MISSION
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Attorney Mary Bates founded a legal clinic
that helps the homeless.
BY LEIGH LYONS
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the legal clinic, and now she, along with
awyers may have a reputation for
being cut-throat and callous, but Mary other volunteers, spend countless hours
each week aiding the residents in their legal
Bates is an exception. The founder of
matters. Bates estimates that the legal clinic
a free legal clinic at the Washington
City Mission, Bates’ kindness and generosity helps more than 90 residents each year to
work through issues that are unique to their
is bringing support and comfort to some of
circumstance and present a hurdle that they
society’s most defenseless.
The mission houses homeless people who could not overcome otherwise. In one case,
Bates remembers a woman at the shelter
lack adequate housing and face many other
who had accrued over $3,000 in parking
problems that restrict them from moving
forward with their lives. When Bates became tickets and was scheduled in front of the local
magistrate for a hearing. Bates’ intervention
involved with the mission seven years ago
in the case convinced the magistrate to
as a volunteer, she quickly realized it wasn’t
allow the woman to complete the mission’s
enough just to house the homeless, but
program instead of being put in jail. That
something had to be done to aid them with
decision allowed the woman to complete the
their supplemental problems in order to
program and begin to work at a grocery store,
build a solid base for them to live a healthy
which then allowed her
lifestyle.
to pay off the parking
“The mission provides
tickets. It was a win-win
what I like to call ‘fullfor everyone involved.
circle recovery,’” said
Because of work like
Bates. “It’s not just
that, Bates was recently
about providing a roof
honored by receiving
over someone’s head
the Pennsylvania Bar
temporarily but the care
Foundation’s Louis J.
and insight as to why this
Goffman Award for her
person is homeless and
outstanding pro bono
formulating a plan on
support and service.
how to move him or her
While she would be the
into independent living.”
first to admit that she
Many of the more
never devotes an ounce
frequent problems that
of her efforts toward
the mission’s residents
garnering recognition
encounter happen to
for herself, she
be legal in nature. Bates
appreciates the fact that
recognized the need
visibility can encourage
for some type of legal
more people to help.
clinic associated with the
And, as an affirmation
mission and dedicated
that the work she is
herself to finding a
City Mission President/CEO Dean
doing is worthwhile
solution to the needs
Gartland, M.S., and Mary Bates.
and life-changing, Bates
at hand. She founded
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IF WE ALL
DID WHAT
WE ARE
CAPABLE OF,
WE WOULD
LITERALLY
ASTOUND
OURSELVES.