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.

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.

I remember the look on his face. It was a mixture of shame, sadness, and regret. His eyes twitched as he told me his story. He looked up and down, right and left. But he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

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

Back in 2008, I told myself that I was probably going to be at the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic for two years. Eleven years later, I find it excruciating to say goodbye.

Before she was offered the role of Executive Director of the Immigrant Welcome Center and before the Immigrant Welcome Center even existed, Terri Morris Downs worked in Mayor Bart Peterson’s office. They created something called the Natural Helpers Program, which featured immigrant volunteers helping other immigrants and refugees transitioning to life in Indianapolis. “We were sure that we wanted this program to continue in perpetuity and beyond the Peterson administration,” says Terri. “We became a 501(c)(3) organization so that we could find grant funding to be able to grow the program and not use public funding for it.” And, thus, the Immigrant Welcome Center was birthed.

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.

The summer of 2014 was an important one for Jennifer Noelle and her husband Justin. Recently, they had become a Host Family for Safe Families for Children, voluntarily taking in children for short periods of time from the Near Eastside neighborhood of Indianapolis. While hosting two young African American men in their home that August, Jennifer and her husband watched the news stories coming out of Ferguson, Missouri about an 18-year-old African American man named Michael Brown who was fatally shot by a police officer. This confluence of events was the beginning of an evolution of their faith perspective for both Jennifer and Justin.

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!

We can live a story that says we are all alone, or a story that says we must keep all of our resources for ourselves, or a story that says to circle the wagons and stick with our tribes because the world is a dangerous place.

But God has given us a better story. The Bible tells us one that is filled with the beauty of God’s presence in the midst of the burdens of human existence. It’s a story that tells us that God has made us in his image and for a purpose. A purpose frustrated by sin and death, yes—but that is why we have him to rescue us from such powers and to restore things to their rightful place.

Many people know the story of how Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic came to be born, how it sprang from the words of a pastor who cast a bold vision from the pulpit of the big stone church at 34th and Central. What might be less known is how the roots of the Clinic reach deeper into time, to the 1960s, when an all-white congregation refused to submit to white flight. Or even further into the past, to the 1920s, when a downtown church saw an emerging neighborhood as an opportunity for outreach. As such, Tabernacle Presbyterian Church’s seemingly out-of-the-blue decision to start a legal clinic decades later was not so out-of-the-blue at all, but rather, wonderfully consistent with its history.

It’s a cliché: Lawyers wear suits and ties. They carry briefcases and are serious with serious careers—the epitome of a grownup. Many days, this summary encapsulates precisely what I do. And I find the work fulfilling. But I also crave opportunities that shake up that routine, where I can use my education and stretch my legal muscles in service of the public good.

In 2008, College Park Church forged a partnership with Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic to help improve and strengthen the Brookside neighborhood on the near east side. We have enjoyed the grace they bring to our community through their efforts towards justice. And we support one another in offering love and care to our neighbors in need.

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.

Two young women sat in Katy Strader’s office, describing what happened to them the previous weekend when an armed man broke into their home. It was only Katy’s first full week as a Bilingual Paralegal for the Victim Justice Program (VJP) and this new client intake was a jarring introduction to the work. Both girls were shaking and crying as they detailed the robbery, which had left a third friend in critical condition with a gunshot wound.

Kanfing Camara worked with Director of Immigrant Services Rachel Van Tyle in the Immigrant Justice Program (IJP) during her internship. She helped the IJP staff by filling out various immigration applications and completing other administrative work. Of her experience, she says, “I learned a lot about different immigration applications, and which forms handle what sort of issues, from getting a work visa to obtaining a green card. I became more aware of the actual work that immigration lawyers do, and how to be personable to clients.” Her favorite part was hearing the stories of the clients, where they came from, and why they came to the United States. She says, “I really liked seeing how they lit up when they were told that their case would be picked up by the Clinic.” This fall, Kanfing is heading into her last year of undergrad at Purdue University.

Though the intricacies of the immigration system are vast, one basic statement remains true: There is nowhere for the average immigrant to get in line and simply receive their papers. That is not an option. For our clients who have suffered abuse and violence, that is still not an option.  

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.

Director of Immigrant Services Rachel Van Tyle says, “Modest Means is a legal phrase that means lower cost services. Some may call it ‘low bono’ as opposed to pro bono. It means that there is usually a flat fee for a case.” And while the flat fee depends on the case type, the cost remains affordable.