April is National Volunteer Month and this week (April 21st - April 27th), is National Volunteer Week. CDEL could not do the work it does in the community without the dedicated group of attorneys, paralegals, law students, and pro bono partners who give their time and expertise to serve CDEL's clients everyday. In 2023, CDEL trained over 214 volunteers who gave over 14,000 hours of their time to further our mission.
We would like to recognize some of the many CDEL volunteers who help us serve our clients and keep our mission going. Read on below and at CDEL's website to learn more about why people volunteer with CDEL.
Please join us in giving a big thank you to all of CDEL's volunteers!
Mollie Whitehead: Mollie Whitehead is a CDEL volunteer and has been an elder law attorney her entire career.
“While it can be challenging to work with clients to prepare their documents and execute their documents all within a couple hours at a remote location, it is also incredibly rewarding to give back and use my skills to benefit people who truly need these documents but cannot afford an attorney.” – Mollie Whitehead
Adam Dabek: Adam Dabek has been a CDEL volunteer since 2016. He found CDEL through a volunteer seminar put on by CDEL and has volunteered ever since.
“I enjoy applying my legal skills as a volunteer with CDEL to help people obtain an adult guardianship of a relative or friend with disabilities. The people I help are very grateful and appreciative and I am more than happy to have helped them. CDEL is a great organization that assists many people in need and I am happy to be a CDEL volunteer.” – Adam Dabek
Marla Mangone: Marla Mangone is a CDEL volunteer who works primarily with our guardianship help desk at the Daley Center. She first learned about CDEL from the Chicago Bar Association.
“As a volunteer, I am also impressed with the ways in which CDEL accommodates volunteer’s busy schedules and offers opportunities to serve both in person or remotely. The entire CDEL team is supportive and is always there to assist with any questions. On all levels, my experience and time with CDEL continues to be highly fulfilling.” - Marla Mangone
Molly King: Molly King is a CDEL volunteer who has worked in guardianship in the Chicagoland area for over ten years and is currently a Guardianship Advisor at Fifth Third Private Bank. Molly sought non-attorney volunteer opportunities at CDEL to try to mitigate the disadvantages many families feel by being able to afford legal services.
“CDEL is a vital non-profit organization that fills the void for families who want to act as guardian for their family members and loved ones but struggle to navigate the court system on their own. I am grateful for the opportunity to assist a wonderful team.” – Molly King
Karen Boyd: Karen Boyd is a CDEL Volunteer who has volunteered across a variety of CDEL’s programs. She helps a lot at CDEL’s community clinics with individuals seeking assistance with estate planning. She is also a regular volunteer with CDEL’s Guardianship Help Desk at the Daley Center.
“I was busy not using my law degree when I heard about CDEL; I will always be grateful for the introduction to such important work. The response that I typically get from the people seeking legal help is that they never thought that they would ever have their own estate plan or that they could not otherwise afford to hire an attorney. I am lucky to be able to do this work.“ - Karen Boyd
Catherine Cappel: Catherine Cappel has been a CDEL volunteer for about 8 years. Since 2004, she had worked as a pro bono attorney for different legal aid organizations. At CDEL, she started by helping out at the senior clinics and then got involved at the Guardianship Help Desk at the Daley Center.
“The attorneys at CDEL make it easy to volunteer. The training and support have meant that I’ve been well-prepared for the work I have done. I love meeting clients face to face and helping them navigate the guardianship process which can be overwhelming for pro se clients. However, their expressions of relief and gratitude for our help make my volunteer work so worthwhile.”
Read more about Mollie, Adam, Marla, Molly, Karen, and Catherine's path to volunteering with CDEL at our website!
CDEL's work could not be done without our Pro Bono Partners who provide invaluable volunteers, resources, and expertise to our clients.
Please join us in thanking all of CDEL's Pro Bono Partners so far in 2024!
Accenture Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. Cooley LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP McDonald’s Corporation Perkins Coie LLP Pro Bono Network Salesforce, Inc. Seyfarth Shaw LLP State Farm Venable LLP Walgreens
CDEL is always looking for volunteers for our many programs. CDEL offers volunteer and internship opportunities to college students, law students, and volunteer attorneys in a number of practice areas and settings. We can use everyone's talents and have a project for every skill set and time commitment.
