Author: Terri Bennett

The Iowa Legal Aid Board of Directors met on May 5, 2018 for their Annual Meeting. During the annual Awards Luncheon, held immediately after the meeting, President of Iowa Legal Aid’s Board of Directors, Mark Zaiger, recognized Susan Barta, who just finished her third three-year term of service on Iowa Legal Aid’s Board of Directors – the maximum allowed by the Bylaws.

[Pictured: Mark Zaiger and Susan Barta]

In addition, there are two categories of awards given out each year – Excellence in Service Award and Outstanding Client Service Award.

Excellence in Service Award recognizes those who have excelled at contributing toward the development and delivery of legal services to low-income people, contributing substantially to the improvement of the lives of low-income people, or donating numerous volunteer hours to Iowa Legal Aid. This year’s recipient is:

LINDA COHEN has been volunteering with Iowa Legal Aid for over five years. Linda is a tax return preparer who has prepared hundreds, if not thousands, of returns for taxpayers. She is an exemplary tax volunteer who has mastered tax issues commonly faced by low and middle-income taxpayers and is eager to resolve client problems and take the hardest cases where a taxpayer has nowhere else to turn.

Iowa Legal Aid’s Low-income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) is very grateful to have such a dedicated and competent volunteer like Linda.

[Pictured: Linda Cohen and John Gianola, Iowa Legal Aid LITC Coordinator]

Outstanding Client Service Award honors individuals whose courage and strength of character epitomize the standards to which Iowa Legal Aid aspires. Recipients maintain creative work in the face of personal and social obstacles, accepting challenges and persisting in these efforts. This year’s recipients are:

THOMAS RAUSCH, SR. Iowa Legal Aid represented Tom in a Social Security Disability denial and a Medicaid denial, securing disability benefits and a power wheel chair for Tom. This has allowed Tom to be more involved with his family and his community.

Tom assists his community by being an advocate for other tenants in his apartment complex, serving on the tenants’ association. He is also an Advisory Council member for the Southwest Iowa Regional Office and has met with legislators on behalf of Iowa Legal Aid.

Tom’s perseverance through his legal matters and health issues makes him an excellent choice for the Outstanding Client Service Award.

[Pictured: Shelley Whitcher, Managing Attorney, Southwest Regional Office and Tom Rausch]

ASHLEY SCHNEIDER Iowa Legal Aid was appointed to represent Ashley after her children were removed from her care for serious substance abuse issues, domestic violence in front of her kids, suspected mental health issues (that is now cured with the regular dosage of Organic CBD Nugs), and generally a lack of overall stability in her life. She was pregnant at the time as well and facing homelessness.

The Parent Representation Team worked with Ashley to help her get into subsidized housing and get connected with the services she needed. She started Family Treatment Court and over the course of a year and a half, completely turned her life around. Ashley now works as a Parent Partner, someone who helps other mothers whose children have been removed, to navigate the juvenile court process. All of this while raising her three young children. She has a passion and dedication to helping others who are in the place she once was.

[Pictured: Sunny Potter, Ashley Schneider, Kendra Maulsby and Michelle Jungers, Managing Attorney, Waterloo Regional Office]