On October 23rd, The Family Center and its network of ardent supporters gathered at Fraunces Tavern for Cocktails for a Cause, a fundraising event honoring the work of our Legal Wellness Institute.
It was an immense pleasure to come together and celebrate the vital work of our small but mighty legal team, who tackled over 1,000 cases and benefitted over 1,900 New Yorkers last year alone. Our four staff attorneys and two paralegals fight for the rights of the city’s most vulnerable populations. As stated by Lauren Groetch, our Director of Legal Services, our clients “are folks who aren’t only trying to make ends meet at the economic margins of one of the most expensive cities in the entire world; they’re also facing down some of all of our greatest fears—illness, mortality, loss of ability and independence, loss of loved ones.”
We were incredibly lucky to be joined by two of our clients, who shared their moving stories of struggle, perseverance and justice. Faced with crises, both turned to two of our incredible attorneys, Alyse and Elizabeth, to address their multifold issues. In Alyse’s client’s words, “I don’t know where I would have ended up without Alyse’s help. The Legal Wellness Institute saved my home and my health. Please support their work advocating for New Yorkers like me.” Our second client too honored Elizabeth’s dedication, attention and care: “Elizabeth made me feel like a person, not a number. She showed me that I was important, that I mattered. I don’t know how I would have gotten through that time without her. I want everyone who is going through a tough battle with their health to have access to this kind of help.”
We are incredibly proud of the hard work our team puts into providing holistic, accessible legal services to New Yorkers across the five boroughs. “Working in this way is challenging,” says Lauren. “We are never bored. We are also deeply, deeply rewarded. And we’re motivated by knowing that every eviction prevented, every benefit secured, every family stabilized is helping to build a stronger, more just city for all of us.”
Thank you to everyone who attended the event, donated or purchased an item at our auction. Thanks to your support, we can continue to provide peace of mind and stability to more vulnerable New Yorkers.
