ARIZONA LEGAL WOMEN AND YOUTH SERVICES
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Mission Statement
ALWAYS’ mission is to remove legal barriers to safety, stability, and opportunity for trafficking survivors of all ages and people under 25 who have been impacted by crime, homelessness, or foster care. The organization is made up of attorneys, legal advocates, and social workers who are dedicated to providing no-cost, trauma-informed, culturally competent services to people who would otherwise not enjoy the privilege of representation or intensive pro se assistance. With the help of ALWAYS, clients and other community members are able to obtain housing, pursue careers, and lead safe lives with their loved ones.
About This Cause
ALWAYS was established in 2013 by a group of women who, after careers in law, social work, and anti-trafficking efforts, could not deny the intersection between foster care, homelessness, abuse, and trafficking. Initially, the organization focused on serving young mothers experiencing domestic violence, and eventually expanded to represent people who were being or had been trafficked, people who suffered homelessness, and youth caught up in the foster care system. The founders believed that it was crucial to offer "wrap around" or "holistic" services, because people struggling to get out of abusive situations are often facing more than one legal challenge. Today, ALWAYS specializes in support and representation in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal history repair. The nonprofit's family law services include obtaining orders of protection for people in dangerous situations, helping survivors of domestic violence and trafficking successfully divorce their abusers/traffickers, ensuring that clients' children are safe by winning legal decision-making and parenting time, also known as "custody". ALWAYS' attorneys have even managed to obtain child support payments in sums upward of $20,000 for clients who have been exploited and abandoned by a former partner. The nonprofit also assists with affirmative immigration applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. These petitions include T-Visas for survivors of trafficking, U-Visas for survivors of crime, protection under the Violence Against Women Act, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for abused, neglected, or abandoned youth, and much more. While these cases are being adjudicated, ALWAYS ensures eligible clients are granted Employment Authorization Documents and Social Security Cards, so they're able to work in the U.S. and potentially obtain some benefits. Once clients are granted their "underlying" statuses, ALWAYS' staff go a step further, helping them apply for Lawful Permanent Residence (a "green card") and then their Citizenship. Many of ALWAYS' clients who have been trafficked have incurred criminal convictions as a result of their exploitation. The organization's team works together to make sure that these convictions do not preclude clients from being able to support themselves and their families, obtain housing, pursue an education, and more. Several people the nonprofit advocates on behalf of are determined to enter helping professions; they have dreams of becoming nurses, teachers, and mentors, so that other trafficking survivors are able to work with someone who has been through what they have been through. ALWAYS' team believes these to be incredibly noble goals and do what they can to expunge and seal records, and obtain good cause exceptions for fingerprint clearance cards. ALWAYS' founders, staff, and Board are deeply dedicated to the organization's mission, and are proud to see the impact their work has had on the community, with which the organization works extremely closely. The nonprofit knows that it's a small piece in a larger puzzle of services, including shelters, therapeutic programs, etc., and values its partnerships with other providers because these partnerships make it possible for clients to amplify their power and achieve safety, stability, and opportunity.