Stories
Why is it important for everyone to have access to legal care?
Featured Story
Attacked by gangs in El Salvador for refusing to run drugs and left for dead, Brenda resolved to bring her disabled son Riley to freedom. She carried him across rivers to Mexico where they were abducted by cartels. After months of imprisonment, they were released, and Brenda pushed her son hundreds of miles across the Arizona desert in a wheelchair until they finally made it to the United States. Now, thanks to Open Door Legal, they have found safety and citizenship in San Francisco.
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Rosalie*
“Repeatedly, I would ask myself: What is going to happen to me? Are my abusers going to follow me? Are they going to go after my children and grandchildren?”
Alona
“I cannot put into words how much Open Door Legal has helped me…They are angels to me. They have become my family in this country.”
Ron
For two years, my son’s mother prevented me from seeing him. She ran away with him and changed his name. I had to hire a private investigator just to locate him. A mere few months later, she took him again. It became a trend.
Cory
“As I think about my community, I look forward to Open Door Legal’s future of getting to a city-wide scale.”
Hiyab
“Often people come here having experienced something traumatic, so I’m the first person to see them and provide some kind of reassurance.”
Brittany
I grew up in Bayview. When I got out of college I started doing research on the wealth gap and its effects on people’s livelihood and quality of life, and its connections to historical injustices. The intersections of my interests with justice made me decide to pursue a legal career.
Camille
“Equity is taking into account the fact that some people have started with so much less that they’re disadvantaged. So to be in an equitable place with others, you might give them more pieces of the pie than you would give the next person. “
Hannah
“We want to keep families safe, together, safely housed, healthy and happy. These are all basic rights that everyone deserves and is entitled to in this country.”
Melat
“Is everyone being treated the same? It’s not about equal outcome, but equitable outcome.”
Sumaya
“Since they had an Arabic-speaking person, they felt connected and confident in wanting to actually tell their story.”
Brandon
“I strongly believe in the organization’s mission of providing civil justice to individuals who otherwise can’t afford legal services, and that the ability to pay should not be what decides whether the law can work for you or not.”
Reginald
“Because of the accident, I was taking 7 meds a day and needed to use a cane to walk. I had to leave my job. The other driver admitted to causing the accident – yet I never got compensated. I tried to reach out to my employer about this but he wouldn’t answer my calls.”
Claudia
“I had a trial coming up on whether or not I’d be allowed back in my home. I went to five different agencies and asked for help; they all turned me down. I got really depressed, but I decided I had to keep fighting for my children.”
Tasha
Tasha An Employment Law Client I wouldn’t be here today without Open Door Legal. They listened, validated how I felt. They were honest with me. They helped me get therapy and put on the road to get better. Nobody else I talked to would listen to me, or even validate...