Volunteer Legal Service Program (VLSP)
March Spotlight:
Kaitlyn Quigley and Margaret Smith
By Vince Sison, VLSP Program and Database Assistant
This month, VLSP is proud to announce that our Volunteer of the Month goes to two wonderful individuals at our Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP): Kaitlyn Quigley and Margaret Smith. Both are recent college graduates and have dedicated one year of service to HAP through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and the Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
 Originally from Tucson, Kaitlyn came to the Bay Area after graduating from Loyola College in Maryland. Her decision to do a year of post-graduate service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) was largely a result of studying in Latin America during her junior year. Through that experience, she realized that she had dedicated a large amount of time getting to know the countries in which she studied, and wanted to make a similar effort to explore her own. Regarding her JVC placement at HAP, she said, “As I prepare to attend law school next year, my experience at HAP has been absolutely invaluable. Although it can be disheartening to see the incredible need of many of our clients, I have also found great reward in offering assistance and support. I have learned so much from both my coworkers and my clients about housing and benefits, and I look forward to finding out more about how the law can be a tool to pursue what is just.”
 Before joining the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC), Margaret graduated from Grinnell College last May. At Grinnell, she developed an interest in social justice through helping to form A Just Grinnell, an organization devoted to fostering open-minded dialogue about social justice issues on campus. This interest has been furthered through her work at HAP by presenting her with a number of challenges, including learning the ins and outs of Social Security regulations. She has learned that frequently the clients at HAP don’t have any support systems, and she tries not to forget that providing a listening ear on a weekly basis can be just as important to a client as securing benefits. This sense of community is extended through relationships with her coworkers. She says, “People at HAP are always willing to provide patient help with any question.” In addition, Smith loves the lunch conversations with coworkers and their tradition of giving recycled birthday cards. What she appreciates most, however, is that they don’t make fun of her too much for her obsession with Battlestar Galactica.
HAP has had the pleasure of receiving JVC and LVC members for more than 12 years. “It is always refreshing to have such young and charismatic talent walk through these doors throughout the years,” says Katie Danielson, Supervising Attorney at HAP. “Kaitlyn and Margaret are no exception. Their dedication and conviction to social justice issues in our community is invaluable to our organization.”
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