CDEL Celebrates its Volunteers!
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. Please read on below to learn more about why people volunteer with CDEL.
Mollie Whitehead
Mollie Whitehead is a CDEL volunteer. She has been an elder law attorney her entire career with a focus on estate planning, probate, guardianships for people with disabilities and Medicaid planning. Within a couple years of becoming an attorney, Mollie started looking for volunteer opportunities with legal service organizations. She found CDEL through the Chicago Bar Association's Serving Our Seniors Committee. They had a joint program with CDEL where attorneys would prepare POA documents for low income seniors. This was a perfect fit for Mollie because she had plenty of experience working with seniors as well as preparing POA documents.
“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. His first job out of law school was with the Cook County States Attorney’s Office and that gave him a interest in working in public service. 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.” – 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 assists clients as they navigate the guardianship process for a loved one. She first learned about CDEL from the Chicago Bar Association. She recognizes the value of pro bono work in the community and wanted to ensure she volunteered for an organization where she could make a difference. She was impressed with CDEL’s commitment to serving marginalized communities in high-need areas and it quickly became apparent she could make a difference with CDEL. She finds client interactions to be extremely rewarding. Recently, a client told her how grateful they were in discovering CDEL. They said they are always treated respectfully and everyone is friendly and helpful. Marla said many clients express that same gratitude.
“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.” – CDEL Volunteer Marla Mangone
Molly King
Molly King is a CDEL volunteer who has worked in guardianship in the Chicagoland area for over ten years. In her current role as Guardianship Advisor at Fifth Third Private Bank, Molly works with families and attorneys to ensure her clients are well cared for financially while prudently managing their income and assets to create long term financial stability and growth. Molly counts herself fortunate to work with and learn from a team of experienced individuals who have also devoted their careers to protecting those most at risk.
Acting as a liaison between families and the legal system in her professional role served to highlight the disadvantages that may be felt by families who could not afford to retain professional services; Molly sought non-attorney volunteer opportunities at CDEL to try and mitigate those disadvantages. While recent access-to-justice initiatives have indeed made pro-se representation more accessible, there is still a void when trying to familiarize individuals with the processes and procedures of the court system.
“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.“
Catherine Cappel
Catherine Cappel is a CDEL volunteer who was introduced to CDEL about 8 years ago when completing a Master’s in Health Law at Loyola University. 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 Guardianship Help Desk closed down during COVID, and when it reopened last year, she was glad to be back at the desk.
“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.”