HannafordEssay title: HannafordDuring the fall of 2005 I was an intern for the Maine Volunteer Lawyer Project (VLP). I was employed there for credit value from the University of Southern Maine, and worker for three and one half months. The VLP is a non-profit organization that provides legal assistance and information to low-income people throughout the state of Maine. Up to eight volunteers, four supervisors, secretary, and a few staff members, help to ensure a variety of services and/or information is provided. I worked as one of the aforementioned volunteers working on a helpline taking incoming calls. I did what is considered client interviews, where I answered the phone lines, interviewed the callers, reviewed their situation with a legal supervisor, and then linked the caller to their needed service. The calls typically lasted one half hour to 45 minutes in length, and volunteers usually completed four interviews per three hour shift.
I was always impressed with the volunteers in the VLP. I couldn’t help but love those who volunteer and contribute to work for the community. They are so unique and unique I would love to be able to teach more, hire more qualified staff, and assist them and their families, as well as others. Please follow and reach out to me by using the following link:
As you can see from these photos, there’s a lot of stuff on there that was on this website before they all disappeared.
In short, it does seem to me like there was something to these people that did things that the VLP could not have possibly accomplished. I’ve received so much positive feedback on this website over the years, many of them from the many women, minorities, and women who are trying to make a difference in Maine. Here are a few of them!
Thank you, everyone.
Thanks to the “Diversity and Inclusion Program
It just makes it so easy for a lot of people to speak out about themselves, and the people who work with them as well.
Thank you,!
Now to this article.
What inspired us to start these projects?
We started working on these cases so that we could help people living in a city which has a long history of fighting LGBT issues. It was when we had our daughter’s first birthday celebrations that one of the first resources we would use to organize such a wonderful event. A month before the year 2000, the Maine Department of Human Services and the Department of Human Services at Maine State University invited us to the first “homeless march” in Maine for all of our clients. We were overwhelmed that we got so many offers, but with their support and our willingness to put together some really effective resources, we could make the campaign worth it. The VLP offered us the chance to give back into the community through the use of social media. Through our personal stories, our actions, and our personal struggles, we felt that being able to raise funds like others can make a difference. While this was an easy thing to do, the VLP certainly did not have one last “take-off” to help our clients. In 2010, this changed. That same year, we made it ourselves, and together we created the “Nurse’s Day” in Portland, OR for individuals looking to be part of this wonderful community. Every day that we have done and supported these clients, I felt this was my last chance to help others, and there’s nothing I ever want to stop. Thank you all for making this possible.
This blog is based upon the work of Lauren D. Dickey. Lauren is associate professor of sociology at the University of Michigan, and has studied law, criminal justice, immigration law, employment law, family law and women’s issues.
She was one of the first to call for me to join her class on March 28, 2012, at the Portland Public Library (PLL) to speak about reproductive rights and reproductive wellness at the upcoming PPLL Women’s Law Center, at the Krompett Public Library, and other community events throughout 2010. A strong advocate for women’s rights through her reporting and other presentations, Lauren was instrumental in organizing the Feminist Court at the Portland Public Library from 2013-2015 and held several events including the “Tear Down the Walls” and a Women’s Law Center workshop on March 20, 2015. Follow Lauren on Facebook.
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For a standard incoming call I begin by completing and intake form to gather important data about there demographics and household income. We, as an organization, gather this type of information because we are a federally funded program and have strict guidelines about what cases we can accept or not. After concluding that the client is income eligible I proceed to take a brief statement of there problem. The VLP only deals with civil matters, so if it is a criminal matter I offer them some suggestions and end the call there. If it is a case that VLP handles regularly there are question packets put together that have a number of questions on them that gather the information that the supervisors need. After completing a question page and/or gathering a solid understanding of the client’s issues I place them on hold and review it with a supervisor.
After relaying the appropriate information to management, and hearing what kind of help I should offer to the clients I return to the phone. Some times we can take the client’s case for referral to local attorneys, but many times we can only offer