Just Help: Elkhart County Legal Advocacy Center

Michelle Shelly
Michelle was part of the original working group that helped bring Just Help to life. She is a family physician with a practice located on Lincoln Avenue in Goshen. Her practice focuses on Spanish-speaking and low income clientele and she brings an interest in adapting her experience providing medical care to the underserved to the legal field. Michelle’s husband, Karl, is a pastor at Assembly Mennonite Church and a lawyer by training. She has 3 sons, one at law school at Stanford, one at Manchester College, and one at Goshen High School. Michelle’s hobbies include gardening, cooking and attending her sons’ sports events.

Judith Davis
Judith joined the board in 2011. She retired as Professor Emerita of French and Humanities from Goshen College, where she taught French, English and women's studies. She also was chair of the foreign languages department, worked in college relations, and served as interim director of the Brethren Colleges Abroad program in Strasbourg, France, for two terms. She was a member of the board of the Center for Community Justice for some years and worked on Diversity Day 2011. Deeply concerned about immigration issues, she has developed a profile of pro-and anti-immigration organizations for advocates of immigration reform. She and her husband, Bill Davis, have two grown sons, John and Gerard. Since retirement she has written one book and is working on another.

Martha Foreman
Martha practiced law in Goshen and Elkhart. She wanted to get involved with Just Help because it refers clients to existing organizations, when appropriate. Just Help represents those who do not qualify for representation by other organizations, who pay fees based on a sliding scale, and who might otherwise go without representation. She has served previously on other boards such as Family Services of Elkhart County (now known as iFit), Elkhart Legal Aid, and the Elkhart County Sheriff's Merit Board. Her hobbies are reading, NetFlix, not exercising, and being leaned on by Rockne, an attack Shih Tzu.

John Glick
John supports Just Help because its mission is to provide much-needed legal advice and representation to people in our community who have difficulty accessing these services. John has training in business administration and several decades experience working with information technology. He is employed by Everence Financial in Goshen. John’s spouse Sally is a writer and spiritual director. They have two adult children, one living in Seattle and one in Pittsburgh. For recreation, John enjoys biking, hiking, ultimate frisbee and dance.

Rebecca Hernandez
Born in Joliet, Ill., and a daughter of migrant farm workers, Dr. Hernandez has been working on Latino issues throughout her career. She began as a schoolteacher, then served as a community program director and now conducts research at the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning at Goshen College. Previously, Dr. Hernandez was the director of community building for the Hacienda Community Development Corporation of Portland, Ore. She also held faculty appointments at Oregon State University and at Oregon Health and Sciences University, School of Nursing, where she worked to develop community-based programs to reduce health disparities among Latinos. Dr. Hernandez completed her doctoral work in human development and family studies at Oregon State University. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Portland State University. Dr. Hernandez joined the board in December 2011 and is excited about the opportunity to serve the Elkhart County community through service to Just Help.

Norm Kauffmann
Norm was a part of the original working group that established Just Help: Elkhart County Legal Advocacy Center. He has had experience as a Pastor, Jr. High Teacher/coach, Jr. High Principal, Coordinator of Counseling, Director of Residence Life, Dean of Students, and as a Town Manager. Presently he is retired and doing volunteer work – especially work related to peace and justice. Norm’s wife, Sharon, is a retired 3rd grade teacher who presently does volunteer work for Goshen General Hospital and MCC Great Lakes. Norm and Sharon have two daughters, one finishing an MSW at University of Illinois and working at Head Start and the other teaching Spanish and Colonial Literature at Wayne State in Detroit. Norm and Sharon enjoy biking, hiking, birding, traveling inside and outside the USA.

Steven Olsen
Steven joined the board in 2012. He is an attorney at Yoder Ainlay Ulmer & Buckingham, LLP who practices in civil litigation and commercial transactions. He has a MBA and previously taught marketing and business law courses at Valparaiso University. Steve is also a Five Star coach, a Goshen Academic Partners Advisory Board member, a participant in Real Men Read and Reading Camps, and a member of the Education Committee for the Goshen Chamber of Commerce. Steve’s wife, Becky, works at Interra Credit Union and the two of them are currently expecting their first child. Steve and Becky enjoy cycling, hiking, movies, game nights, and the occasional romantic dinner.

Lora Rusel

Maria Sanchez Schirch
María joined the board in 2012. She is an Instructor of Spanish at Goshen College and also teaches staff and professors Spanish as a second language. She led a 3 month Study Service Term to Nicaragua in 2008 with her husband, Doug Schirch, a Goshen College chemistry professor. She was part of the Diversity Day Committee where she started the 5k Run for Unity. She is a volunteer English teacher at Iglesia Del Buen Pastor, having reopened the program two years ago. María previously worked for three and a half years at LaCasa as an Immigration Counselor where she was certified by the Board of Immigration Appeals. She also helps those who need a translator for different situations. Her family, including children Jessica, Juni, and Joshua enjoy traveling, reading, movies and especially running.

Deanna Risser
Deanna joined the board in 2012 as treasurer. She works at Goshen College, focusing on budgeting and financial analysis, and also led a Study Service Term to Nicaragua in 2012. She has served on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Cass Co (MI), Michiana MEDA, and is currently on the board of Ten Thousand Villages Goshen. Deanna's hobbies include reading, cooking, hiking/walking, watching college sports, and travel.

Rebecca Gascho
Rebecca is the organization's Executive Director. She moved from Western Pennsylvania to Goshen in 1997 where she taught school and raised three children. She moved to Goshen when her husband Dr. Luke Gascho took a position with Goshen College. Rebecca enjoys Goshen’s vibrant downtown, its bike trails, neighborhoods, and diverse community life. She worked for LaCasa Inc. for 12 years and during that time filled the role of V.P. of Operations and Director of Community Services. She has experience in program development, staff management, and grant writing. She has an MA from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She currently serves on the Elkhart County FEMA Board and the Anabaptist Disabilities Network Board. She is passionate about Just Help’s vision and wants to be part of its growth and service to Elkhart County residents.

Megan Meekins
Megan is the organization’s Staff Attorney. Megan graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with honors. While there, she was the Editor in Chief of the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. She holds undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Spanish from the University of South Carolina Honors College. Megan has held internships at the United States Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas, the International Commission on Human Rights, and the Notre Dame Center for Civil and Human Rights. She is fluent in Spanish.

Rose Rivera
Rose is the organization's Immigration Staff Attorney. Rose earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana in 2003. In 2009, she received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (cum laude) as well as a Certificate in International & Comparative Law from DePaul University College of Law. In May 2011 she graduated from Notre Dame (magna cum laude) with a LL.M. in International Human Rights. Rose has worked and volunteered in the area of immigration law since 2003, with organizations such as the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, the Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic, Catholic Charities of South Bend, and Rivera & Gamino, LLC.