The Legal Services of Northern Virginia gala held Saturday night, October 26, was another successful celebration of this wonderful organization. LSNV serves the legal needs of those in Northern Virginia and in many surrounding counties and cities who when they need to, can not afford to hire appropriate counsel. It was established in 1980 and since its inception has handled 80,000 cases. Our son Jim has been the Executive Director of LSNV for the past 13 years.
The Gala was the perfect mixture of the serious and the just plain fun. There was a talk by Jim on the history of the organization and of the impact that it has on the folks it serves. We heard moving accounts from LSNV attorneys and then their clients spoke. They gave compelling testimonies of the legal help they received and of how the despair they were living with was changed to positive hope for the future. I was particularly touched by the attorney who shared a little of her own life story and that of her father who had served in the military. That was what inspired her to focus her legal career on veterans’ rights.
There were about 300 celebrants who came together to honor LSNV on this 39th anniversary. The guests were a mixture of those who work for the organization, law firms large and small who give their support – financial and otherwise – and friends and family.
The “just plain fun’ part of the festivities was in the obvious pleasure that participants shared with their table mates. It was reflected in the music, the dancing, the card playing, the picture taking. There were twelve of our family members in attendance and we took to the dance floor with enthusiasm.
Our musical family loves to dance as does the non-musical mother of this clan. I got a special treat when the grandson who is one of our Words with Friends favorite competitors asked me to dance – though a generation apart I think we made some pretty impressive moves on the dance floor.
Going to bed that night I reflected on the many diverse groups and peoples that are aided by the work of Legal Services of Northern Virginia: the elderly, the infirm , those with disabilities, etc. They need our financial support; And if it means attending their fund raising gala – what fun!!!
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