Boston Bar Foundation Awards More Than $1 Million in Grants to 23 Local Organizations

The Boston Bar Foundation (BBF), the charitable affiliate of the Boston Bar Association, announced today that it will provide $1,025,000  in grants to 23 community organizations that work to provide legal services to those in need. This funding is composed of proceeds from the BBF’s annual John & Abigail Adams Benefit, the largest legal aid fundraiser in the state, as well as Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA). The grantee organizations provide legal services for the most vulnerable and underprivileged populations in Greater Boston, such as domestic violence survivors, people experiencing homelessness and immigration issues, at-risk children, and veterans.

“The incredible work done by these vital organizations helps to ensure that access to justice, particularly for the most marginalized and vulnerable members of community, is not just a mission but a reality,” Boston Bar Foundation President Anthony A. Froio said. “The Foundation Board of Trustees and I are so grateful for the success of this year’s John & Abigail Adams Benefit. These grants would not be possible without the lawyers, law firms and area businesses who support the work of the Boston Bar Foundation throughout the year. Our sincere thanks to all who made these grants possible. You are working toward a brighter future in Massachusetts for so many.”

The 2018 grant recipients are:

Casa Myrna Vazquez: Founded in 1977 to provide a safe haven for abused women, Casa Myrna is now Boston’s largest provider of shelter and supportive services to survivors of domestic violence.

City Life/Vida Urbana: City Life/Vida Urbana is a grassroots community organization working towards racial, social and economic justice and gender equality by promoting individual empowerment and developing community leaders.

Community Legal Services and Counseling Center: Community Legal Services and Counseling Center provides free civil legal aid and affordable psychological counseling to low-income people.

Greater Boston Legal Services: The oldest and largest legal services program in New England, GBLS provides free legal assistance to as many low-income families as possible, helping them secure some of the most basic necessities of life.

Housing Families Inc.: Housing Families Inc.’s mission is ending family homelessness by providing quality services and by expanding affordable healthcare for those in need.

Irish International Immigrant Center: Irish International Immigrant Center assists immigrants from Ireland and from around the world as they integrate into American society.

Kids in Need of Defense: KIND works toward a world in which children’s rights and wellbeing are protected as they migrate alone in search of safety.

Lawyers Clearinghouse on Affordable Housing and Homelessness: Lawyers Clearinghouse provides pro bono legal services to nonprofit organizations and to individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice: The Lawyers’ Committee is a civil rights organization established in 1968 with a mission of combating discrimination based on race and national origin.

Massachusetts Advocates for Children: Massachusetts Advocates for Children works to ensure equal opportunities for children who have disabilities, are low income or are racially/culturally diverse.

Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health: MassCOSH unites workers, unions and community groups with environmental and health activists to end dangerous work conditions, organize for safe, secure jobs, and advocate for healthy communities.

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute: The mission of Mass Law Reform is to advance economic, racial and social justice through legal action, policy advocacy, coalition building, and community outreach.

MLPB: Formerly known as Medical Legal Partnership Boston, MLPB’s mission is to equip healthcare, public health and human services teams with legal problem-solving strategies that promote health equity for vulnerable people.

MetroWest Legal Services, Inc.: MetroWest Legal Services protects the rights of elderly, disabled and other disenfranchised people and assists them in obtaining legal, social and economic justice.

Northeast Legal Aid: Northeast Legal Aid delivers civil legal services to the poor and elderly in Northeastern Massachusetts.

Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR): PAIR works to promote the rights of unjustly detained immigrants and to secure safety and freedom for asylum-seekers fleeing persecution.

Prisoners’ Legal Services: Prisoners’ Legal Services promotes the safe, humane and lawful treatment of Massachusetts prisoners through civil rights litigation advocacy, counseling and public outreach.

Project Citizenship: The goal of Project Citizenship is to partner with community-based organizations to help eligible, legal permanent residents overcome barriers to becoming U.S. citizens.

The Second Step: The Second Step has partnered with thousands of survivors to address the aftermath of abuse and build brighter futures for themselves and their children.

Veterans Legal Services: Veterans Legal Services provides free and accessible legal services to ensure the self-sufficiency, stability and financial security of homeless and low-income veterans.

Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association: The Volunteer Lawyers Project provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents of Greater Boston through the pro bono services of private attorneys.

Women’s Bar Foundation: The Women’s Bar Foundation provides free legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, low-income seniors seeking end-of-life documents, and low-income individuals involved in housing disputes.

Youth Advocacy Foundation – EdLaw Project: The EdLaw Project provides education advocacy for Massachusetts’ highest-risk youth. Since January 2000, EdLaw Project attorneys have directly advocated for the educational rights of over 1,800 low-income youth in Massachusetts.
 
As the charitable affiliate of the Boston Bar Association, the Boston Bar Foundation’s mission is inspired by the values of professionalism, service, compassion and responsibility. The mission of the BBF is to promote justice by funding and promoting innovation in legal services, enhancing access to justice for the underserved and supporting the public interest activities of the bar.