,” Lynn says, “but you probably wouldn’t have to take off your shoes to count them.”

In 1992, the vision for the Legal Clinic was first expressed in a Palm Sunday sermon by Dr. Frank Kik at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church. The church was located in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood and the sermon noted the incredible need for pro bono legal services in the area. Six Christian attorneys who were in attendance that day answered the call and founded what eventually became Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic.

This September, our Immigrant Justice Program has been especially busy. With DACA ending soon, the Clinic hosted three separate DACA days to help those eligible to renew complete their paperwork before the Oct. 5 deadline. In a recent blog post, Executive Director Chris Purnell shared his thoughts on how we ought to Abide with the DACA Youth through these uncertain times.

This month at the Clinic, we are gearing up for our next Justice For All Gala on Oct. 5! You can reserve your ticket here now--and if you do so before the end of August, you can get 20% off the regular ticket price by using the coupon code AUG20OFF!