This post was written by one of our new volunteers, Kristina Drolet, a recent Pepperdine School of Law graduate. She writes about her experience at our recent legal clinic.
At CLA-LA’s March 14th legal aid clinic held at Faithful Central Bible Church (FCBC) in Inglewood, CA, fifty-seven volunteers, including members of FCBC, attorneys, and law students from schools including Pepperdine, USC, UCLA and La Verne, came together to identify with those living in poverty and to serve as His hands and feet.
As a volunteer at Saturday's clinic, I witnessed first-hand how transformative the clinic experience can be for the clients, and how essential both the legal and spiritual teams are to this process. Working at the intake desk, I spoke with one woman as she was signing in. She broke down into tears as she described the problems she was facing. One of the spiritual team volunteers prayed with her and offered a listening ear as she waited to be called by the legal team. When it was her turn to be seen, I watched her walking arm-in-arm with the spiritual volunteer, and saw that she was now smiling, appeared to be standing taller, and looked much more hopeful than when she had come in.
I got a chance to speak with the client again after she had seen the legal team. She told me that the caliber of the legal services and kindness of the volunteers were beyond her expectations. She explained that she now had an action plan that she was confident she could follow. It was very clear to me that she walked out of the clinic feeling both spiritually and legally empowered. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to witness and participate in CLA-LA’s transformative work, and am proud to be a volunteer.
CLA-LA served twenty-three clients at Saturday’s clinic. Clients came seeking advice for issues ranging from domestic violence to running a small business. This range showed me that CLA-LA is both a beacon for those facing injustice, and a resource for those seeking legal advice in order to navigate the obstacles that accompany positive endeavors.
I saw that CLA-LA is glorifying God by empowering men, women and families to break the cycles of physical and spiritual poverty through the love of Jesus Christ. As CLA-LA continues to expand its reach, we invite all those motivated by this good work to consider how we can help those in need develop the tools to overcome the inequity in their lives.
CLA-LA served twenty-three clients at Saturday’s clinic. Clients came seeking advice for issues ranging from domestic violence to running a small business. This range showed me that CLA-LA is both a beacon for those facing injustice, and a resource for those seeking legal advice in order to navigate the obstacles that accompany positive endeavors.
I saw that CLA-LA is glorifying God by empowering men, women and families to break the cycles of physical and spiritual poverty through the love of Jesus Christ. As CLA-LA continues to expand its reach, we invite all those motivated by this good work to consider how we can help those in need develop the tools to overcome the inequity in their lives.
