Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, staff, receive three awards

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), the only Hudson Valley provider of comprehensive civil legal services to those that cannot afford it when basic human needs are at stake, as well as several members of its staff, were recognized with several awards recently. “We believe these honors are a testament to the hard-work, dedication, and impact our organization and its staff have on the fabric of the communities we serve. Our efforts advocating and fighting for the rights of tens of thousands of people ensure equal access to justice for all, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Tom Gabriel, Chief Development Officer at LSHV.

Here is a list of some of the awards and recognition bestowed upon LSHV and its staff recently:

Chief Financial Officer Myra Loewenstein, honored as CFO of the Year Finalist by Westfair Communications: LSHV's CEO, Myra Loewenstein, was recognized for her expertise overseeing our non-profit organization's administrative and financial systems, information technology (IT), human resources (HR), and physical infrastructure. Her efforts managing a $15 million budget derived from a diverse income stream including federal, state, county, municipal and private sources, as well as her involvement in strategic planning and compliance issues, has played a key role in LSHV's 25% growth this past year. Myra was recognized at Westfair Communication’s celebration on Wednesday, Oct 5th at The Whitby Castle in Rye.

LSHV received Family Justice Center Award from Safe Homes of Orange County: Safe Homes of Orange County, one of our many nonprofit partners, is dedicated to providing comprehensive support services for individuals and families affected by domestic violence. LSHV works with survivors of domestic violence in civil legal proceedings in local family courts, including family offense, custody, visitation, child support and divorce proceedings. In 2015, LSHV handled 2,061 cases that involved domestic violence throughout our service area, and handled cases for 1,503 clients who identified as survivors of domestic violence. Safe Homes recognized LSHV with its Family Justice Center Award at the Safe Homes' 30th Anniversary Celebration of Hope Gala on Friday, Oct 21st at Anthony’s Pier 9, New Windsor

CEO, Barbara Finkelstein, and Director of Special Projects, Cynthia Knox, honored at the White Plains Hispanic Festival: Barbara and Cynthia were honored for the support and commitment to diversity, especially the Hispanic and Latino community throughout the years. They were honored at the 16th Annual Celebration of Hispanic Heritage on Sunday, September 18 at East View Middle School in White Plains.

About Legal Services of the Hudson Valley: The mission of LSHV is to provide free, high-quality counsel in civil matters where basic human needs are at stake for poor and low-income individuals and families who cannot afford an attorney. With the gap separating those who can and cannot afford legal representation widening each day, we work to engage as many allies as possible in this effort. LSHV is the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services to all seven counties of the lower and mid-Hudson Valley (Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan). We are the recipient of Legal Services Corporation funding for the region and provide a full array of services to low-income individuals and families to meet the legal needs for “essentials of life” and preserve the stability of client households. The work we do each day provides justice to thousands of our neighbors who have nowhere else to turn. Our funding empowers us to: Protect people from domestic violence; Defend seniors against abuse; Serve veterans on the home front; Support the rights of the disabled; Keep families in their homes; and Advocate for children’s well-being.

Photo #1: Legal Services of the Hudson Valley’s CFO, Myra Loewenstein

Photo #2: Legal Services of the Hudson Valley staff receiving the Safe Homes of Orange County Family Justice Center Award: (Seated L-R) Sarah Maida, Rachel Simons, Rachel Chazin Halperin, Adam Markovics, (Standing L-R) Loretta Spence, James Bryant, Luz Ledezma, Sandra Dos Santos, and Gillian Menza.

Photo #3: Legal Services of the Hudson Valley’s CEO, Barbara Finkelstein

Photo #4: Legal Services of the Hudson Valley’s Director of Special Projects, Cynthia Knox