Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 6, 2024 ASKS | FROM PAGE 3 tise on elder law, probate and trust administration. Joining Spano Dawicki & Witt in 2012, she has since become a trusted advocate for her clients, specializing in estate planning, probate and trust administration, guardianship, conservatorship and navigating the complexities of MassHealth benefi ts. Beyond her legal prowess, Andrea is passionate about educating others. She volunteers at various institutions, teaching courses on elder law issues and providing pro-bono consultations to her community. She’s a frequent speaker at conferences, sharing her knowledge with healthcare professionals, social workers, attorneys, and the general public. When she’s not in the courtroom or the classroom, Andrea enjoys cheering on her kids at their sports events and musical theater performances. She’s knee-deep in the college search process with them and takes joy in watching her nieces and nephews grow. And when life gives her a breather, you’ll fi nd Andrea gearing up for outdoor adventures – she recently hiked Glacier National Park in Montana. She’s also a past marathoner, conquering numerous races in her time. She’s a 1994 graduate of Winchester High School. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Boston College in 1998. She graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 2001. She’s been a licensed attorney since 2003. She has been with Spano and Dawicki since 2012. She has two children: Maggie, 20, a sophomore at ConnectiRON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM cut College and Gus, 18, taking a post graduate year at Suffi eld Academy, and committed to attend and play baseball at Hobart College in fall 2025. They live withWitt’s longtime boyfriend/partner, Anthony Volo, at their home in Winchester. Witt does pro bono work at the Winchester and Woburn Senior Centers. Spano and Witt are two of just 29 Board Certifi ed Elder Law Attorneys in Massachusetts. Highlights of this week’s interview follow. Q: Tell me about the program you have at the Saugus Senior Center. Do you have a name and how did the idea start? Spano: The idea actually started with a longtime director of the Saugus Council on Aging named Frances Regal. She had me on her program in January or February of 1994 and asked me if I would be willing to come to the Senior Center and donate an hour or two of my time every month. We said “Yes.” And we worked out some details and we started in April of 1994, a little more than 30 years ago. So, it was really not our idea, but the idea of the director of the Council on Aging: Frances Regal. Q: But it has continued. Spano: Yes. Because there’s so much demand for it. Witt: Going to the Senior Center is something we really enjoy. It gives us a chance to meet with diff erent clients. It feels good to be able to answer some questions and help people who might not otherwise get the help that they need. When you have one good experience, you branch out and hope to have more good experiences, so we reached out to local communities to see who would appreciate participating in a program like this, and we’ve gotten really great feedback from the senior centers and from the people that we’ve met there. Spano: And now it’s not just Saugus; it’s Winchester, Woburn and Salem in addition to Saugus. And we’re out there once a month. And the people who come to us are normally people who, a) they may not be able to aff ord going to an attorney; b) they may have questions that are simple so we can answer them there or work with them in many cases on referrals to other organizations. We talked about Neighborhood Legal Services and the Northeast Justice Project. We often refer them there or we give them the numbers to places where they can get help. All they need is a little guidance to get them going. Q: This service you do is free. It’s totally pro bono. Witt: That’s right. I think it’s accurate, too, that sometimes people have a problem and they don’t know where to turn. They don’t know if this is a legal problem or something they should call an accountant for: Is this a problem at all that needs a solution? And they are clueless of where to turn. It’s really kind of daunting to call up an attorney and then for them to ask whether this attorney is really good and knows what I need, so to just come to the Senior Center, which is a place where they have typically have come before and feel comfortable at, and sit down at a table quite like this in a quiet, confi dential room with the door closed, it gives them an opportunity to sit down in a less formal setASKS | SEE PAGE 11 Tony Bartolo, Owner Email: Tonys9942@aol.com
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