The WBF began partnering with the Women’s Lunch Place in 1993 to help meet the legal needs of its guests, primarily low-income homeless women, victims of violence, or women suffering from mental health problems and addiction. The Women’s Lunch Place provides a daytime refuge for these vulnerable women. Many face complicated legal problems which become obstacles to meeting their basic daily needs. Many also have limited ability to understand the legal issues they are facing. Without legal advocacy, many of the women are left to navigate the complex judicial system alone, often with unsuccessful results. In 2009, the WBF helped to re-structure the Women’s Lunch Place Project’s internal advocacy program, which had suffered budget cuts in the recession. The WBF’s volunteer attorneys shared information and
legal resources and conducted legal training for the WLP staff and made
presentations on a variety of legal topics to guests. The WBF also convened
a panel of attorneys with expertise in housing, government benefits, criminal
law, personal injury law, employment law, family law, mental health law, and
bankruptcy law to provide telephone guidance to staff to help spot legal
issues and make referrals to legal resources on behalf of its guests.

The WBF also collaborated with the Volunteer Lawyers Project to enhance the WLP’s internal legal advocacy services. Additionally, members of the WBF’s Board of Trustees volunteered at the WLP to help provide meals and distribute clothing to guests to become more familiar with the direct operations of the WLP.