As I begin my third year as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, we face new challenges - including disturbing unemployment rates and unprecedented government cuts, all while the real estate market recovers on the backs of tenants and foreclosed owners. The need for LACLJ's services increases as our capacity to meet such need has decreased due to funding cuts. We have seen a 15-20% increase in calls for assistance. We answer our phones personally, not through an automated system, so our support staff is inundated. Clients are more desperate – we hear more threats of violence to others and themselves. During this period of economic crisis, many families have faced an increase in poverty, job loss, home loss, and debt, the stress of which often manifests in an increase in domestic violence rates. One of our housing outreach programs on substandard housing has seen that nearly 50% of all the buildings are bank owned or have an absentee owner. Tenants of these buildings must deal with utility shut offs, unmet repairs, or illegal squatters.

Yet, in spite of these challenges, we continue to strive to see opportunities and hope for our clients. We continue to help empower and represent the most disenfranchised populations. More than 55% of our clients did not graduate from high school; 30 percent have a zero to eighth grade education level. We have implemented a new case management program, “Adelante!” to provide supportive services through Master’s of Social Work interns from UCLA. We have created a new pro bono partnership called "ADVOCATE" with large law firms to help domestic violence victims in their permanent restraining order hearings in court.

In these times that challenge our core, I hope that you will be a beacon of light and hope by helping our community by volunteering, providing in kind donations, making a financial commitment or engaging in advocacy on issues affecting LACLJ and our clients.

As we continue to fight through this recession, I hope you will we help us lead our community to a stronger tomorrow.

Joining together,

Hellen Hong, Esq.

Executive Director