Legal Services Corporation (LSC) were founded to tackle the many noncriminal legal issues that keep Americans in poverty. LAWO was formed out of numerous LSCfunded organizations that existed in the western part of our state. Today, LAWO is still largely funded by LSC and, along with ABLE, which is largely funded by the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, serves people through 32 counties in western Ohio, as well as agricultural workers throughout the state. Both fi rms also receive funding from individual donors, community, state and nationally funded grant opportunities. Interview with Makiedah Messam, Executive Director of Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. Makiedah Messam was recently appointed as Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.’s (ABLE) executive director after the ABLE board of trustees conducted a nationwide wearch to fi nd the the appropriate candidate to lead the 55-yearold legal services nonprofi t. Ben Stalets interviewed Makiedah for Toledo Streets during her fi rst visit to Toledo as the new executive director and spoke to her about her life experiences and vision for the organization’s future. I read that you’re from Jamaica, how did you end up in Ohio? My family immigrated from Jamaica when I was a child, and we moved to Cleveland, where I went to junior high and high school. I eventually went to law school in Cincinnati. I used to tell everyone I’m from Jamaica, but really, I’m an Ohioan. When I went back to work in Jamaica, I found out I’m really just an Ohioan at heart! What were you doing before this? How did you wind up in this fi eld? I’ve always been in this fi eld, largely because of my parents. When I was six, I decided I was meant to help people on a bus trip to my mother’s hometown in the interior of the island to visit her family in the country. It was my fi rst time leaving Montego Bay, where I was born. There were all kinds of farmers and higglers with us on this bus. My mother gave me the window seat so I could look out. What I noticed is there were a lot of dying coconut trees. It was depressing. Coconuts are a big part of the economy in Jamaica. The Jamaican people know how to use all the parts of the coconut—bark, oil, juices, etc. To see them dying meant something to the people that were living in that area. I asked my mother why the coconut trees were dying, and she said, “yellow disease.” At that moment, I knew I was going to fi nd the cure for yellow disease. When I was growing up, my father wanted all his children to be engineers. I went to undergrad for physics, and it kicked my butt. During my junior year of undergrad, I had to break it to my father that I didn’t want to be an engineer. It was a hard conversation for a 19-year-old to have. I told him I wanted to create public policy to make people’s lives better, instead. So, I went to law school. I have transitioned many times throughout my career. During my fi rst clerkship in law school, I went to Botswana in Africa to work on women’s issues, primarily equality and domestic violence. By the time I fi nished law school, I was voted “Most Likely to Break the Chains of Oppression.” Prior to joining ABLE, I spent many years working on social justice issues such as human rights and police brutality. I went back to my birth country of Jamaica to work as a director with the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM). Most recently, I worked for the Citizen Complaint Authority in Cincinnati. I never cured yellow disease. And I’m not an engineer or physicist. But service is my calling. This is my life. What are ABLE and LAWO? What’s the mission statement and what’s the difference between the two? What we do is make people’s lives better. ABLE and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO) are two separate organizations with one mission: to improve the lives of people living in poverty by providing them with free, quality legal services in civil matters. Our differences lie in our funding partners and key areas of focus. While both fi rms provide free legal services to people living below the poverty level, in addition to representing individuals, ABLE handles class action lawsuits and works on policies and legal research that impact systemic change in our communities. LAWO represents individual clients in court with their specifi c civil legal issues. Examples include eviction defense, help in obtaining a civil protection order, representation in a consumer fraud case, or assistance in applying for benefi ts. ABLE was founded in 1969, during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and his declaration that “we need to support people in poverty.” Through this initiative, organizations like ABLE and the Page 8 In addition to improving on our community members’ lives, we also help clarify the law and legal speak that can be confusing to people who haven’t gone to law school. The Constitution is great if you have access to its promise. It’s mumbo jumbo if you don’t know the language, though. Our attorneys and advocates work with everyone so they have a clear understanding of their legal rights and decisions. ABLE and LAWO exist to give you access to this form of justice. To give you the words and access to the promise. Both organizations do it in different ways, but with a shared mission. How can people contribute to the organization? What’s the biggest hurdle? Our biggest hurdle is funding. Like most nonprofi t organizations, the need for our services is greater than the resources available. We are grateful to our funders and donors, but if you’re in a position to give, we could always use your help. Each year, ABLE and LAWO champion regional campaigns within our legal communities. In Toledo, we have the Justice for All Campaign in conjunction with the Toledo Bar Association. We also host a joint fundraiser dinner and ceremony, the annual Access to Justice Awards in northwest Ohio. This year’s event is set for Thursday, June 20 at 6:00 p.m. at The Pinnacle in Maumee. We’re bringing a nationally known education rights activist named Erin Gruwell, who is the founder of the Freedom Writers. Additionally, we will celebrate three extraordinary local champions of justice who have worked in law or other advocacy initiatives to improve the lives of people living in poverty throughout northwest Ohio. We have a similar fundraising campaign and events in the greater Dayton region as well. ABLE and LAWO also accept individual donations to support programs and legal services in whatever capacity the donor designates. While our services are free to those who qualify, our lawyers are not pro bono, meaning they do get paid for their legal work. Donations and grants pay for this work. To quote Nelson Mandela: ““We don’t do charity, what we do is justice.” For us to assist more people we need more funding. If you want to donate to us, please visit https://www.ablelaw.org/support-ourwork/.
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