BREAK THE CYCLE

Break the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe and healthy relationships, and its mission is to engage, educate, and empower youth to build lives and communities free from domestic violence. They are the leading, national nonprofit organization addressing teen dating violence. The WBAF grant will support the improved delivery and expansion of the legal services program. Break the Cycle provides representation in campus administrative proceedings, as well as family, employment, and housing matters; accompanies survivors to meet with police and/or prosecutors to report abuse and assists in criminal prosecution; and makes appropriate referrals to social services. @BreaktheCycleDV

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LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE ELDERLY

The Legal Counsel for the Elderly aims to improve the quality of life for elderly District residents, and its primary goal is to serve and empower thousands of low-income seniors each year in those areas of law involving “basic human needs”: income, housing, long-term care, personal autonomy, and consumer protection. The WBAF grant will support the implementation of the organization’s first Schedule H pro bono clinics. These clinics will assist older, low income DC residents, the vast majority of whom are women, in completing the Schedule H form in order to receive the tax credit which they use to avoid eviction, cover property tax payments, pay off debts, purchase food, obtain prescription drugs, and more. @LCEinDC

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AMARA LEGAL CENTER

The Amara team fights tirelessly to provide quality legal representation, connect survivors with vital social services, and raise public awareness of the legal issues facing Survivors. The Amara Legal Center was founded in September of 2013 and it is the only organization dedicated to solely serving US citizen survivors specifically in the D.C. metro area. The WBAF grant will allow Amara to provide free, trauma-informed legal representation to 60 clients in DC in the form of civil protection orders, child custody, landlord/tenant, public benefits, name changes, and living will/power of attorney cases. Amara also aims to train up to 25 pro bono attorneys on the relevant law and how to provide trauma-informed care. @AmaraLegal

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT AND APPEALS PROJECT
DV LEAP’s mission is to provide a stronger voice for justice by fighting to overturn unjust trial court outcomes; advancing legal protections for victims of domestic violence and their children through expert appellate advocacy, training lawyers, psychologists and judges on best practices; and spearheading domestic violence litigation in the Supreme Court. The WBAF grant supports its DC project, DC LEAP. @DV_LEAP

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BREAD FOR THE CITY
Bread for the City began as a volunteer-run free health clinic in 1974. Over the years, their programs grew to include the addition of a legal clinic, social services program, and, most recently, an advocacy program. Their mission is to provide vulnerable residents of Washington, DC, with comprehensive services, including food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. The WBAF grant will assist the operation of Bread for the City’s Domestic Violence Community Legal Services Project, which serves low income minority women in their fight to obtain protection from domestic violence. @BreadfortheCity

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DC VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT
The DC Volunteer Lawyers Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to address the critical shortage of legal assistance for low-income people in Washington DC, especially in cases involving domestic violence. The WBAF grant will support the Domestic Violence Program in increasing the number of domestic violence survivors the volunteer attorneys can represent in protection order petitions and related custody, divorce, and child support matters. @DCVLP

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LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
For more than 80 years, Legal Aid’s mission has been to make justice real – in individual and systematic ways – for persons living in poverty in the District of Columbia. The WBAF grant will support the Domestic Violence Underserved Communities Representation Project. The project will provide extended representation, advice, counsel, and brief assistance to clients in at least 50 cases. @LegalAidDC