Kathleen Cannon, the president and CEO of United Way of Broward County (UWBC), will be recognized by Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) with the 2018 Spirit of Justice Award at the 17th Annual For the Public Good fundraising event on Thursday, October 25.

The Spirit of Justice Award recognizes those who embody the “spirit” of the mission and work of LAS and CCLA. Cannon, who has dedicated her 35-year career to improving the lives of low income, at-risk, and vulnerable individuals in our community, has played an integral role in establishing and expanding partnerships with LAS and CCLA to provide vital legal services to veterans through its one-of-a-kind pilot program MISSION UNITED.

The alliance, forged over six years ago, ensures that responsive and effective legal counsel is available in all areas of civil law to veteran households in Broward County.

“Through our partnership with Legal Aid, United Way of Broward County’s MISSION UNITED supports our military veterans as they re-acclimate to civilian life. The pro-bono legal services offered are having a life-changing impact on those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Cannon said. “We are so proud of our MISSION UNITED program and the community partners that support it.”

The need for pro bono legal services is one of the top requests from veterans and their families. To date, 6,364 veterans have been assisted by 423 Broward County lawyers who have volunteered to provide pro bono legal services for veterans and their families. The value of those donated legal services exceeds $1.193 million.

Two years ago, Cannon successfully advocated to United Way Worldwide for a national expansion of the Broward County MISSION UNITED project. Since the national launch on Veterans Day 2016, 21 United Way programs across the country have implemented MISSION UNITED projects in their communities, with many more in the planning stages.

Prior to joining UWBC’s leadership, Cannon was the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Broward House for over nine years. She started her career in direct social services as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

For more details on the 17th Annual For The Public Good fundraising event on Thursday, October 25, 2018, visit BrowardLegalAid.org/forthepublicgood. The event celebrates members of the community who go above and beyond in their efforts to secure justice and change lives for the underprivileged and underserved in Broward County. An estimated 400 Broward County lawyers, judges and community leaders are expected to be in attendance, for what is widely-noted throughout Broward as the leading pro-bono recognition event of the year. Proceeds from the event benefit children and families served by LAS and CCLA and enable both organizations to serve greater numbers of those in need.

Event sponsors include Broward County Bar Association; Birnbaum Lippman Gregoire, PLLC; Florida Power and Light; JM Family Enterprises, Inc.; Kelley Kronenberg, Attorneys at Law; Kim Vaughan Lerner, LLP; Setnor Byer Insurance and Risk; Valley National Bank and Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman, P.L.

To place congratulatory remarks or advertisements recognizing one or more of the honorees or for more insight into sponsorship opportunities and how you can get involved, please contact dlange@legalaid.org or call 954-736-2429.

Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida is a not-for-profit law firm established in 2003 and funded, in part, by the Legal Services Corporation. Our mission is to improve the lives of low income persons in our community through advocacy, education, representation and empowerment. http://www.coasttocoastlegalaid.org/

Legal Aid Service of Broward County is not-for-profit law firm established in 1973. Our mission is to provide high quality free civil legal advice, representation and education to the poor of Broward County so as to improve the lifestyle and living conditions of the low-income community and to encourage self-sufficiency. www.browardlegalaid.org

Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) are 501(c)(3) corporations registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer services (LAS #SC-02337 and CCLA #CH19226). All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free 1-800-435-7352 within the state OR VISITING WWW.FRESHFROMFLORIDA.COM. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the State.