Charity of the Month: Alexis McLeod!

I'm going to start my Charity of the Month column with an exception (typical lawyer-speak, huh?). From January forth, I will be focusing this column on non-profits and organizations. This month, however, I'm focusing it on an amazing individual (with a cool organization backing her up).

I met Alexis while volunteering at Public Law Center, where she has been a fellow for the past few years, heading up their AIDS/HIV legal clinic. She recently went to Rwanda as part of a legal team that created a manual with the purpose of giving Rwandan woman information about their rights, the rights of their children, and information on legal resources for families who struggle with land grabbing.

Alexis has firmly placed herself on my "Hero" list by what she has decided to do next: Alexis has become an International Justice Mission Fellow, meaning she will be flying to South Asia and working for FREE for a year to work on some pretty big issues:

"According to UNICEF, more than 2 million children are exploited in the commercial sex trade every year. Girls as young as 4 years old are sold into brothels where they are forced to perform sex acts for those who have no regard for their dignity. I am overwhelmed by these horrendous statistics, and yet so disturbed that I have no choice but to break through the silence and head into the fight.

As a Legal Fellow, I will help the South Asia field office bring justice to women and children who have suffered these horrible abuses of their basic human rights. The position I have been offered is unpaid, and I am responsible for covering all of the costs associated with my assignment. I have saved approximately $10,000, will be cashing in my life insurance policy and 401K, but I still need your help. I anticipate that I will need to raise an additional $10,000 to support my time in South Asia."

You can read about International Justice Mission here, and you can donate to Alexis here.

Not all of us are able or willing to make the sacrifice to take a year out of our busy lives and give it to such a worthy cause. I know we are all going through some tough financial times, but if you even have $5 to spare, I ask that you consider donating it to Alexis and the amazing cause she will be working for. We can all work vicariously through Alexis in combating the injustices of the world!