In 2023, as part of our initiative to increase our impact, Law Rocks has begun offering a new award for each Law Rocks show: The Hustle & Heart Award. This award is given to the band that has the highest number of unique donors contributing to the “Donation” category (separate from sponsorships or ticket sales). Law Rocks makes an additional donation to the winning band's charity of choice.
Law Rock celebrates grassroot, community efforts, and The Hustle & Heart award is meant to encourage donations for each band’s nonprofit pick. We are thrilled to increase our support of small, local nonprofits who would otherwise not be receiving this funding.
Today’s spotlight is on CHILD ADVOCATES OF SILICON VALLEY, the winner of the Hustle & Heart Award at the Ninth Annual Law Rocks San Francisco. Child Advocates was the chosen nonprofit of Hustle & Heart Award Winners Morgan Lewis & ROCKius, featuring legal talent from Morgan Lewis & Bockius.
Part of what makes a Law Rocks show so special is that each band is able to fundraise for an organization that means something to them. When we asked Morgan Lewis & ROCKius how they chose their nonprofit, they responded:
“Child Advocates of Silicon Valley holds a special place in our hearts. The organization provides mentoring, support, and advocacy for foster youth placed in the dependency system. These children are removed from their biological family through no fault of their own, and need a caring and stable adult to stand by them as they navigate life in foster care – both within and outside of the associated legal elements of their personal case. Morgan Lewis supports Child Advocates as a pro bono client, and partner (and band member) Mike Schlemmer is a long-time member of the Board. We are very proud of the stellar work this organization does to improve the lives of our local foster youth – one of the most worthy and unsupported populations. Without such support, 1/3 of foster youth end up homeless, and another 1/3 incarcerated. By providing stable adult support, we instead see 100% of those served graduate from high school, many going on to college, and all given a platform and opportunity to thrive.”
The band also took their fundraising very seriously. Band member Geoffrey Holtz detailed their fundraising plan:
“We proceeded down two tracks, one internally and the other externally. As to the internal promotion, we worked with the leadership of our firm – who provided tremendous support – and internal marketing teams to promote the event and encourage donations, no matter how small. This included periodical email promotions, physical posters in the offices, and ROCKius “hoodies” available for donors at certain levels. We also circulated videos of the band to let everyone know how hard we had worked to get a good performance put together. As to the external efforts, we encouraged promoting the event through various social media networks, providing all the links that could be used. And, of course, we rallied friends, relatives, and others to attend through old-fashioned word of mouth. We’re particularly proud of this Award as it was the result of a lot of work and the efforts and contributions of a large number of our colleagues, friends, and families.”
All of this hard work paid off. Including the additional $5,000 Heart & Hustle grant, Morgan Lewis & Bockius were able to raise a whopping $59,831 for Child Advocates. Talk about the power of community!
See below for our spotlight interview with band member and Child Advocates Board Member Michael D. Schlemmer to learn more about this wonderful organization.
1. Can you tell us a little about your organization and its mission?
Child Advocates serves children in dependency care (commonly referred to as foster care) from birth through 21 years old by (i) ensuring every child has a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer; (ii) building enduring community partnerships to broaden and strengthen our impact; and (iii) influencing local policies and decisions that affect the children served. Child Advocates is responsible for operating the CASA Program in Santa Clara County, which entails recruiting, training and supporting CASA Volunteers.
2. What is one success story you’re really proud of?
At just four years old, Olivia was placed in the foster care system due to domestic violence in the home. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Olivia was paired with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer, Letty. Although their first encounter was socially distanced, their connection was instantaneous. As Letty recalls, “it felt right from the beginning.” Early on, Letty noticed Olvia was behind developmentally and was determined to find ways to help accelerate Olivia’s progress with speech and language milestones and independence in self-care. This included expanding Olivia’s vocabulary and working on vital skills such as potty training and healthy eating. Built on a foundation of trust, the two quickly developed a strong relationship. Today, Olivia is a healthy, thriving five-year-old. Her court case is now closed, and she has been reunified with her mother and siblings. Letty not only remains in contact with Olivia’s family, but she has also introduced Olivia to her own family. Olivia and Letty’s granddaughter have become fast friends, and as Letty puts it, “she’s a part of my family”—simple as that.
This story is a recently closed Dependency Court Case. An alias was used to preserve the privacy of the child. The story is shared with the permission of Letty and Olivia’s legal guardian. The full story is accessible here: https://childadvocatessv.org/2022/11/30/achieving-milestones-through-advocacy/
3. What programs and initiatives do you have scheduled for the upcoming year?
Child Advocates has rolled out a three-year Strategic Plan that focuses on (1) reaching every youth in foster care; (2) ensuring that each child’s unique background and identity is taken into considering in providing deep and effective services; and (3) advocating for a responsive, equitable service system for all child welfare families, children, and youth.
Learn more about Child Advocates of Silicon Valley here.