A Season of Gratitude and a Commitment to Justice

During this season of gratitude, we are especially thankful for supporters like you—people who ensure that access to justice is not a privilege, but a reality for thousands in our community.

Your generosity helps bridge the justice gap: the divide between those who urgently need legal help and the limited resources available to assist them. Because of your support, individuals and families across our region are finding safety, stability, and justice when they need it most.

Yet the need continues to grow. More people are facing housing instability, benefit denials, and economic hardship. At the same time, legal aid funding remains increasingly uncertain. The Telesca Center for Justice was founded on a powerful belief—that the rule of law must be more than words on paper, and that justice must be open and accessible to all. That belief guides our work every day.

My commitment to this mission began in 2007 when I joined LawNY, one of the Telesca Center’s partner organizations. Much of my work centered on public benefits—helping families access shelter, SNAP, emergency assistance, and other vital programs that create stability and opportunity.

People like Willie remind us why this work matters. After losing both his partner and child, he faced profound grief—and growing rental debt he couldn’t overcome alone. Even working an hourly job and receiving Social Security, he fell behind and risked losing the home he had lived in for more than 40 years.

When he reached out to LawNY, his advocate met him where he was—literally, through a home visit—and immediately took action. Together, they secured emergency rental assistance, communicated with his landlord, and helped him apply for SNAP.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be homeless,” Willie shared. “I feel very grateful… they encouraged me, communicated with me, and helped me with SNAP and my rent.”

With support—and perseverance—Willie was able to stabilize his housing and regain his footing.

Sadly, stories like Willie’s are far too common. Last year alone, the partners at the Telesca Center
for Justice handles more than 18,000 cases-over a third of them housing related.

Each year, more than 35,000 people turn to the Telesca Center for Justice for help with legal crises that threaten their homes, safety, and livelihoods. For many, civil legal aid is the only way to turn the promise of justice into something real.

But the justice gap is widening. Funding uncertainties, including federal cuts, have already disrupted critical services. And even in the best of times, government funding alone can’t meet the need or serve every person who turns to us for help—leading to nearly half of our requests going unmet.

This is why community support is essential. Your gift helps ensure that those most in need are not turned away.

Will you help make justice accessible for all?
Your support today strengthens the work of every Telesca Center partner and helps close the justice gap for neighbors who have nowhere else to turn.

You can make a gift now at www.telescacenter.org

Thank you for ensuring that people like Willie do not face their challenges alone.

Warmly,

Lori M. O’Brien, Esq.
Executive Director, Legal Assistance of Western New York