This #GivingTuesday, ArchCity Defenders is calling on you to support our holistic legal advocacy. Your contribution will make an impact in the lives of our clients, whether you donate a little or a lot. Anything helps.

Here’s a quick story about our incredible client, Eddie Williams who we met a few years ago–

Eddie Williams, a loving father and partner from St. Louis, was trapped inside the Workhouse in the hellish heatwave of July 2017. Around that time, ACD and community partners raised money so volunteers could post bail to free people awaiting trial from the inhumane conditions. Eddie Williams was one of them. As a Black man growing up in St. Louis, Mr. Williams had been unjustly targeted by the legal system of police, courts, and money bail.

Since then, ACD has represented Mr. Williams, worked to get his driver’s license reinstated, resolved his legal issues, and helped his family find safe, habitable housing. Mr. Williams is working a full-time job and happy to be with his family at the end of the day. In speaking about ACD, he said, “they really are going to help you, they’re not going to play.” Of his attorney, Jack Waldron, Mr. Williams remarked, “he’s a great guy, man, he’s like an uncle or big brother I never had. He was straight up and did everything he said he was going to do. ACD– they’re really there, helping people.”

Mr. Williams is one of the lead plaintiffs in ACD’s class action lawsuit against St. Louis City, alleging inhumane conditions at the Workhouse– the case, filed in November 2017, is still pending. With your support, we can continue to fight on all fronts– thank you for giving what you can this #GivingTuesday. There are a few ways to make a tax deductible donation on #GivingTuesday:

(1) Online via ACD’s Facebook Fundraiser. (Facebook pays all the processing fees for you, so 100% of your donation goes directly to ACD.)

(2) Online via ACD’s website

(3) Contact Sergio Buchanan, ACD’s Donor Relations Associate, at sbuchanan@archcitydefenders.org.

ArchCity Defenders (ACD) is a holistic legal advocacy organization that combats the criminalization of poverty and state violence, especially in communities of color. ACD’s foundation of civil and criminal legal representation, social services, impact litigation, policy and media advocacy, and community collaboration achieves and inspires justice and equitable outcomes for people throughout the St. Louis region and beyond.