Advocates for the Homeless

Hello future PLAH/HAP volunteers,

We hope you can attend an informational meeting on Wed., Sept. 21, at 4:45 p.m. in Tannenbaum 145.  The meeting will cover the following topics:

• Explanation of the services we provide at a free legal clinic at St. Agatha-St. James Church and elsewhere
• Introduction to our supervising attorneys, Mike LiPuma and Morgen Black-Smith
• Orientation covering the roles and duties of student-volunteers at the clinic

The meeting will conclude before 6 p.m.  Following the meeting, interested volunteers can attend the first clinic (located several blocks from the law school).

Refreshments will be provided at the meeting. 

Hope to see you there!

Many providers of services to homeless families (including HAP) have been getting a lot of calls in recent weeks from families with children who present for shelter and are being turned away because of overcrowding, without anyone from the City actually speaking to them and making a record that they showed up and sought shelter.  We (HAP plus a lot of other homeless providers in the city) will be meeting with the City soon to discuss the issue.  City officials seem to believe that there aren’t any more people than usual presenting for or being turned away from shelter, but homeless providers are concerned that that is because the City isn’t counting everyone who shows up.

In order to try and get some ballpark numbers on the problem, we’re going to be sending people out to the family shelter intake center every day next week (Nov 8-12) to conduct quick interviews with as many of the women leaving as we can.  Since intake closes at 2:30, we will need people on site between about 2:00-4:00.  The plan is to have one HAP attorney and 2-3 volunteers each day.  The intake site is at 1430 Cherry Street, so right in Center City.

If anyone is interested in volunteering, please let me know.  Ideally, we would have people do the entire shift on a given day, but if we have to cobble other arrangements together based on peoples’ schedules, I’m sure we can manage that too.  It should be a great way to get some pro bono hours and an interesting experience that we hope will ultimately result in less families sleeping on the street, in cars, or in other unsafe places.

NLG is holding its first critical legal studies panel on Tuesday, Property Law and Social Justice, between 4:30 and 6:00.  We really want to encourage you guys to come.  The speakers are fantastic, prominent practitioners in the Philly area; are super eager to talk property law; and Professor Rulli spent some time yesterday on the phone with them to plan how the panel moderation will go.  This will a very thoughtful conversation and a healthy invigorator as November approaches.  And Greek Lady will be served.

In order to try and get some ballpark numbers on the problem, we’re going to be sending people out to the family shelter intake center every day next week (Nov 1-5) to conduct quick interviews with as many of the women leaving as we can.  Since intake closes at 2:30, we will need people on site between about 2:00-4:00.  The plan is to have one HAP attorney and 2-3 volunteers each day.  The intake site is at 1430 Cherry Street, so right in Center City.

Please use the following link to input your case data from the clinic sessions. 

<a href="https://goat.law.upenn.edu/surveycreator/active/form575045579.cfm">Click Here For Survey</a>

We will be having a Social Security training this Wednesday October 6th at 4:45 in Silverman 147.  The training will be lead by HAP attorney Morgen Black-Smith and is mandatory for anyone wishing to take on Social Security cases this semester.  Please RSVP if you can come so we can let Morgen know how much material to bring.

 If you can't make the training, we hope to see you at the Church.  We  We will be having our regularly scheduled clinic at 6 p.m. (38th and Chestnut) and will be leaving to walk up from the Sansom Street exit at 5:50. 

Our first training session will take place September 15th in Silverman 147 from 4:45 until 5:45 P.M.  We will be going over information that will be essential to success at this year's clinic.   After the training session is completed, we will walk to the church for the year's first session, which will take from 6-7 P.M.

Please email Anna Carlsen or Evan Hannay for more information. 

We are very excited about the upcoming year and the work we will be doing with Advocates for the Homeless.  The first event will be held September 4, 2010 at Mad Mex, which is located directly across from the law school's Sansom Street entrance.  We will be having a happy hour from 5-7 P.M. as part of the IL Welcome Weekend.  Please stop by if you can. 

Please contact Anna Carlsen (anna.carlsen@law.upenn.edu) or Evan Hannay (Evan_Hannay@law.upenn.edu) for any questionss regarding the Penn Law Advocates for the Homeless.