A Special Message from Staff Attorney & Survivor Justice Program Manager Stephanie Caraway
My practice is focused on representing survivors of domestic abuse in family law and protective order cases. Two of my clients suffer from permanent brain damage because of the beatings they received at the hands of their husbands. Several of my clients have endured violent attacks in front of their children or grandchildren. Some of my clients came to me full of uncertainty because their spouses “only” abused them emotionally or financially, and maybe, they wondered, it wasn’t really that bad.
A Message from Community Partnerships Manager Ben Hayes
Flexibility is a hallmark of the Clinic and my role has evolved as Clinic needs have changed. Because of this, two years ago, I began serving as the Community Partnerships Manager. This role primarily focused on the Clinic’s robust relationships with organizations all over the state of Indiana, and particularly here in Indianapolis. But, a few months ago, I also took over the duties of volunteer coordinator. Now, I build and maintain relationships with both community partners and individual volunteers. And both of these groups are absolutely essential to the Clinic’s work.
The Eight Clinic Values
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.
The Greatest of These Is Love
At the Clinic, we have a lot to love! Our last Justice For All Gala was our most successful ever--raising $152,440.09 thanks to all of our supporters! We also welcomed four new Board Members in the past few weeks, like Todd Fisher, Carol Hartman, John Gurchiek, and Lori Torres! And we got to participate in the Spirit & Place Festival for the first time this past fall, helping more people in our community understand the needs of ex-offenders!
Homeless Youth: Courting Justice Podcast Episode 2x03
In 2011, according to the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention, 24% of all people experiencing homelessness were under the age of 24. In 2014, there were 354 homeless youth just in the Indianapolis area alone. What are the causes of youth homelessness? What are the unique challenges faced by homeless youth? And what services are available to assist those in need?
How Do We Love Thee? Let Us Count the Ways!
Happy Valentine's Day from Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic! This February, we're remembering all the reasons we love the Clinic, the work we do, our clients, volunteers, and supporters like YOU. Please enjoy this small sampling of why we're brimming over with love this Valentine's Day! And remember, just like it says in 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us."
Hope for Homeless Youth
A pivotal element of HYJP is the Program Manager, Ben Hayes. Unlike the two attorneys who work cases for Outreach’s youth, Ben’s position is more nebulous. His job is to build relationships and to create a bridge between their kids and our attorneys. Most of the youth that go through Outreach know what it’s like to be burned by someone they were supposed to be able to trust—in fact, that is usually an inciting incident to them becoming homeless in the first place. “Every one of them is going to have a different story,” Ben says. The one thing they all have in common though? Trauma. According to a series of internal surveys conducted by Outreach in 2014, 71% of their young woman said they were sexually abused before the age of 18 and 88% of their young men saw their mother beaten before the age of 18.