Creative Engagement Coordinator Ashley Caveda recently had the opportunity to interview our brand-new executive director, Amy Horton.

After much careful and prayerful consideration, it is our great pleasure to announce the appointment of our new executive director: Amy Horton! Last autumn, our board of directors formed a search committee tasked with finding an experienced leader familiar with legal systems and possessing strong nonprofit management skills to advance the work of Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic. Amy Horton is that leader.

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 November, we highlighted our partnership with HVAF of Indiana, Inc., featuring stories about our shared clients and discussing important issues affecting homeless veterans.

When I was in middle school, I went to the library as often as I could. I read about the Roman legion and the Macedonian phalanx, Alexander the Great and his encounter with the war elephants of King Porus, the American Civil War and great tacticians like Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. The librarian would sometimes set aside the latest books she had about war and history, knowing that I would walk through her doors again soon, looking for a new text to devour.

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.”

By the time Barbara Turner* contacted our Housing Department for assistance, she was over $10,000 behind on her mortgage payments. For the past year, she had endured many hardships that made her unable to afford her home, including domestic violence at the hands of her spouse. A stay-at-home mom to her three children, Barbara was determined to keep her family safe. And so she divorced her abusive husband and began to seek full-time employment. Paralegal Molly Howes Jefford says of this, “The loss of income from her divorce is in part why she struggled with maintaining her mortgage payments.”

Would it surprise you to learn that Indianapolis experiences 11,082 evictions every year, second only to New York City, a city of 8.5 million people? Every day in this city, 31.7 families are faced with the severe economic and emotional hardship that comes with an eviction.

Something strange is going on at the Legal Clinic... Help #TeamJustice make it past the Hamilton County Humane Society and into the Engaged 8 in #BFG18 by supporting pro bono legal services for low-income families. Please donate to Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic now.

This January, we shared Executive Director Chris Purnell's thoughts on what it means to walk alongside those in need and to receive such care well when we ourselves are in need. This whole year, we will be exploring the theme of Belonging through our social media and blog posts. And, as the year goes on, we hope to learn more about how you participate in this community as well.

Chase and his team wondered if the same dealership might have procured judgments against other individuals using false evidence. “Our intern for the summer did a review and found 322 other similar cases,” says Chase. “The total judgments were close to $2 million dollars.”