Jack, who had been homeless for many years and living on the streets, came to Just Neighbors in May 2008.  Jack was struggling to put the pieces of his life back together, and with the help of various local non profit organizations, attempting to find a job.  Unfortunately, while homeless, Jack lost all forms of identification, including proof of his U.S. citizenship, which he needed to gain employment. 

Jack told us the story of how he had been born an Italian citizen in the early sixties but was adopted at 8 months by an American.  Jack then moved to the U.S. with his adoptive family and became a U.S. citizen at age 8.  Even though Jack had no documentation of his identity, he remembered a lot of important details from his childhood.  Unfortunately, Jack’s adoptive parents had passed away, and a family member could only find a few documents, none of which would be sufficient to convince Immigration of Jack’s U.S. citizenship.

Lauren Keenan, a Just Neighbors intern who met with Jack, attended an Immigration appointment in the hopes of confirming Jack’s U.S. citizenship.  When she gave the officer Jack’s personal information they said they could not locate him in the system. Lauren was disappointed to be leaving empty handed, as without the assistance of Immigration, the process of confirming Jack’s status as a U.S. citizen would likely take as long as twenty-four months. Without proof of citizenship, Jack had very little chance of getting identification or a job. 

In the wake of this setback Lauren and staff attorney Linda Johnson sought to enlist the help of our pro bono partner, the law firm of Foley and Lardner.  Lauren and Linda prepared an extensive list of agencies that might offer evidence of Jack’s citizenship and planned to request that their legal team explore every avenue.  Lauren met with Jack a second time to update him on the status of his case.  We hoped the news would not make Jack feel too discouraged, and that his search for employment and struggle to remain off the streets would not be derailed.  

While Lauren met with Jack, our other legal intern, Becca Freeman, was at an Infopass appointment at Immigration.  She had scheduled the appointment to gather information about several other Just Neighbors clients but took the opportunity to ask immigration one more time about Jack’s case.  We knew the answer they had given us before, but thought, “why not?”  

This time the result was favorable, and Becca was able to find out Jack’s Alien Number and confirm his U.S. citizenship.  Becca came back to Just Neighbors just as Jack and Lauren were discussing his case and Becca delivered the happy news.  Jack wasn’t surprised; she had only confirmed what he already knew, that he was in fact a legal citizen of the United States.  Lauren and Linda were ecstatic because this meant that the ultimate outcome would be a positive one for Jack and much faster.  Armed with this new information Just Neighbors was able to file with Immigration for a replacement certificate of citizenship on behalf of Jack, and this request is currently being processed.    

With proof of his citizenship Jack will be able to continue on the road to recovery and secure employment.  Most importantly, working will give Jack a way off of the streets permanently.  His story is proof that a little persistence and teamwork can really make a big difference in a client’s life.

Around the Office

We are thrilled to welcome Nancy Sharpe as the newest member of Just Neighbors.    Nancy, a Mennonite Service Worker, will serve as a Legal Assistant here for the next two years.  Nancy, a recent graduate of Messiah College, brings to us her fluency in Spanish and experience in working with the low-income immigrant population.   In this newly-created position she will do a bit of everything for us, including assisting attorneys with casework, supervising and training volunteers, translating, helping with office administration, conducting community outreach, and more. 

Just Neighbors is grateful for a generous gift from one of its pro bono partners, Foley & Lardner LLP. 

Volunteer of the Month

We would like to honor Eddie Caldera as our Volunteer of the Month for July.  Eddie has been to nearly every Arlington community clinic this year, each time after a full day of work.  He has conducted intake interviews and translated for a range of clients, including some for whom we have sent applications to Immigration and others with unfortunate situations that prevented us from being able to help them.  Eddie’s dedication and upbeat attitude have made him a welcome addition to our clinics.  Thank you Eddie!

Sincerely,

Rob Rutland-Brown

Executive Director