By Aleida Villarreal | SALSA Attorney Volunteer
Working with people with disabilities has always been dear to my heart. While in High School eons ago, I volunteered with the Arc of Texas. I skated 100 miles for pledges and raised $500.00, which was a lot of money back then. I can still feel the blisters on my feet, but it was a worthy cause.
SALSA offers many volunteer opportunities; I currently volunteer 3 hours a month the Morgan’s Multi-Assistance Center (“the MAC”) where I get to assist families with children with disabilities. There is nothing more rewarding than guiding and explaining to families which legal options work best for their special needs child.
Volunteering with SALSA has been very positive experience. As an attorney, I just show up and meet with families. The forms I need to review with the family are provided in neatly organized folders. If a document needs to be notarized, a SALSA staff member is available to do that. I really like the way SALSA documents every meeting: what is the purpose of the meeting, the recommendation, and the outcome. Most times, there will be a student from St. Mary’s Law School there to assist with the paperwork. These law students are truly a joy to work with.
Through Pro Bono work, I have been able to grow as an attorney in several ways. I offer my time and expertise, but I receive so much more in return. For one thing, I’ve had to learn to be a more organized person in my own practice to carve out the time to volunteer. But if you don’t carve out the time to volunteer you won’t reap the rewards of meeting wonderful families from all walks of life and assisting them in their legal journey. You also miss out on meeting other wonderful attorneys who also miraculously carve out time from their busy practice to volunteer. Volunteering truly creates a positive networking community.
In Spanish we have a saying, “No la pienses tanto” which translates to “do not think about it too much.” If you are considering volunteering with SALSA, I would say, “No la pienses tanto, just do it! For those of you who at this time cannot volunteer your time, please donate money to SALSA. No la pienses tanto, just do it!
If you already volunteer and/or donate, your generosity is greatly appreciated.