On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, the Legal Aid Justice Center and Master of Ceremonies John Grisham will present Bridging the Gap, a program examining the current attacks on the social safety net, strategies to address it, and ways in which concerned community members can be involved in the debate.  

Today, Virginia is facing its highest unemployment since 1982, and one in five Virginia workers earns wages low enough to place them below the poverty line. More and more middle-class families are rapidly descending into poverty as they lose their jobs, their homes, their savings and their retirement benefits.

Yet, with political discourse consumed with deficit reduction and debt ceilings, many members of congress are pointing to critical social safety net programs to make up for the budgetary shortfall. Current proposals call for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, food stamps, affordable housing, education, and many other programs on which millions of Americans depend. What is the social safety net?  Why is it important for all Americans?  Are there ways to balance the budget without targeting the poor, the elderly and children?

The evening’s events include the documentary Collateral Damage which examines the fallout after a critical public benefit program is cut, and a panel discussion of experts on related topics.  Bridging the Gap will help shed light both on the importance of maintaining the social safety net and options for helping us change the system for the better.
 

Please join us for a crucial and compelling discussion. Our program will be held at the Paramount Theater on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall. Private reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the program to follow at 7:00 p.m.

Please click here for more event details and sponsorship opportunities. You may also purchase your tickets online through a secure credit card transaction via Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express.

For more information regarding the public event or the private reception, please contact Susan Kruse, Donor Relations Manager, at  (434) 977-0553 ext. 101, or email susan@justice4all.org.

Legal Aid Justice Center attorney Brenda Castañeda is rapidly becoming a leader in statewide consumer protection advocacy.  Her most recent case challenges the repossession of a client's automobile by a car title lender.
 
Read the Daily Progress article about the case here.
 

The Legal Aid Justice Center seeks an additional $136,000 to support strategic investments in information technology by December 31, 2011. We have secured a generous “challenge grant” commitment of $64,000 from The Cabell Foundation to fund this project in our Richmond and Petersburg offices, but must secure commitments for the balance of the project expenses (relating to our Charlottesville and Falls Church offices), in order to access this pledge of support.
 
Specifically, this funding will allow us to acquire high quality telecommunications, case management, e-advocacy and donor engagement tools. We consider these strategic investments to be essential for improving the efficiency of our work on behalf of our low-income clients, sharing our learning with others, and reaching potential funding sources. We have recently completed several critical infrastructure improvements that will serve as the platform to build out our capacity.
 
If you are interested in making a gift toward this important project, please contact our Donor Relations Manager, Susan Kruse at susan@justice4all.org or simply donate online by clicking here.
 

That is the question asked by the Public News Service -- and answered by Legal Aid Justice Center contract attorney Tom Domonoske here.