Elgin pro bono legal group issues text-donation challenge today
Fifteen years ago, Bruce Strom signed incorporation papers for a faith-based organization in Elgin called Administer Justice, which provides pro bono legal services to low-income families.
In the first year, Strom helped 23 clients on his own time.
Fast forward to the present, and Administer Justice is coming off a year where hundreds of volunteers, including 139 attorneys, helped more than 4,500 people and logged more than 10,000 free attorney hours.
And as part of its 15th birthday celebration Saturday, it has issued a challenge to the community to get 1,500 people to donate $10 each by texting "Justice" to 20222.
The $10 will be added to a person's phone bill and eventually given back to Administer Justice, said Marty Page, the group's director of operations.
"It's a milestone. We're excited about it," Page said. "We really went with that campaign because we believe $10 is reasonable and it's an easy way for everyone to help."
In the coming year, the group will expand its "AT LAST" program, which stands for Attorneys Targeting Labor and Sex Trafficking, by hiring a lawyer to provide legal assistance to victims of human trafficking, domestic abuse and violent crimes.
Administer Justice also wants to expand its outreach into DuPage County, particularly the Aurora area, by hosting another monthly clinic.
Finally, the group also will retool its financial counseling services to include one-on-one counseling after each seminar.
"We really want to focus on education and empowering people to really understand and take control of their own situations and improve their future," Page said.
The group also is planning a birthday concert this summer. Details are pending.
For more information on how to donate, volunteer or attend a program, visit administerjustice.org.