CROWN POINT | Judicial officers and attorneys from the Women Lawyers Association got a little help from their friends after making a commitment to assist Sojourner Truth House in Gary this holiday season.
When WLA President Julie Glade, a Merrillville attorney, attended the November Board of Managers meeting of the Lake County Bar Association to ask for help, members quickly stepped up to the plate.
Under the leadership of its president, Magistrate Michael N. Pagano, the bar association pledged $1,000 in cash, publicity for the cause in its newsletter, and marketing support.
Lake County judges also volunteered to help by volunteering their courtrooms as drop-off points, allowing attorneys and members of the public to drop off donations in the courtrooms of Judge Elizabeth Tavitas, Room Three at 15 W. Fourth Ave. in Gary; Judge Diane Schneider, Room One at 232 Russell St. in Hammond; Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura, Juvenile Division at 3000 W. 93rd Ave in Crown Point, and Judge Lorenzo Arredondo, Children's Room of the Circuit Court at the Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main St. in Crown Point.
The Lake County Bar Association is also accepting donations at its office, A-309 in the Lake County Government Center.
While Christmas presents and toys are appreciated, Sojourner Truth House most needs coats, hats, gloves, scarves, bed sheets, towels, blankets, furniture, kitchen ware and personal items. Gift cards from major retailers and checks made out to SojournerTruth House are also welcome to purchase necessities.
Sojourner Truth House has been providing the basic necessities for daily survival, life skills training and ongoing support for homeless women for more than 10 years. Clients, ranging in age from 13 to 88, come from all faiths and educational backgrounds. In 2006, 10,884 victims of poverty, including children, benefitted from services at Sojourner Truth.
- The Times
