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.
God is Just: A Message from Executive Director Chris Purnell
At the Clinic, we say we “promote justice” through the work that God has called us to do. And as we celebrate our 25th year of service to the community this January, I’ve been contemplating what this actually means. Superheroes continue to clean up at the box office and issues of social justice fill our newsfeed—but true justice is so much fuller than our humanly conception. So what, then, is the biblical core of justice?
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!
Recognizing God's Provision
Recognizing God’s provision is often pivotal to the work that Michael does—most especially when that work is messy. “[At times, I find myself] working with some pretty broken situations and still not being able to fix them,” he says. On occasion, there are no good options for our clients; a foreclosure cannot be prevented and Michael finds himself in the position of having to deliver bad news. “I don’t like it when things don’t work,” he says. “My hope is that we can offer assistance of some sort often, yet it sometimes doesn’t take the shape that people are hoping for.” But even when things don’t work precisely as his clients would like, Michael is there to walk through the process alongside them.
A Message from Executive Director, Chris Purnell: Community
Community is true when it is gritty and glorious; sacrificial and satisfying; when it is a fellowship of “differents” gathered around a shared vision of justice, a shared Savior. But we must come expecting to be poured out, to sacrifice. If I seek fulfillment in community, I will leave empty. If I seek to be emptied for the community, I will find fulfillment.
Client Stories: Meet Guadalupe*, Adriana*, and Javier*
She tells us she and her children survived everything that happened to them by the grace of God, and that she knew He would not let her travel so far from her home only to find despair.
A Message from Executive Director, Chris Purnell: Compassion
God gave us emotions. Far too often, we either suppress them or glorify them. Jesus, however, chose a third way: he used them. Jesus sees the crowds, feels their pain in a genuine way, and tends to their needs. Thus, Christ demonstrates how emotions are tools we can use to showcase what the kingdom of God is like: plentiful, healing, restorative, and just.
A Message from the Staff: Brian Dunkel on "Advocacy"
This post is an excerpt of the full talk Brian gave last year at Taylor University for a chapel address, “Doing Biblical Justice as a Servant of Jesus”. To watch the chapel address click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IlRu1qquQg