Philanthropy funds freedom from abuse.

"Mary," an elderly Haitian woman, shyly lifted her loose-fitting dress to reveal scores of scars on her legs. The scars--a result of repeated whippings with electrical cords--ranged from pink to brown, with all shades in between. Mary's husband, a Haitian native and U.S. citizen, had flogged her mercilessly throughout the course of their decades-long marriage.

Mary had filed an I-360 VAWA application, a self-petition to obtain lawful permanent residency. In order to meet the requirements of the VAWA application, Mary had to show proof of abuse from her spouse.

Until Mary met attorney Sabrina Salomon, however, the scars had remained a closely guarded secret. Despite the fact that domestic violence is a crime, Salomon said, "Within the Haitian community, it is a custom brought over from that country."

With patience and understanding, Salomon was able to obtain the necessary proof to help Mary become a lawful permanent resident.

Salomon is an Equal Justice Works Fellow with the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center in Miami. Salomon, who graduated in 2003 from the University of Miami, was awarded the EJW fellowship to represent low-income Haitian immigrant women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Salomon named her project Nou Kab--Creole for "we can."

"I chose the name," Salomon said, "because the goal is to empower survivors of domestic violence to take charge of their future and that of their community."

The EJW fellowship is sponsored in part by The Florida Bar Foundation, and Equal Justice Works, a national program for public interest law. Salomon's project was made possible through a matching donation from Mellon United National Bank in Miami.

"Law firms, corporations and banking industry leaders that provide matching funds for these fellowships are supporting highly motivated and gifted young lawyers who undertake specific projects and provide critical legal assistance to the most vulnerable and needy among us," said Miami's John Thornton, chair of the Foundation's Legal Assistance for the Poor and Law Student Grant Committee.

Under the direction of Dwight Hill, the bank's executive vice president, Mellon donated $26,000 to the Foundation for Salomon's fellowship. Recently, Hill and Salomon met for the first time, and Salomon shared stories of how Mellon's donation had helped the Miami community.

"It was encouraging to know that the money we gave to the cause has had such a good impact," Hill said.

If it had not been for...