The holiday season is about tradition and time with loved ones. I love learning about other traditions and sharing my own. I live in a mixed-religion household; my husband is Jewish and I am Catholic, so our kids have had to opportunity to celebrate both. Some great memories include when my in-laws helped pick out a Christmas tree for their first time, and the year my son Eli learned to spin a dreidel for the first time. However, my favorite memories stem from volunteering with my family when I was young. Now, I am trying to make the idea of giving during this season a new tradition in my office.
Many people in Arizona are struggling. As lawyers, we are in a unique position to help.
Back in the early 1990s, before cellphones were smart and before broadband internet, both my parents worked for the telephone company. My dad was a cable splicer—one of those guys climbing telephone poles—and my mom worked in public relations. On Christmas Day, the Salvation Army would serve a free community dinner at the convention center. For a few years, the telephone company set up about 20 to 30 phones at the same location on Christmas for people to make free long-distance calls anywhere in the world. Before the luxury of Google, we would go as a family and help people locate phone numbers by calling directory assistance at 411. It is such a powerful feeling to help those during the holiday season. Phone calls like that were something I took for granted, but it was amazing to see how happy people were to make a simple phone call and connect with a loved one. Charity begins at home—and should not end there.
A new tradition for the office
With that memory in mind, we started a new tradition at my office, and I encourage you all to consider doing something similar. This year, instead of doing a gift exchange among the lawyers and staff, we are going to either adopt a family or purchase gifts for families in need. As we all know, especially due to the ongoing pandemic, there are many individuals and families in Arizona who are struggling. For those families and kids, the holiday season is stressful and hard. There are many amazing charitable organizations throughout the state that provide offices or individuals the opportunity to donate money, gifts or time to individuals or families in need. Even if your office misses a deadline to adopt a family, there are still programs like Forgotten Angels through the Salvation Army where you can purchase gifts for kids who might not get anything else, or you can make a donation to a food pantry. Every office I worked for that has done this has really enjoyed the tradition.
Plan it like you plan everything else
On an individual level, December is also the month that I evaluate my donations and plan for volunteer activities for the year to come. October is pro bono month, but there is something about the end of one year and the beginning of another that makes December a better fit for me. As you all likely know, in Arizona you receive tax credit for donations to certain charitable organizations (up to $400 per individual or $800 per married couple). There are several legal aid organizations that qualify; the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education (the Arizona Bar Foundation) maintains a list of participating organizations. These groups help people to access basic necessities like housing, health care, and government and employment benefits.
As lawyers, we are supposed to have 50 pro bono hours a year (about one hour a week). I find that I am more likely to complete it when I have a good plan. I encourage everyone to look at their calendar and plan your time to volunteer, even if it is finding one day a week to answer legal questions on the ABA’s Free Legal Answers platform during your lunch. There are a lot of opportunities. It takes effort, but with a little bit of planning, we can make a huge difference in so many people’s lives.
As lawyers, we are in a unique position to help individuals who are struggling, and December is an amazing month to consider additional ways you can volunteer. I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe holiday season.
