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Legal Services of the Hudson Valley’s Annual Update As a first time CEO, Rachel Halperin knew there would be a tremendous amount to learn, high pressure, challenges and important decisions. She knew LSHV would look to her for leadership, vision, guidance and help in making LSHV a great place to work and a refuge for our clients. In the age of COVID, she needed to be innovative, flexible and focused on our clients and employees. Achieving these goals would require collaboration and creativity. |
Rachel credits her staff for the success of the organization and has come to rely on the “strong team” at LSHV to fulfill her vision for the organization. |
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Rachel’s forward-thinking leadership style has led to advances in technology to better meet the needs of our clients. LSHV hired our first IT Director and created our first Technology Advisory Group, where staff analyze current and future technology needs for the organization. We were able to launch a new, fully accessible website and increase our presence virtually. Our newest platform - Instagram - grew our followers by over 40% in 2021 – increasing our visibility to the younger population that need our services. |
LSHV handled over 11,000 legal matters, that impacted more than 27,000 individuals in the Hudson Valley last year. Our staff conducted community legal education that reached almost 60,000 people. In addition, our attorneys created Know Your Rights videos and participated in Facebook Live events to further educate our community on their rights and navigating the legal system. Our Pro-Bono Unit engaged members of the community to provide approximately 7,500 hours of volunteer time – that’s over 600 hours each month! |
We launched the only interdisciplinary Family Defense Unit outside of New York City, hiring social workers and parent advocates to work alongside attorneys to assist clients who are involved in the child welfare system. While dealing with the current year, Rachel always has her eye on the future. She continuously advocates on behalf of the organization for funding opportunities, engaged the organization in a strategic planning process and hosted our first in-person event in two years. Hearing that staff wanted to learn to speak Spanish, she enabled 111 staff members to enroll in Spanish language classes and facilitated the increased staffing needs with a new office in Nanuet and a satellite office in White Plains. Rachel is a strong believer in leading by example and as such, championed the expansion of our Respect Policy, advocated for all-gender restrooms in our offices, oversaw the creation of an Organization Equity Plan and added six new Board Members resulting in increased diversity on our Board of Directors (View our amazing Board here). |
| What’s to come?LSHV looks forward to challenging systemic practices that harm our clients. We will continue to address equity inside and outside the organization, and we look forward to collaborating with the Hudson Valley Justice Center (HVJC) and other partners. We are fully committed to thoughtfully planning for our growth. With Rachel’s guidance we are prepared to bring litigation to challenge systemic oppression, , advocate, and partner with community and strengthen LSHV services by continually centering on the client experience and taking a holistic approach to meeting client needs. |
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Staff Spotlight! Introducing Aida Rodriguez Aida has been with LSHV for over 22 years! When Aida started in 1999, there were only two offices and we were called Westchester/Putnam Legal Services. LSHV was Aida’s first job. When Aida came to LSHV, she did not speak much English, was a victim of domestic violence and had four children she had to raise alone. During her time here she worked in several different locations, holding several different positions and recently received her bachelor’s in theology! Read more about this champion in justice here. |
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Did you know there are different 14-Day Notices? If not, you are not alone. Many people do not know the difference between a 14-Day Rent Demand Notice and a 14-Day Notice of Eviction. If you receive one or the other, don’t go into panic mode but don’t ignore the notice. If you receive a notice about your rent payments, follow the guidance outlined below and if you receive a notice of eviction contact LSHV immediately! We can help you navigate the challenging legal system. Share this guide with your network and learn what to do if you receive either type of 14-Day Notice. |
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| NYSBA Names 2022 Outstanding Pro-Bono Honorees!We are so proud to congratulate Lauren Hammer Breslow, LSHV Pro-Bono Attorney, on being named one of two 2022 Outstanding Pro Bono Volunteers by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). Each year, the NYSBA acknowledges the exemplary pro-bono work of two individual attorneys and several law firms as Empire State Counsel® honorees at the annual Justice for All award ceremony. |
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We would also like to congratulate Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP on being recognized. Jane Sovern, and Sidney Rosdeitcher, LSHV Board Members are members of these firms respectfully. Congratulations to all the Honorees! The Annual Justice for All Awards Ceremony will be held virtually on January 27, 2022 from 5:00pm – 6:00pm. |
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| Copyright (C) 2022 Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. All rights reserved.
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