Law and Justice
(2009-10-29)
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Bill Gates, Sr. at the Seattle Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009. Wash. Sec. of State Sam Reed and Jill Nishi of the Gates Foundation look on.
Gary Davis photo.
The largest of the three grants - $3 million dollars - will go to 26 nonprofit law centers spread across the state. "Over 80% of our low income residents face urgent domestic legal problems, but can't access legal representation or assistance," Gates notes.
The grant is music to the ears of Casey Trupin, with Seattle's Columbia Legal Services. "What we were facing without the help of this grant, was having to turn away an unbelievable number of people. Homeless children who have housing or education issues, victims of domestic violence who are choosing to remain in the house or go to the street," Trupin says.
In addition to the legal aid grant, another $600,000 will go to ten community foundations for hunger relief, domestic violence and to help people access public assistance. According to the Gates Foundation, this grant will leverage another $405,000 in private matching support.
One of the local foundations on the receiving end is the Grays Harbor Community Foundation, which serves Grays Harbor County. Its director, Jim Daly, says their portion of the grant will go to four of the county's neediest food banks, for things like freezers and updated electric supply. Daly calls it, "Infratructure that will last for years, and we're really pleased by that."
Libraries were targeted by the final grant. Gates says the goal is to serve the growing throng of people who use them as job resource centers and for Internet access, something many people can no longer afford to have at home. The Washington State Library, which is a program under the Secretary of State's office, will administer the $400,000 gift. It is being matched by a similar amount in federal monies. Gary Davis, KPLU News, Seattle.
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