Dear Belinda,
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Celebrations run from September 15th through October 15th. HHM’s unique start date coincides with the celebrations of independence of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Also during the month of September, Mexico and Chile declared independence from Spain, and Belize from Great Britain. The United States is home to 62.5 million Hispanics (individuals from Latin America or Spain who speak Spanish) and Latinos (individuals from Latin America), making up 19% of our total population. According to the U.S. Census, the highest concentration of this demographic is in California, which boasts approximately 16 million people.
This #HispanicHeritageMonth, all of us at Bet Tzedek are excited to share the fascinating history, remarkable culture, and countless achievements that Hispanic Americans bring to our country. Follow along on our social media accounts, found at the bottom of this news digest, to join the conversation! This September, we are also continuing to share key moments from Bet Tzedek's 50-year history, with a special focus on the 2010s.
Additionally, our longstanding partner WorkingNation teamed up with Univision to release a short documentary last week, "The True Cost of a Car Wash (Latino Workers and Wage Theft)," featuring our Employment Rights Project Attorney Yvonne Medrano as an expert voice. This film is part of a five-part series titled "The Hispanic Communities Powering a New American Economy," running through Hispanic Heritage Month. Stay tuned, watch the new video below, and follow WorkingNation on YouTube and their social media platforms.Â
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Media Alert: Our Employment Rights Project Attorney Yvonne Medrano Featured on KQED
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In addition to the WorkingNation documentary, our attorney Yvonne Medrano was featured in a KQED piece, "California Wage Theft Victims Miss Out on Millions in Collected Funds." Below is an excerpt:Â
"It’s frustrating and sad all around," said Yvonne Medrano, an attorney with Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a Los Angeles nonprofit that represents undocumented immigrants in wage theft cases. "It’s workers’ hard-earned money and yet it’s not getting to where it needs to be, which is into the workers’ pockets."
To increase remuneration, the labor department should partner with more churches, immigrant rights organizations, and others who can knock on doors and help find workers because they are trusted messengers, Medrano said. "The disconnect and the lack of local relationships is clear in moments like this," she said, referring to the $166 million in unclaimed wages. "I see the DOL moving towards a more community-oriented role, but we’re not there yet. And I think this is very much a symptom of that issue."
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BT Attorneys Emily Chong and Jessica Marsella Delivered Testimony to Reduce Medical Debt
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Bet Tzedek attorneys Emily Chong and Jessica Marsella worked together to craft formal written comments and deliver in-person testimony to the Board of Supervisors who, earlier this month, voted to approve measures to address the more than $2.9 billion in medical debt that plagues residents of L.A. County, predominantly low-income.
They presented two client stories to illustrate the need for greater transparency from hospitals regarding how they offer charity care and financial assistance before beginning collection efforts. In approving the measure, the County Supervisors demonstrated the importance of preventing anxiety from unpaid medical bills from weighing upon individuals in low-income and minority communities, as well as people suffering with chronic conditions.Â
Thank you, Emily and Jessica!
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Bet Tzedek is Very Demure, Very Mindful! 🌸
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View our original post here, explaining how providing FREE legal help to marginalized communities in Los Angeles through our work is very mindful, very cutesy. ✨💗
Follow us on our social media accounts, found at the bottom of this news digest!
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Pro Bono Call: Help a Young Mother Launch a Cleaning Business
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Case Description: Ms. B dreams of a stable financial future for her and her four-year-old daughter. Ms. B is a hard worker and holds herself and her work to a very high standard. For years, Ms. B has worked cleaning houses and offices, and she now dreams of tapping into her entrepreneurial drive and neighborhood connections by starting a cleaning company of her own. Ms. B also wants to help other small businesses — like salons, gyms, and local establishments — succeed. She wants to be a dependable resource for small businesses: a cleaning service on which they can rely to keep their spaces in top-shape. Ms. B is seeking pro bono assistance with understanding employment law decisions, insurance considerations, and entity structure.Â
Work Required & Deadlines: 1) Assist Ms. B with employment law; 2) counsel and advice regarding business insurance; 3) counsel and advice on entity structure.
