Senseless & Tragic

Gregg Lombardi - Executive Director

After 21 years as a parent, I have come to know what all grandparents know—that it takes a tremendous amount of patience, hard work, heartache and love to raise a child to adulthood.

 

I also know the tremendous joy of seeing a young life bloom with potential and of seeing that potential realized. There are few, if any, greater joys in life.

 

The taking of any life is a tragedy. The taking of a young life when the child has just begun to recognize his potential is heartbreaking. Yesterday, a depraved, pathetic and cowardly man took away three lives in a matter of hours-- solely as an expression of senseless, irrational hatred. It makes me sick to think about it.

 

I join with everyone in the community and in the nation who denounces this vile act.

Better Late Than Never

Gregg Lombardi - Executive Director

As of Tuesday this week, Legal Aid is now doing something that we should have done long ago. We are beginning the process of recognizing that any two people who are committed to each other as a family should be treated as a family.

So, effective this week, we have started domestic partners coverage under our health insurance policy. If a staff member lives with and is committed to a partner, that staff member now has the same right to obtain health insurance for that partner as she or he would if the couple were legally married.


The policy applies regardless of whether the partners are of the same or opposite gender. We will be looking at other ways of recognizing domestic partners, including changing our dental insurance and leave policies because couples who are fully committed to each other should receive the same respect and treatment regardless of whether the commitment is to the same or the opposite gender.