A steady stream of attorneys flows through the doors of Project Self-Sufficiency of Sussex County each month, helping to eliminate some of the troubles faced by the low-income families served by the non-profit organization. Domestic disputes, financial hardship, landlord-tenant issues and prior criminal records can impact participants’ ability to focus on the job or succeed in school. Those who are unable to afford legal representation are often caught in the very legal system which was designed to protect them. Attorneys from the Sussex County Bar Association volunteer at Project Self-Sufficiency to offer free help to those who need it most, from meeting privately with participants to discuss their particular concerns to conducting free seminars about Family Law, Elder Law, Bankruptcy, and the Expungement of Prior Criminal Records. The agency also offers pro se divorce workshops and legal clinics for the preparation of family law motions.
The agency took time to express their gratitude to the local attorneys who have made a difference in the lives of countless participants over the years at the recent Law Day gathering, and singled out Ann Pompelio, Esquire, by naming her Project Self-Sufficiency’s Attorney of the Year.
“Over the past 20 years, nearly every attorney in our area has volunteered at Project Self-Sufficiency. We could not do what we do without the aid of these dedicated men and women, who offer countless hours of their time to help our participants as they struggle to become economically self-sufficient,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “Project Self-Sufficiency is indebted to the attorneys from the Sussex County Bar Association for their time and commitment to helping low-income families, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership for years to come.”
The attorneys who were recognized for their assistance to the low-income families served by Project Self-Sufficiency during 2011-2012 included Amanda Best, Susan Carlson, Megan Clark, Paris Eliades, Alicia Ferrante, Ann Gacquin, Michael Hanifan, Racquel Hiben, Marleen Horlacher, Kevin Kutyla, Carmen Liuzza, Jon McDermott, Steve McNally, Michael Meltzer, Dina Mikulka, Michael Nelms, Carl Nelson, Michelle Olenick, James Opfer, Janice Pasculli, Len Pasculli, Angela Paternostro-Pfister, Ann Pompelio, Gretchen Rafuse, Dawn San Filippo, Alan Strelzik and John Ursin.
“I am honored to be able to donate time to Project Self-Sufficiency which is very efficient in tapping into the legal resources of a wide range of attorneys,” commented Ann Pompelio, Esquire, who has volunteered on behalf of Project Self-Sufficiency participants for 15 years. “I am proud to be a part of a community of lawyers who also volunteer a lot of their time.”
Project Self-Sufficiency is a private non-profit community-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income families residing in northwestern New Jersey. The agency’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of holistic, respectful, and comprehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children while achieving personal and economic self-sufficiency and family stability. Since 1986 Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 19,500 families, including more than 30,000 children. Funding for the agency’s legal education services programs are provided in part by the IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey.
For information about the legal education program, or any of the other services offered at Project Self-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500.
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