Month in Review Alexandra Ross Month in Review Alexandra Ross

February Highlights

This February, Director of Legal Services Brian Dunkel wrote a message to followers about what it really means to love your neighbor and how our new client intakes are the first step in that process for the Clinic. We then dug in deep with Ft. Wayne Director Desiree Koger-Gustafson, learning how she changed her path from a medical career to a legal career.

Read More
Staff Highlight Alexandra Ross Staff Highlight Alexandra Ross

Finding Her Path: Meet Ft. Wayne Director Desiree Koger-Gustafson

Desiree Koger-Gustafson’s grandmother knew she was going to be a lawyer before Desiree did. For years, Desiree worked in the health field, harboring a desire to go to Medical School one day. But as she pursued this dream, she kept hitting roadblocks. “I retook the MCAT several times, my GPA was where it should be, but I could never get in,” Desiree says. “So I started to think maybe this wasn’t the direction I was supposed to go in.”

Read More
Partner Highlight Alexandra Ross Partner Highlight Alexandra Ross

Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County

Associated Churches first became acquainted with the Clinic through their mutual service. “Because we serve a diverse population, the Clinic was already doing ministry in the same places that we were,” says Roger. “We were providing emergency food relief for the food bank and the Clinic was providing intake at the same location.” This put the Legal Clinic on Associated Churches’ radar, and thus, a new relationship was borne.

Read More
Staff Highlight Alexandra Ross Staff Highlight Alexandra Ross

An Abundant Harvest

Janet found the face-to-face meetings with clients during intake to be especially transformative, their needs frequently going beyond the scope of what legal assistance could provide. Although she was able to offer them her legal expertise, their stories were often filled with dark and difficult chapters. “In some cases, we met the face of profound despair,” Janet says. “This is the humanizing encounter and one where Jesus has called us to be present.”

Read More
Staff Highlight Alexandra Ross Staff Highlight Alexandra Ross

Blessed to Be Catherine Warney

While Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic’s main office is located in Indianapolis, there is also a satellite office in Ft. Wayne. Desiree Koger-Gustafson serves as its Director and part-time attorney, while Cathy Warney serves as the only full-time employee. In addition to her paralegal duties, she also handles reception and coordinates volunteers. “My days are pretty crazy,” says Cathy. “I wear lots of hats.”

Read More
Client Stories Alexandra Ross Client Stories Alexandra Ross

Above and Beyond: A Client Story

Sui Tlang* was first referred to the Clinic through several different partner agencies that were already working with her. As a young girl living in Burma, she was orphaned and grew up in a refugee camp near Thailand. While in the camp, she received little education and never learned to read or write in her native language. No one ever even tried to teach her English. When she got older, she was married and had two sons, but was soon widowed.

Read More