Friends and Family, today is Legal Aid of North Carolina's first Day of Giving. I cannot think of a more impactful nonprofit to support this year. I can speak first-hand to the compassionate expertise clients receive at Legal Aid of NC.

Legal Aid NC strives to make equal justice accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to afford an attorney. We are working hard each day for low-income North Carolinians. For me, that means serving immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Just within the last two weeks I was able to help reunite a mother and son. Mother is a DV survivor and I have represented her since 2019. After a lawsuit in federal court, her son got the travel document needed to come to the US. When he arrived at the Charlotte airport he was met by his crying mother, who hadn’t held him in 15 years and the above sign. It reads 15 years, 5475 days, 131,490 hours, no more waiting, welcome! I got to celebrate with mom and son there at the international arrivals terminal and it was a highlight of my career.

Know that there is no constitutional right to an attorney for civil legal needs. And yet civil legal needs and challenges can mean the difference between safety and violence, homelessness or the comfort and safety of a home. Legal Aid NC's mission impacts low-income families and individuals with hardships around with housing, safety, employment, education, and more. Please join me in making a gift today and help us launch our first day of giving in a big way!

In solidarity,

Anna Cushman

Legal Aid of NC Attorney and Justice Warrior

Learn more about my team, Immigration Pathways for Victims (IMMPAV), Here