Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm has selected the Charlotte is Home collaboration as the beneficiary of its Charitable Fund in 2024.
The Charlotte is Home Center — a partnership between ourBRIDGE for KIDS, the Charlotte Community Health Clinic, and the Carolina Migrant Network — “is a collaborative hub where neighbors from around the world can access educational resources and wraparound services in their first language, comprehensive healthcare, and pro-bono immigration legal representation” at one facility.
The organization’s aim is to “function as an inclusive, intentional, multilingual buffer to the cultural, civic, and social shock newcomers experience as they start a new life in Charlotte, and in the United States.”
“We look forward every year to the opportunity to return a portion of our profit to the community in which we have thrived for more than 27 years,” Managing Partner Hannah F. Little said. “Charlotte is at the heart of who we are, and we are dedicated to addressing the needs of our neighbors. We are proud to support organizations that align with our values and are deeply grateful for their invaluable contributions to our region.”
The three organizations each have a distinct mission. ourBRIDGE for KIDS “fosters the education, acculturation, and well-being of refugee and immigrant families through out-of-school programs and comprehensive, culturally responsive wraparound support” while the Charlotte Community Health Clinic’s goal is to “improve the health of the community by providing the highest quality, patient-centered healthcare services for low-income and other underserved individuals.” Similarly, the Carolina Migrant Network uses “legal services and community advocacy to provide holistic support” for its clients and their families.
Garfinkel Immigration created the Fund more than seven years ago in commemoration of its 20th anniversary to return a portion of its profits to the community. The Fund contributes to nonprofit organizations in the Charlotte region that empower economically marginalized and vulnerable people while supporting pluralism and embracing multiculturalism.
In addition to the annual Charitable Fund, Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm offers an Employer Matching Gift Fund. This Fund was designed to encourage employees to donate to qualifying charitable organizations and matches personal individual contributions, dollar for dollar, throughout the year.
Garfinkel Immigration is proud to have contributed through the Employer Matching Gift Fund to the following organizations supported by our employees in 2024:
- Cabarrus Victims Assistance Network
- Episcopal Farmworker Ministry
- Gatto Pups and Friends
- KyleCares, Inc.
- Manna FoodBank
- NC Disaster Relief Fund
- Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
- Thermal Belt Outreach
- World Central Kitchen
In its professional work, the Firm enables businesses to benefit from a wealth of global talent while simultaneously establishing legal immigration pathways for vibrant families who enrich American communities.
Likewise, Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm is committed to the local community as a natural extension of its efforts every day to create opportunity and dignity for people across the globe while fostering understanding and tolerance as core values.
As part of that commitment, the Firm’s attorneys are dedicated to giving back to the region through pro bono work, for which it received two highly regarded awards this year. The Firm was named the 2024 “Pro Bono Firm of the Year” by Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) for its work on the “Immigration Pathways for Victims” (IMMPAV) project. The IMMPAV project assists and supports immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or trafficking.
Garfinkel Immigration was also honored as the 2024 American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Carolinas Chapter “Pro Bono Champion,” a recognition awarded annually to just one firm each year in the Carolinas.
Further, Little and Partner Colleen F. Molner were both inducted into the 2023 North Carolina Attorney Pro Bono Honor Society earlier this year.