Bradley D.C. Attorneys’ Pro Bono Work for Helping Up Mission Highlighted

Bradley partner John Parker Sweeney was quoted in The Baltimore Sun on his involvement with the Helping Up Mission (HUM), a Baltimore-based nonprofit that assists those experiencing homelessness, poverty and addiction through a residential recovery program.

Sweeney has provided his pro-bono services to HUM since he and his wife first volunteered to serve a Thanksgiving meal, saying that he loved the organization and the mission.

Discussing his role with the residents of HUM, Sweeney said, “I counsel them on a wide range of issues, and then I typically have my colleagues follow up with any of them that need more work — perhaps a review of their criminal record to see if expungements can be done for some of their arrest offenses or a referral to the Maryland Volunteer Legal Services for tax or bankruptcy issues.”

He explained that he sees his role as an opportunity to listen and share his own story, as he works to help residents prioritize their recovery. Sweeney shared that “I like to think that I’m part of the glue that helps keep them at HUM long enough for the program to work. I see a lot of men who fret over things they have no control over, and it will cause them to leave the program because they think they can go back out in the world and make a difference before they have recovered.”

Alongside Sweeney, Bradley attorneys Marc Nardone, Erin Sullivan, and Anna Lashley have all volunteered their time with HUM.

Sullivan said, “The Women’s Center is a remarkable place. Through our work there, my colleagues Anna Lashley, Kimberly Malik and I have been privileged to get to know some of the most impressive women I’ve ever met. These women have overcome so much, and HUM is giving them the support and the tools they need to restart their lives — and to do so in a state-of-the-art setting. They use the time they have recovering at HUM to put themselves in the strongest possible position to contribute to their families, their communities and most importantly their own well-being when they graduate from the program.”

The full article, “Helping Up Mission volunteers can make a difference in many lives,” was published by The Baltimore Sun on November 5, 2023.