Members of the Temple Law School community celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and worked to further his dream of economic and social justice for all at two local service initiatives yesterday.
Approximately 50 members of the Temple Law community focused their efforts on tackling poverty in the North Philadelphia community by attending a training and certification session for the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program, led annually by Professor Alice Abreu. VITA is a federal program through which volunteers are trained and certified to assist low-income taxpayers in filing their annual income tax return. This essential service helps low-income taxpayers navigate the complicated paperwork necessary to access all of the refund and credit programs for which they qualify without risking exposure to predatory tax preparation practices or paying preparer fees. More information on Temple Law’s ongoing participation in the VITA program is available here.
An additional 18 Temple Law School volunteers participated in an indoor beautification project at the William D. Kelley Elementary School at 28th and Oxford Streets in North Philadelphia, run by Philadelphia’s City Year Corps. The group, which included students, administration, and faculty, pitched in to enrich the school environment with murals and other artwork. Director of Public Interest Programs Lisa Hurlbutt, who participated in the event, remarked that “it was satisfying to see the way that our work brightened the space with inspiring ideas, and fun to work together with our neighbors in the community.”