Just in the month of May, CALA Worked with Centro de Trabajadores Unidos to Launch Its 4th Community Activism Law Clinic, Helped Immigrants Become Citizens at a Naturalization Workshop, and Attended CTU's Groundbreaking for Its New Community Center.
CALA volunteer attorney, Renae Yoo, and CTU organizer, Raymundo Valdez welcoming clients to the CTU-CALA Citizenship Workshop.
May was a very busy month for CALA, highlighted by the achievements made possible by our partnership with Centro de Trabajadores Unidos - Immigrant Workers Project (CTU). In less than a month, we completed our first citizenship workshop, launched our 4th community activism law clinic in South Chicago, and helped CTU celebrate its community center groundbreaking.
On Saturday May 2nd, CALA collaborated with CTU to present its first citizenship workshop. Due to budgetary cuts, CTU did not have sufficient resources for and planned to cancel its previously scheduled workshop to help legal permanent residents become American citizens. CALA's staff and volunteers attorneys offered to oversee and provide the additional resources to make the workshop possible. As a result, CTU was able to proceed with its plans, and we were able to help approximately 20 families apply for naturalization.
Then, on May 7, we extended our free community-based, activism-driven legal services to the far southside of Chicago, and surrounding suburbs. Operating every Thursday from 4pm-8pm, the clinic will focus on employment/labor, housing, immigration, and criminal records , but attorneys at the clinic will provide advice, consultation, and self-advocacy assistance in all areas of law. At our launch, the clinic was completely packed; at one point, our conference room, waiting area, and even the stairways was filled with clients waiting for intakes. By the end of the night, we had completed intakes for over 15 cases.
Finally, on May 16th, CALA joined in the groundbreaking of CTU's community center. The community center will house CALA's legal clinic as well as a number of other programs serving the community, including organizing space and a pilot program for CTU entrepreneurs. The featured speeches from CTU staff and 10th Ward Alderman John A Pope. We wish CTU all the best luck going forward with their new space.
