It is not unusual for me to arrive at an event and after locking eyes with someone I know, hear them say “I know I owe you an email.” While I wish my memory was strong enough to recall every email I’ve sent, it isn’t. Nor do I come to events with a prepared list of attorneys I need to corner, as I imagine that would make me quite an unpopular guest.
That being said, with “pro bono” in my title, there’s no question that I spend a good portion of my time asking others to help.
October is a little different, because it is national Pro Bono Celebration Month, a time each year to recognize and celebrate pro bono work. During this month, I have the honor of spending a lot of my time thanking our hundreds of fantastic volunteers for donating their time to Legal Aid.
So let me say thank you to everyone reading this who has volunteered at a clinic, taken a pro bono case, trained another volunteer, or encouraged a colleague to reach out to me. We truly could not do this work without you. Hopefully you have also read about our exceptional Legal Aid Champions who will be receiving awards at our Journey Toward Justice Reception on October 23.
For all our volunteers across our service area, I want to express my gratitude to you for your contributions this year. I know it’s not always easy to fit pro bono into your busy lives, but you did, and we noticed. For those in Central Ohio, I hope to see you at our reception. And if we lock eyes when you arrive, rest assured that the next words out of my mouth will simply be, “Thank you for being here.”
