Wellspring Staff Profile: A conversation with Kim Lovendale
Kim Lovendale. Esq., is client Attorney at Wellspring, providing expert legal aid and advocacy on a variety of issues. This critical service is free of charge to Wellspring clients.
By Kris Broe
Wellspring Board Member and Foundation Trustee
Kim Lovendale is the attorney at Wellspring who provides expert legal aid and advocacy on a variety of issues. This critical service is provided free of charge to Wellspring clients.
It was my pleasure to meet with Kim regarding her background and tenure with Wellspring. Kim has been with Wellspring for 8 years. Initially committing to part-time, while maintaining her own practice. As a result of community need and the success of the program, she has expanded her role to full-time (with one day devoted to the new Weymouth location.)
Kim grew up in Plymouth, MA, attended Regis College and subsequently earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) at Massachusetts School of Law. Kim has always had a passion for helping others, and prior to entering law school, Kim was a Special Education teacher in Ohio participating in a Harvard University study researching pre-school age children with disabilities. Kim returned to her MA roots and joined the May Institute, a nonprofit organization that is a national leader in the field of applied behavior analysis, serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, brain injury and neurobehavioral disorders, and other special needs. The Headquarters are in Randolph. Kim was given the position of Compliance and Quality Improvement Director responsible for multi-state requirements and regulations. This position would further serve to give depth and breadth to her experience and expertise. Kim remains on their Human Rights Committee.
She is on the Board of many non-profits and of note is on the Board of KDC, the Kennedy-Donavon Center, a highly successful organization serving the complex needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities, delivering life-changing outcomes.
Kim truly embodies the Wellspring mission. During the Pandemic, the legal advocacy program was essential to members of the community and Kim did not skip a beat. She made sure that every call was answered, and every client was treated with the upmost dignity, respect, and urgency.
A call to Kim may initially be one issue; however, as she drills down, there are often many more issues that need to be dealt with and she addresses each one, often rallying staff members utilizing Wellspring’s wrap around service model.
For instance, Kim will begin an intake by taking her time to personalize and comprehend each legal situation. This hands on approach allows Wellspring clients to receive specialized legal advocacy and advice. By beginning each intake in this manner, Kim often finds the legal issue to be different, more complex or not what the client originally scheduled the appointment for. This unique approach allows clients more results through tailored advice and advocady.
Kim’s love for what she does and her commitment to helping others is not only obvious, it is contagious. She feels lucky to be able to work with people that have been victimized – giving them hope.
She loves that Wellspring is a living breathing organization of people who truly care. She expressed great appreciation and respect for Vinny and his team – referring to each one as magical; and clearly Kim continues to enthusiastically spread that magic.
Kim lives in Hingham with her three teenage children and two dogs. She also continues to maintain her own practice – focusing on child advocacy in the courtroom.
Kim’s Clients Stories
Legal entanglements affected thousands in our communities. Kim helped many families negotiate with their landlords to remain in their homes as the pandemic raged. John* had been told by his landlord that he had to vacate. He had lost his job, as had so many, and the landlord wanted him out. However, this was not permitted during the pandemic. Kim made sure John and his family stayed put by patiently working with the landlord and educating them on their own responsibilities. During the pandemic years, Kim made sure every call was answered, and every client was treated with the upmost dignity, respect, and urgency.
A call to Kim may lead to other tangential issues. Wellspring provides wrap-around services. Thus when Katrina* and family came to Kim about social security benefits, Kim found that they were also short on funds for fuel and other critical supplies. Kim rallied her Wellspring colleagues to assist. As it turned out, Katrina qualified for immediate cash assistance, something provided by the Edson Fund of Wellspring.
*Names have been changed to protect client privacy.
Kim’s expert legal advice for clients includes:
Eviction and landlord/tenant issues
Unemployment Claims
Parental Rights
Credit and Probate Matters
Social Security and
Social Security Benefits
State and Federal Benefits