OCT 2018
THE MONTHLY ADVOCATE
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to take center stage, especially around Halloween. We go to haunted houses, corn mazes, and watch all kinds of scary movies to get that adrenaline rush. You don’t always need a horror movie to feel fear, though — sometimes it’s provided by real life. I grew up in Georgia, and I liked it. It’s where I’d spent my whole life, so when it came time for me to go to law school, I decided to get out of my comfort zone. I had the opportunity to go to Akron, Ohio, and I thought, “Let’s do this.” My first semester was brutal. Law school is already really tough, especially the first year. Maybe you’ve heard the saying about the three years of law school — “The first year, they scare you to death, the second year, they work you to death, and the third year, they bore you to death.” I lived through all of these, but the first year was very challenging. Trying to get through it in a completely new environment was rough. Not only did I not know anyone, but Ohio is so cold. My first winter there was the worst they’d had in three years. My sophomore year, I made the choice to return home to Georgia. I transferred to law school in Atlanta, and thank goodness I did, because otherwise I wouldn’t have met Keren. Even though Ohio wasn’t the right fit for me, I learned a lot about myself by getting out of my comfort zone. I also made some friends I still have to this day. It’s natural to be afraid of the unknown — a dark closet, a new home, or speaking in front of people. When you’re in a controlled environment, you’re comfortable, and it can be easy to stay in your routine. But getting out of your comfort zone and learning to use some of that fear to your advantage can open you up to a world of opportunities. In those instances, it can help you grow as a person.
How is your fall? We’re enjoying it and staying busy here! We’ve been gearing up for a big change. This month marks an exciting time for us — we’re opening a new office in Gainesville. The reason is simple: We saw a need within the community we serve. People from Gainesville travel all the way to Atlanta to see attorneys. There should be a better option, so we decided to make one. We’ll bring our bilingual team to provide legal aid to the community around Gainesville. We’re eager to get going and be there for people. Jannyn, one of our rock-star employees, is from the area and will be one of the friendly faces there to assist you. You can read more about Jannyn’s role inside the newsletter. TAKING ON FEAR AND GROWING
Even though I didn’t stay in Ohio, I’m glad I gave it a try and got out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot about myself. Opening up a second office was another scary choice, but we knew it was the right decision for our goal of better serving our community.
How will you get out of your comfort zone this month?
–Jorge
Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are also coming up, and it has me thinking about some of the themes around these holidays. Fear tends
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Happy Halloween, you goblins, ghouls, witches, and spooks! It’s that time of year again when kids and adults alike can dress up and roam the streets as their favorite heroes, frights, or princesses. While kids are eager to show off their outfits and fill their pillowcases with sugary treasures, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential dangers on Halloween night. PRACTICE STREET SAFETY Make sure your kids understand basic road safety. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, “Children are more likely to be struck by a vehicle and killed during Halloween than any other day of the year.” Before heading out for some good old-fashioned trick-or-treating, take the time to go over basic safety tips. Teach kids to look both ways before crossing, use crosswalks and traffic signals, cross streets on the corners, and never run across the street. Making eye contact with drivers before walking in front of their cars is also a good way to make sure the driver knows the child is there. CHOOSE SMART COSTUMES Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without costumes! They should be fun, but you can also make them safer by following a few simple guidelines. Add reflective tape to candy bags and costumes and wear light colors to stand out in the dark. Buying or making the right-sized costumes is also important. If they’re too large, they create a tripping hazard, and if they’re too tight, they can restrict movement. If your child wears a mask, make sure they can see out of it properly. MAKE A PLAN Before heading out to trick or treat, create a plan and discuss it with every member of your family. This ensures that if someone in your group wanders off, they’ll know where to look for you or where to go. In case you’re separated, label your child’s costume with your name, address, and phone number. If your children are old enough to trick or treat without adults, make sure that their cellphones are charged and on them at all times, and schedule regular check-ins. HAVE A FUN AND SAFE HALLOWEEN! EVEN THE MOST FRIGHTENING GHOULS NEED TO BE CAREFUL
JANNYN’S CONNECTIONS TO HER COMMUNITY
Meeting Needs in Gainesville
You might remember Jannyn from her introduction a few newsletters back. Jannyn is from the Gainesville area, and with the addition of our new location there, we knew we’d need rock-star employees to be champions for the community. Jannyn’s connections to the community and the knowledge and skills she brings to the team make her the perfect fit. “I’ve lived in the area and know a lot of people there,” Jannyn says. “The community is growing, and I’m really enjoying watching it grow.” With that growth, she knows firsthand that there’s a need for more localized legal services. “I have friends whose parents want to meet with an attorney, but they may not have access to transportation, and it’s not easy for them to drive 45 minutes to see one. With our firm’s location in Gainesville, they won’t have to worry about going all the way to Lawrenceville to seek legal help,” she says. Jannyn points out the lack of Spanish-speaking attorneys in the area — a missing link given that it’s a primary language for the growing community there. “Our community has a lot of Hispanic people in it, and I’ve never seen any Spanish-speaking lawyers in the area. It will definitely benefit from have a Spanish-speaking law firm in the area and Spanish-speaking attorneys,” says Jannyn. Jannyn points out that when people don’t have access to lawyers who can communicate with them, it makes it easier for them to be taken advantage of. Especially when it comes to immigration issues, a language gap can make it harder for people to know what steps they need to take to protect their status. “They might end up spending money on an attorney who doesn’t do anything for them, get in trouble with the USCIS, or have to pay a fine,” Jannyn explains. With personal experience petitioning for family members, Jannyn can relate to the situation many of our clients find themselves in. She appreciates that Keren and Jorge take the time to share their knowledge through Facebook. “I really like what they do with Facebook Live, this newsletter, and other social media to inform clients of immigration and personal injury issues.”
