In 2009, Richard VanRheenen felt a moral tugging within himself. “I decided that I needed to be more intentional about pro bono legal work,” he says, “which I had not really given much attention to before.” Richard spent his days representing business and industry on environmental aspects of real estate transactions, litigation, and regulatory matters. This type of litigation includes lawsuits over who will pay how much of an environmental cleanup. He always knew this was the kind of legal work he wanted to practice. “I was drawn to the combination of law and science,” he tells me.

“It has been my experience that the Internal Revenue Code is extremely complex and not everyone can afford counsel when they have an issue,” he says. He began looking at alternatives for those who could not afford their own counsel and learned about the history of Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC) through the IRS website. Dave was intrigued. He immediately searched for the nearest LITC, which just happened to be part of Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic.

This February, we celebrated the work of our many volunteers. Your service is a blessing to us and to our neighbors. Thank you for your kindness!

On the blog, we introduced you to two of our volunteer attorneys: Jerry Kelly, who helps take on various types of immigration cases, and James Skill, a cancer researcher who went to law school so that he could volunteer for the Clinic! We also shared a special message from Community Partnerships Manager Ben Hayes.

Long before he volunteered with Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Jerry Kelly had a relationship with Exodus Refugee, even serving on their Board for a period of seven years. After stepping down from the Board, he continued to serve as a regular volunteer in their offices. “In doing that, I got exposed to some of the immigration services that Exodus provides, like green card applications.” Soon, through this work, Jerry was introduced to the Legal Clinic.

Dr. James Skill spends most of his day staring at a petri dish waiting to see what cells grow. An oncologic biochemist employed by IU, James researches recurrence rates and effects of immunosuppression on cancer.

When work at his day job was a little slow, Phil Zimmerly contacted Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic to see if there were any volunteer cases he could take. That’s how he met Artis.

A self-described “behind-the-scenes” person, Kris, her husband Jim, and their two daughters are now stalwart supporters of the Clinic. They give of both their time and financial resources. They find ways to encourage and help the Clinic staff that are inventive and yet also simple. For instance, in advance of our 25th anniversary Justice for All Gala this month, the Zaloudek family sent personalized cookies with notes of encouragement to our main office for the staff to enjoy. When our Engagement Team needs assistance with a mailing, Kris shows up, ready to spend her time addressing and sealing envelopes. When we need an extra set of hands at an event, Kris is quick to offer hers.

Bible verses like, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and “I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” provide Jack with clear guidance about what he is supposed to do. “These aren’t just nice words, but are rules of conduct,” he explains.

Volunteer Attorney Fatima Skimin understands the experiences of the immigrants she serves through the Clinic. Born in Casablanca, Morocco, as a girl, she received a French education, and later attended Law School in Montpellier, France. In the mid 1990s, however, Fatima chose to come to the U.S. as an international student.

Every Wednesday morning at our main office, new potential clients have an opportunity to speak to an attorney about a pressing immigration or tax issue. While they sit in the waiting room, if they choose, they can fill out a prayer request card, which is then given to our volunteer prayer team. This team is currently comprised of two people: April Ervin and Grant Sellers.

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.

This November, we celebrated our amazing volunteers with a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at the Indianapolis Bar Association! On the blog, we introduced you to one of those faithful volunteers, Peggy Mindrebo, and the unique way she gives of her time to the Clinic.

“One of the biggest successes of spiritual direction is helping people interpret their past, their present, and their future through the lens of God’s loving gaze. And that’s not easy,” says Peggy. “But for those who are open to it, I think it can bring a sense of not being alone in their life.”

Keynote speaker Bob Goff encouraged those in attendance to bring their beliefs and actions into alignment with one another, telling everyone to, "Synch it up!" He said that doing this might be frightening, but that we should be even more afraid of complacency, saying, "The most dangerous thing we can do is play it safe; we were born to be brave!"