Cleared to Thrive is about second chances; second chances to live without shame and guilt, and with the freedom to hope in a better tomorrow. That is a message that echoes the Gospel: freedom from shame and guilt of sin, and freedom to enter into the blessed assurance of eternal life with Christ.

Therefore, as a Christian and a person who's guilty of making mistakes (big and small) but having received grace, I am joining the Cleared to Thrive fundraiser campaign as a Donor Captain to help the most vulnerable population in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, see God's love, grace, mercy, and justice flow to them in some practical ways.

As a CLADC board member and volunteer attorney, I've seen and heard client testimonies of changed lives and newfound opportunities because their housing issues, criminal record, and probate administration was one less thing they had to wrestle with in a very complicated legal system.

Now more than ever we need your help. Recently the D.C. Mayor announced a proposal to slash 86% of the Access to Justice funding from $31.7 million to just $4.487 million. By donating, you're helping CLADC continue its mission by providing access to justice to some of the most vulnerable in the metro-D.C.