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BRINGING SERVICES TO AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY OPENING DOORS IN GAINESVILLE
Our firm is growing, and we have you to thank for that. Thank you, first and foremost, for coming to us and for telling your friends and family about our services. It’s an honor to work with you and bring peace of mind to you and your family. This is just the beginning. Our second office opens its doors this month in Gainesville, and we are honored to start serving the community here. Just as it has for Lawrenceville, our rock star team will bring the same knowledge, compassion, and excellent service to Gainesville. Gainesville is a city just north of Lawrenceville, where our original firm is based. It’s a growing community, including many Hispanic families. Despite the majority Spanish-speaking population, there are few attorneys who speak Spanish. People have to travel very far to seek legal help. That made the decision for us. People need access to services and legal aid that’s nearby, and our bilingual team will be able to assist them with personal injury and immigration matters. It was clear to us that people around the Gainesville area need to feel seen and represented. The community needs legal help closer to home, representation from someone they trust, and faster answers to their important questions. Although we provide phone appointments, we understand that it’s not the same as speaking with an attorney in person. You want to feel that there’s someone in your ring. That’s why we are here — to represent you.
To learn more about Immigration & Injury Attorneys, visit our Facebook page. Attorneys Keren and Jorge post live videos there to address your immigration and injury concerns and answer your questions. We are here for you — this is where you matter.
TRIVIAI 2) WHAT NATION WAS BOUNCED FROM THE
1) WHERE DID HALLOWEENORIGINATE?
3) WHAT WAS THE FIRST PLANET TO BE DISCOVERED USING A TELESCOPE?
4) HOWMANY STATES BORDER THE GULF OF MEXICO?
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES IN 1962?
a) b) c) d)
Ireland England
a) b) c) d)
Five
Six
Brazil
a) b) c) d)
Mercury Jupiter Uranus
Three Eight
Mexico
a) b) c) d)
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Saturn
Hawaii
Newfoundland
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678.934.4958 ImmigrationInjuryLaw.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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The Fear Factor
Trick-or-Treating Safety!
Meet Our Team
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A Second Location for I&I
Trivia
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The Surprising Origins of Trick-or-Treating
WHY THERE ARE KIDS ON YOUR PORCH ASKING FOR CANDY
THE HISTORY OF TRICK-OR-TREATING
As Halloween looms and you load up your grocery cart with candy, you may ask yourself, “Why do I provide these spooky gremlins with a sugar high every Oct. 31, anyway?” Well, when your doorbell starts ringing around 6 p.m. this All Hallows’ Eve, you can thank the Celts for this tradition of candy and costumes. Halloween itself is a kind of mishmash of four different cultural festivals of old: two Roman fêtes, which commemorated the dead and the goddess of fruit and trees (not at the same time); the Celtic Samuin or Samhain, a new year’s party thrown at the end of our summer; and the Catholic All Saint’s Day, designed to replace Samuin and divorce it from its pagan origins. Long before there were young’uns on your porch dressed as Thanos with candy-filled pillowcases in hand, the Celts believed that Samuin marked an overlapping of the realms of the living and the dead. To trick the spirits leaking into our world, young men donned flowing white costumes and black masks — a great disguise when ghosts were about. The Catholic Church was never a big fan of these pagan traditions, so they renamed it “All Saints’ Day” and gussied it up in religious garb. By the 11th century, people were dressing up as saints, angels, and the occasional demon
instead of spirits. Eventually, costumed children started tearing through town begging for food and money and singing a song or prayer in return — a practice called “souling.” But when did they start dressing up as Minions? Starting in the 19th century, souling turned to “guising,” which gave way to trick-or-treating in mid-20th- century America, and the costumes diversified. So put on some clown makeup and a big smile, scoop up a handful of sweets, and scare the living daylights out of ‘em — ‘tis the season!
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