www.loubar.org 16 Louisville Bar Briefs THE LOUISVILLE BAR FOUNDATION COMMUNITY SERVICE RECENT LBF GRANT AWARDS CASA OF THE RIVER REGION Advocacy Academy: $10,000 CASA provides advocacy services to children with active cases in Family Court. To increase the number of volunteer advocates, CASA must continually train and provide education. The LBF grant will support CASA’s Advocacy Academy program and increase its number of trainings to boost volunteers’ advocacy skillset and the understanding of interrelated child welfare, justice and medical systems. CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF LOUISVILLE Fee Waiver Program: $15,000 Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Servic- es helps low-income refugees and immigrants living in Kentucky obtain legal assistance. The LBF grant will allow refugees and immigrants solve immigration and/or employment status issues so to achieve or maintain financial stability and economic independence. FAMILY & CHILDREN’S PLACE Child Advocacy Center Training: $10,000 The Child Advocacy Center at the Family & Children’s Place is the only facility of its kind in Kentucky providing services to child victims up to age 17 with compassionate, coordinated in- tervention and investigation of child sex abuse. The LBF grant will be used to pay for training of multi-disciplinary team, partners and com- munity members to promote the coordination of the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, Child Protective Services, advocates, clinicians and medical providers and to meet the needs of children and families experiencing abuse, neglect, human trafficking and community violence. GOODWILL INDUSTRIES Support for Expungement Services: $5,000 Goodwill helps adults with disabilities or other disadvantages achieve and maintain employment. Since 2021, Goodwill has of- fered expungement services designed to guide individuals through the intricate legal process. Goodwill provides support to navigate the court process. LBF grant funds will be used to offset the court and filing fees associated with the expungement process for those individu- als unable to pay these costs. THE HEALING PLACE Peer Mentor Program: $ 5,000 Many of the clients who come to The Healing Place for addiction recovery are involved in Jefferson County’s court system. The Peer Men- tor Program at The Healing Place enlists men and women who have completed the program to serve as role models and mentors for those newer participants. These peer mentors provide one-on-one counseling and support. In par- ticular, peer mentors help participants comply with court dates, court orders and other issues related to the justice system. LBF funds will sup- port the Peer Mentor Program as it increases the chances of a participant's successful recovery and the efficient resolution of court issues. KENTUCKY REFUGEE MINISTRIES Immigration Legal Services: $20,000 Kentucky Refugee Ministries provides legal services to immigrants who have resettled in the Louisville area. Many of these immigrants need to file applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for permanent residence status or to petition for asylum. Due to recent developments and federal funding recissions, KRM looks to restructure how it delivers its legal services to existing and future clients. LBF grant funds will assist KRM to reposition its current service delivery model to a limited representation model while still maintaining services to current clients. KENTUCKY YMCA YOUTH ASSOCIATION Civic and Leadership Development: $5,000 Kentucky YMCA Youth Association’s con- ferences bridge classroom civics education with the personal understanding of our state’s branches of government. These experiential learning programs allow teens to meet their peers from throughout the state as they learn about the legislative process, understand the judicial and executive branches. The LBF grant will provide funds to make attendance and participation at these statewide confer- ences available to public school students in low-income communities which otherwise would not have access. LEGAL AID SOCIETY Expungement Services Program: $30,000 Legal Aid Society has a long tradition of serving the civil legal needs of low-income individuals and families in Metro Louisville. LBF grant funds will support Legal Aid’s Expungement Services Program which provides comprehensive legal assistance to individuals seeking to clear criminal records through community clinics, pro se assistance, pro bono support and extended legal repre- sentation. This initiative removes barriers to employment, housing and education. LOUISVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION Summer Law Institute: $5,000 The Summer Law Institute is a partnership of the LBA, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and Bellarmine University. The program provides high school students with an opportunity to interact with prominent local attorneys, judges and professors. It is designed to attract talented, ambitious students who are interested in a career in the legal profession. LBF grant monies will cover a portion of the direct costs of the program, thereby keeping the tuition affordable. SAFE HAVEN Family Support Program: $15,800 Safe Haven is a supervised visitation site which provides a secure, neutral environment where children can safely interact with their non-custodial parents, free from fear, conflict or intimidation. The LBF grant funds will help cover intake fees and subsidize the visitation costs for parents requiring court-ordered services. This program will help families navi- gating custody disputes affected by domestic violence, dating violence or stalking. UofL SCHOOL OF LAW Ackerson Law Clinic Eviction Defense Program: $10,000 The Ackerson Law Clinic at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law launched its Eviction Defense Program in 2024 to offer students practical experience in representing low-income clients in forcible detainer ac- tions. Each clinic student obtains a limited license to practice under the supervision of a licensed supervising attorney. Legal services provided through the clinic are free of charge. Students gain knowledge and experience in litigation and interviewing skills, evidence col- lection, rules of evidence and legal research and analysis. The LBF grant funds support this program as it offers low-income clients free legal assistance while giving law students invaluable experience. YMCA SAFE PLACE YNOW Mentoring Program: $5,000 YMCA Safe Place focuses on breaking the generational cycle of incarceration by pro- viding youth who have an incarcerated or substance dependent parent with a mentoring program that engages the youth with a one- on-one trusted adult. The mentoring program is designed to help the youth overcome those barriers to success that result from the loss of adult guidance and financial stability. LBF grant funds will support a focused mentor- ing program for youth impacted by parental substance abuse, overdose and death. If you did not contribute $45 this year when you renewed your LBA membership, it is not too late! This is what you make possible when you contribute $45 to the LBF when you renew your LBA membership. The Louisville Bar Foundation recently awarded approximately $135,000 in grants for 12 law-related programs in the Louisville area. The contributions of individual lawyers make an impact in the community through collective gifts to the foundation. Thank you for making an annual donation to the LBF. The LBF will award additional grants in December. Your individual donation is needed. Please join your colleagues by making a gift to the foundation and supporting local non- profits. Make your gift by donating online at https://loubar. ce21.com/donations/detail/lbf-endowment-donation-66 or by sending a check to Louisville Bar Foundation, 600 W. Main St., Ste. 110, Louisville, KY 40202.