Staffing Recommendations: This case is best suited for an attorney with previous experience in employment law, corporate law, and insurance.
If you are interested in helping, contact Bet Tzedek’s Director of Pro Bono Programs, Sara Levine, at slevine@bettzedek.org.
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Kim Selfon, Our Medi-Cal Policy Advocate, to Receive CANHR 'Legal Advocate of the Year' Award!
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California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) will be recognizing our Medi-Cal Policy Advocate Kim Selfon’s contributions to the legal services community with the 'Legal Services Advocate of the Year' Award for 2024! This award is in recognition of the work Kim does to serve older adults in her local community, and how she advocates for systemic changes to improve outcomes for all Californians. The award will be presented on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at CANHR’s Elder Law Conference luncheon.
Kim specializes in assisting caregivers and their families with navigating public benefits and long-term care services. She has been instrumental in Bet Tzedek’s contributions to critical advocacy, most notably through her role in the landmark class action lawsuit, Kelley v. Kent (2017), which challenged the State of California’s failure to implement federal spousal impoverishment protections. This lawsuit was pivotal for families whose income exceeded Medi-Cal limits but could not afford private home care. Kim also authored Bet Tzedek's IHSS Companion, an advocacy guide empowering IHSS consumers.Â
Thank you, Kim, for your hard work, accomplishments, and continuous fight in the elder justice space!
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Victory for SB 1103 + CTA + Our Directing Attorney Nadia Segura in the News
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Earlier this month, the Commercial Tenant Protection Act (SB 1103) was passed by the State Legislature and has advanced to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature. This first-of-its-kind law in the nation includes protections for commercial tenants such as expanding language access, extending notification periods for rent hikes and lease terminations, and capping security deposit fees. We encourage you to raise your voice and urge Governor Newsom to sign the bill into law. You can search #SB1103 on social media and re-share latest posts calling for Newsom to sign.
Prior to the law being sent to the Governor for signature by the legislature, our Small Business Development Program Directing Attorney Nadia Segura was featured in a Capital & Main article, "California Lawmakers Set to Vote on First-in-Nation Tenant Protections for Small Businesses."
From the article: Advocates for SB 1103 say that the bill's provision requiring landlords to provide at least 60 days' notice before any rent increase, even on a month-to-month lease, could ease the squeeze for tenants. Right now, commercial leases can be ended with just 30 days' notice, said attorney Nadia Segura, director of the small business development program at nonprofit law firm Bet Tzedek, one of the co-sponsors of SB 1103. "It’s horrible for businesses that have been in the community for so long," she said.
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A Big Congrats to Bet Tzedek’s Employments Rights Project (ERP) Team!
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Our long-standing ERP partner Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC) has selected Bet Tzedek's ERP team to receive their Social Impact Award at their upcoming 30th anniversary celebration on October 24th. Bet Tzedek is so thrilled for the ERP team's well-deserved recognition for their incredible work and partnership with Thai CDC! The team currently has several wage theft cases and a human trafficking case through which they are collaborating with Thai CDC. Partnering with mission-driven organizations is something ERP — and Bet Tzedek at large — does incredibly well. Together, we fight for justice for all!
From Thai CDC: "In our decision to award [the] Bet Tzedek Employment Rights Project with our Social Impact Award, we wish to recognize its role in setting the standard for innovation and excellence in poverty law, specifically ensuring that exploited or trafficked workers receive the redress and restitution they deserve to be made whole persons again."
Thank you to everyone on the ERP team for your incredible, life-changing work! And thank you, Thai CDC, for this honor.
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Join the Bet Tzedek Team!
Have a passion for helping underserved residents in the community? Want to work alongside dedicated staff and volunteers who help up to 100,000 people per year?
Here are some critical positions we need to fill, plus more (see button below):
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