A Holiday Thank You from our Board President

Matthew Faranda-DiedrichDear Friends of LCD,

As 2018 comes to an end, we reflect upon the year and give thanks for everything we have received and everyone who has touched our lives. I am thankful to serve as Board Chair for the Legal Clinic for the Disabled. I am humbled by the remarkable staff, clients, partners, friends, and supporters of LCD.

This was a year of collaboration and partnership to address the housing and eviction crisis in Philadelphia. This crisis disproportionately affects seniors and those living with disabilities. Working with other nonprofit agencies and the City of Philadelphia, LCD is now part of a team providing representation in Landlord-Tenant Court where many of those facing eviction go unrepresented.

LCD and its partners in the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project published the Philly Tenant Resource Guide. The Guide provides housing resource information, eviction hearing preparation, and other tenant information in an easy-to-reference format. Through this collaboration, LCD is now developing best practices and innovative strategies to reduce evictions and prevent homelessness. The power of collaboration helped avert a crisis for Leola and her daughter.

Leola, who uses a wheelchair, and her daughter became homeless and needed to quickly find a place to live that was both safe and wheelchair accessible. There is only one family shelter in Philadelphia. LCD’s managing attorney, Esther Miller, coordinated with LCD’s partners to find housing for Leola and her daughter. While Esther advocated for Leola and her daughter, LCD was able to provide short term housing thanks to its Fund-A-Need program. Fund-A-Need is provided by a group of generous LCD donors. Collaboration between LCD’s attorneys, our nonprofit partners, and LCD’s supporters turned a crisis into a victory. Leola and her daughter now live in fully accessible, subsidized housing through another of LCD’s partners, Inglis House.

Clients like Leola inspire us every day. You, our generous supporters, make this work possible. We are currently in the final days of our $25K Match Campaign. Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar you give is immediately doubled! Help us reach our goal by December 31!

Your generosity funds free legal services offered to clients like Leola. Your collaboration brings inclusion, independence, and justice to thousands of people every year.

Please click here to make a donation by December 31.

On behalf of myself, and the LCD Board and Staff, Happy Holidays!

In gratitude,

Matthew Faranda-Diedrich
LCD Board President
Partner, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC

To make a donation, please click here

December 11th, 2018|News|0 Comments