Kuthunyelwe ngo-Okthoba 4, 2023
9: 00 am
Amavolontiya e-Legal Aid asekelwa abasebenzi abesabekayo kwa-Legal Aid, lapha ukuze basize pro bono abameli zonke izinyathelo zendlela! Funda lapha #MyLegalAidStory ka-Bobbi Saltzman - Ummeli Omkhulu Ohlelweni Lwabameli Bamavolontiya kanye Nomnyango Wokuthatha Ku-Legal Aid --
Ngaphambi kokungena unyaka wakhe wokuqala eCleveland State University's College of Law, uBobbi Saltzman wayazi ukuthi ufuna ukwenza umthetho othinta umphakathi.
UBobbi usayikhumbula kahle impelasonto yokuqala ngaphambi kokuba amakilasi akhe aqale lapho uprofesa emtshela ngamathuba amavolontiya kubafundi bezomthetho. Izindlebe zakhe zaba buhlungu lapho bekhuluma ngomtholampilo ozayo we-Legal Aid Brief. Kodwa isigameko esisodwa sacishe sambulala endleleni yakhe - ngosuku olwandulela uMtholampilo Omfushane lapho aphuka khona isifazane. Wayesebenzisa izinduku kuphela futhi, njengoba esanda kufika eCleveland, wazizwa enovalo ecela usizo lokuzulazula. Ucishe wacabanga ukungayi kodwa wanquma ukulikhipha. Ngosuku lwasemtholampilo wafaniswa neklayenti elanquma ukuthi, njengoba lilinde isikhathi salo ukuba libonwe, limbhalele inkondlo ekhasini lakhe Losizo Lwezomthetho ukuze alibonge ngokulilalela nokulisiza lithole usizo. UBobbi wayexhumekile.
“Ukuvolontiya kulowo Mtholampilo Omfishane bekuyindlela esheshayo yokuthi ngibone ukuxhumana phakathi kwalokho engizobe ngikufunda ekilasini, nokuthi kuzongisiza kanjani ukusiza abanye,” kusho uBobbi. “Kwakukhuthaza ukwazi ukuthi nganginethonya nokuthi engangikufunda ekilasini kwakungasetshenziswa ngendlela engokoqobo.”
UBobbi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi waba nguzakwethu wasehlobo kwaLegal Aid oHlelweni Lwabameli Bamavolontiya (VLP) kanye nomnyango Wokungena.
Ngemva kokuphothula iziqu, uBobbi wasebenza njengommeli wezisebenzi enkampanini enkulu, kodwa kukhona okwakushoda.
“Bengifuna ukwenza umsebenzi ophusile ozongivumela ukuthi ngisize abantu abaswele isikhathi esigcwele,” kusho yena. U-Bobbi wagcina ebuyile ku-Legal Aid njengommeli weqembu le-Housing's Right to Counsel.
Manje uBobbi usenguMmeli Omkhulu eMnyangweni we-VLP/Intake, futhi usebenza kuphrojekthi yabameli Abamela Izindlu Eziphephile, exhaswa ngezimali yi-Legal Services Corporation's Pro Bono Innovations Fund. UBobbi uyakujabulela ukusebenzisana namavolontiya afuna ukwenza ngcono izimo zezindlu emphakathini, nokusebenza namavolontiya Emitholampilo Yezeluleko Emfishane kanye neminye imicimbi yokufinyelela ku-Legal Aid. Ukuthola kumzuzisa ukuba semphakathini nasezindaweni ezihlukene esiza amakhasimende namavolontiya ukuthi bathole imiphumela eyimpumelelo.
UBobbi ukhuthaza abameli ukuthi benze njalo pro bono umsebenzi. “Ngiyazi ukuthi abantu abaningi banovalo ngokusiza abantu abasezindaweni zomthetho abangazijwayele, kodwa iLegal Aid yeseka amavolontiya kuwo wonke amazinga futhi inebhange lezinsiza.”
Uyakhumbula ehlangana nommeli wevolontiya owayengenalo ulwazi lwangaphambili lwevolontiya lokumela abaqashi ngokuqondile. Wagcina efaniswe nekhasimende elalinezinkinga zezimo zezindlu - indawo ayengenalo ulwazi kuyo. Ngenxa yokwesekwa akuthola kubasebenzi bakwa-Legal Aid, ukwazile ukuxoxisana nomnikazi wendawo wekhasimende ukuze anikeze isiqashi isinxephezelo ngokuphila nemibandela futhi wavumela ukuba kulungiswe izimo.
“Kube kuhle ukubona ukuthi ivolontiya lidlule kanjani kulo lonke uhlelo olugcine ngomphumela omuhle.”
U-Bobbi ugcizelela ukuthi kuyadingeka futhi kuyadingeka ukuthi amaklayenti abe nosizo yingakho amavolontiya ebalulekile eMitholampilo Yosizo Lwezomthetho.
“Konke okuncane kuyasiza,” kusho yena.
I-Legal Aid ihalalisela ukuzikhandla kwethu pro bono amavolontiya. Ukuze uhlanganyele, vakashela iwebsite yethu, noma i-imeyili probono@lasclev.org.
Futhi, sisize sihloniphe Umgubho Kazwelonke we-ABA wango-2023 Pro Bono ngokuhambela imicimbi yendawo kule nyanga eNyakatho-mpumalanga ye-Ohio. Funda kabanzi kulesi sixhumanisi: lasclev.org/2023ProBonoWeek