Mar. 22, 2014

San Diego nonprofit fetes volunteers

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc., a nonprofit that provides free civil legal services to thousands of low-income San Diegans each year, held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards event this month at a reception at Tom Ham's Lighthouse. Forty-one attorneys and law students took home the group's Distinguished Service Award, which honors those who volunteered 150 pro bono hours or more in 2013. SDVLP also presented State Bar's Wiley W. Manuel Award to 133 volunteers who contributed at least 50 hours of pro bono service. "We applaud the remarkable achievements of our volunteers and their efforts in bringing equal access to justice to our community's most vulnerable residents," Executive Director Amy Fitzpatrick said in a statement. The organization's staff also presented Standout Awards to volunteers who excelled in their efforts throughout the year. Among the eight awardees were Greg Bruck, Giuseppina Colamussi, Alexandra Fay, Jenna Hoefler, Abel Abrego, Ryan Jenal, Riley Pennington and Marisa Vano. — Ben Adlin