Hello! After another week at Legal Aid, I am excited to share what I have been up to and what I am looking forward to here at LASCO. My third week here has been another great one, and I really feel that I am settling into the work here. To begin, we wrapped up the first big project that I’ve been here for: mailing out the 2023 Annual Report! This was a huge project that required a lot of organization and logistics that has been worked on for the past couple weeks, along with several hours of executing the plans. In the end, after a few hitches along the way, we were able to send out hundreds of annual reports with handwritten notes to supporters, donors, and friends of Legal Aid. This process really helped me realize how much things like this matter in the fundraising world. Donors and supporters are the lifeblood of a nonprofit organization, so doing the little things to show appreciation and keep those relationships strong is of tantamount importance.

                Besides this, I also had the opportunity to help out at a tabling event aimed at those seeking help with reentry and second chance opportunities. I was beyond grateful for my manager for telling me about this opportunity and letting me jump on it, as I am very interested in this area of work. At the event, a staff member and I handed out resources and discussed with prospective clients about how Legal Aid might be helpful to them in navigating the reentry process. As some know, leaving incarcerated life and once again participating in the outside life is a difficult process, with obstacles and prejudice everywhere for someone with a criminal record. This is why the work of Legal Aid is so important, as it can help someone reentering society be able to work past what their record says, possibly sealing or expunging it entirely. Poverty should not be a barrier to someone reentering society after serving the time handed onto them, so the work of Legal Aid in this field is vital. These kinds of tabling events, I have learned, are a great demonstration of what Legal Aid is capable of for the communities it serves.

                Finally, my work with communications here has been more settled. We’ve launched the new merged Facebook, along with some other social medias, and I have been able to help the organization in transitioning to a new era in its communications work. I love the work and mission of Legal Aid, so I believe it is very important that we demonstrate that to the public by reaching out online. This also allows us to reach out to prospective clients and anyone who needs legal information! All in all, this has been a great week, and I am excited for the work to come.