Systemic poverty affects children just as much—if not more—than the adults who care for them. Back in 2005, Massachusetts attorney Anne Bader-Martin realized that many poor families and their legal advocates lacked the resources necessary to stay together, build wealth, and ultimately break a vicious cycle. She founded One Can Help, which connects foster children and other underserved young people, as well as their families, with the resources they need to navigate the juvenile court and child welfare systems. One Can Help is a network of attorneys, social workers, and child advocates who work together to help families in both the court and welfare systems. Bader-Martin sees poverty as a severe obstacle to achieving justice, particularly where children are concerned.
This year, Bader-Martin has continued the work that she began 18 years ago. In March, Massachusetts attorney general Andrea Campbell spoke on behalf of One Can Help, praising the organization’s hands-on approach to providing aid. As of June, the organization claims that it has helped more than 15,000 children and families, saving the state of Massachusetts more than $9 million in the process. Bader-Martin and her organization have helped children and families who often have nowhere else to turn, and hopefully helped make an entire state’s legal system a little more equitable in the process.
