Giving Tuesday
As we come off the Thanksgiving holiday, it is time to reflect on how your gift can make a difference. Giving Tuesday is December 2, 2025.
When the seasons change, it is a time of reflection on how we have given back to the community and helped those in need. Take a moment to take stock and think about those things you might take for granted – a home with heat, electricity and running water, a career you love, or simply time spent with family.
At the Justice for All Campaign and Campaign for Equal Justice, we are actively out in the community sharing the need for civil legal help in the communities we serve. For those reaching out for help through the legal aid line, the very items you take for granted are not always available and would make a world of difference. It is when each of us takes a moment to give back and make a donation, that those who need help the most can move forward and improve their lives by overcoming the obstacles they face.
Every day at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO), Toledo Bar Association (TBA), and the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project (GDVLP), attorneys and volunteers provide the help needed to improve lives and make a difference. In many cases, we assist when our clients, the people who are not able to afford high-quality civil legal representation, need help the most. By making a gift today, you are making it possible to keep someone in their home who was facing eviction or a child in school who was not getting the help they need to be able to learn in the classroom.
At each organization, our staff and volunteers help clients navigate the legal system in matters such as evictions, families who need help keeping their children in school, and those dealing with domestic violence.
ABLE works with community organizations as well as individuals needing help.
Reinvest Toledo is a grassroots coalition working to improve low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in Toledo through advocacy, education, and community connection. Founded in 2015 with the Lucas County Land Bank and NCRC, it supports resident-led organizing, connects neighborhood groups to resources, and pushes for reinvestment from banks and developers. Its mission: empower communities to lead lasting change. ABLE plays a supportive, behind-the-scenes role in elevating Reinvest Toledo’s mission by providing legal expertise and strategic guidance to the organization. This video, which played during our recent Access to Justice Awards breakfast, features Reinvest Toledo Executive Director, Amelia Gibbon, and ABLE Senior Attorney Kara Jennings discussing the community partnership between the two organizations. Video by Three Pines Production Co.
At LAWO, Sydney works with Veterans to help with their civil legal problems.
At both the Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers Breakfast and the Dayton Access to Justice Celebration in 2025, guests heard directly from LAWO Staff Attorney Sydney Steele about the Veterans Project and its impact. Sydney works with Veterans who are navigating difficult legal challenges, from accessing benefits and securing housing to addressing employment barriers and family law concerns. Through twice weekly legal clinics, the Veterans Project offers a reliable place for Veterans to ask questions, get guidance, and receive the legal support they have earned. Her story highlights how essential civil legal assistance is in helping Veterans stabilize their lives, protect their rights, and successfully transition after military service. Video by WinSupply.
ABLE helped Alice escape poor housing conditions.
Alice Wood’s experience with housing instability shows just how strong and determined she is. Her story, supported by Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) and the Dayton Tenant Union (DTU), shines a light on the challenges many renters face and the difference that community support and legal help can make. ABLE Community Organizer Destiny Brown and former ABLE attorney Sarah Weber stood beside her every step of the way, helping ensure her voice was heard both in and out of the courtroom. Throughout our Dayton fundraising events in 2025, including our first Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers Breakfast and the 2025 Access to Justice Awards, Alice generously shared her story and allowed us to feature her testimonial video. Video by WinSupply.
LAWO helps survivors of domestic violence find safety and stability.
At our 2025 Access to Justice Awards Breakfast in Toledo, guests heard real stories of how legal aid makes a difference, including Lana’s experience working with her LAWO attorney, Lucinda Weller. When Lana needed help to leave an abusive situation and protect her family, Lucinda guided her through the legal steps to secure safety and regain stability. Every day, LAWO supports survivors of domestic abuse with services that help them move forward with security and confidence.
Video by Darrell Robinson Media.
Within each of these organizations, clients just like Alice, Lana, and more reach out for help. They simply need a hand up to be able to move forward. Your gift helps those that need it the most. Your help enables the quality legal staff of all three organizations to touch the lives of so many and make a positive impact. Take the time today to support the work that ABLE, LAWO, TBA, and the GDVLP do each day. Your gift will help close the justice gap and help those that need it the most.
