Law co-op student reaches out to those less fortunate

As a legal advocate for the Victoria-based non-profit legal advocacy organization Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS), UVic law student Melanie Hudson was given the opportunity to have a direct impact on the lives of those around her.

Though she was already involved in the community through her volunteer work with a number of organizations, it was her co-operative education work term with Chamber of Commerce member TAPS that made her feel like she was really making a difference.

“The things I was seeing were breaking my heart,” says Hudson, who experienced poverty as a child and has devoted her life to helping others. “At TAPS I didn’t feel like I was just applying a band-aid, I felt like we were finding real solutions.”

Hudson worked primarily on the Income Assistance Advocacy Project, where she provided legal advice to people from all walks of life, including young single parents, the homeless, seniors, immigrants and people with disabilities. It gave her a chance to put her law knowledge into practice in a tangible way, something that TAPS Coordinator Tricia Roche appreciated.

“Melanie is a very compassionate person,” she says. “Working with TAPS gave her the opportunity to blend that strength with what she was learning in law school.”

Many of TAPS’ projects have waiting lists, as they sometimes they find themselves short-staffed and unable to assist everyone who approaches them. With co-op students to help bear the workload, Roche explains, they are able to help significantly more people.

“Hiring a co-op student also allows TAPS to expose young people to poverty law issues and the needs and capacities of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. I know that the people Melanie assisted are in a better situation because of her work,” says Roche. “Plus, co-op students like Melanie return to the classroom with a deeper understanding of the experiences of people in poverty, including their gifts and their struggles.”

Hudson has moved on to another co-operative work term, but she still carries many of her memories from TAPS with her. One case that left a profound impression on her was helping a refugee from Rwanda. “I helped a woman who was quite traumatized because she lived in Rwanda during the genocide. She had post-traumatic stress disorder and agoraphobia,” says Hudson, who went out of her way to help this woman.

“I had to gather all of the information she needed to apply for income assistance. This woman had absolutely no resources and no income. She was so grateful during the whole process and very appreciative of everything I had done. Clients like her remind me of how important this type of work is to the community. People don’t have to face issues on their own—there are people out there who care and who want to help.”