In a time of unprecedented uncertainty, it’s even more important to enlist the assistance of someone to help navigate the complex world of the law and legal aid. We at LIFT Dane are putting technology at the forefront as we explore ways to make it easier and faster for Dane County residents to obtain legal help, especially in this time of uncertainty. We already scheduled a remote Driver’s License Reinstatement Clinic for March 30, as we work to refine the online application for people seeking help to reinstate a driver’s license.
We recognize the need, along with the considerable and hard-won learning, that comes when we must chart a new course together. We also recognize the power that client and community voices can and must bring to reshaping the justice system. Our colleagues and collaborators are working together to help and support each other. We are partnering with other nonprofits that are on the front lines of supporting people hit hardest by the pandemic. And we are seeing beyond the current time horizon to the legal challenges that thousands of people will face in the aftermath of this crisis. LIFT Dane will be poised to provide assistance.
As we move through the next days and weeks, we keep our colleagues, our collaborators, and our communities in our minds and hearts. And we extend our deep gratitude to colleagues and partners in health care and in the service industry, whose commitment to caring and work place them and their families at extended risk as they work to heal or serve our communities.
At a systems level, we are deeply concerned about the ways this pandemic will exacerbate inequities faced every day by our clients. At the individual level, we encourage you to help where you can by checking in on elderly or isolated neighbors in a #socialdistancing way, and, if you can, by donating to organizations offering food, medical supplies, and housing support.
We are thinking of you, wherever you are. Be safe.