McGuireWoods Consulting’s senior vice president Jeff Barnhart was honored this summer with MWC’s Atkinson-Payne Pro Bono Award in recognition of his work with Healing Transitions, a Raleigh-based nonprofit that provides services to people struggling with addiction.
The substance abuse recovery center primarily focuses on Wake County adults who are homeless, uninsured or otherwise underserved. It offers a long-term recovery program, emergency drop-in shelter, nonmedical detox, family support and more — all at no cost.
“Addiction brings a tremendous amount of pain to families and individuals, many times taking precious lives way too young,” said Barnhart. “The real heroes are the people on the front lines doing the tough work every day in the recovery world. Anything I can do to help with their mission, I want to do.”
A former member of the North Carolina Legislature, Barnhart worked to secure more than $5 million in state funding toward Healing Transitions’ capital campaign for facility expansions, which ultimately raised over $23 million. Shortly thereafter, he secured $200,000 per year in operations funding from the state.
Healing Transitions was designed to support 253 people a day between its men’s and women’s campuses. At the end of last year, it averaged 477 people a day. The capital campaign is funding expansions that will help Healing Transitions serve up to 500 people.
“It’s been an absolute game changer for us to have McGuireWoods Consulting involved,” said Healing Transitions executive director Chris Budnick. “It has opened doors and established relationships with folks that we didn’t have relationships with. It has given us visibility; it has given us credibility.”
As a member of its board of directors, Barnhart will continue advocating and performing pro bono work on behalf of Healing Transitions.
Bestowed annually since 2021, McGuireWoods Consulting’s pro bono award is named after the firm’s founding chairman Frank Atkinson and founding president L.F. Payne.
“McGuireWoods Consulting has been built by team members who have a passion for providing top pro bono services to people most in need,” said firm chairman Mark Bowles and president Gov. Jim Hodges. “Our team works with organizations that have been at the forefront of handling society’s most pressing challenges.”
2024 Atkinson-Payne Pro Bono Award Honorees
Haley Durbin and Kate Zaykowski and Kwame Walker assist Advocates for Community Transitions (ACT) in efforts to garner stakeholder support and block local and state policy that impedes ACT’s work to shut down drug homes in Dallas.
Henry Mohn and Scott Binkley continue their work on behalf of Chicago Scholars to establish connections with Illinois and Chicago political leaders, organize events, provide advocacy support, and help request federal funding.
Billy Boan and Sara Vernon successfully lobbied on behalf of Kershaw Area Resource Exchange, a nonprofit serving residents in a South Carolina four-county region, to fund the purchase of a vacant building to house their clothing closet, food pantry, and merchandise area.
Bess Toole advocates on behalf of Little Hands Virginia to fund plans to make the state’s Low-Income Safety Seat program more accessible to parents in need.
Clayton Cox, Tyler McNeil, and Gabriel Wiedenhoever scored a major victory for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation when President Joe Biden signed the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps Commemorative Coin Act in September 2023.
Ellie Barmish collaborates with McGuireWoods Consulting alumni Amber Hausenfluck to provide legislative advocacy and media relations services for the Texas Advocacy Project, which works to end dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in Texas.
James Sherwood leads McGuireWoods Consulting’s pro bono committee, which includes Mark Bowles, Preston Bryant, Lisette Carbajal, Sara Clements, Clayton Cox, Cydney Davis, Amanda Falkenbury, Mark Hubbard, Jim Sheer, Anne Thomas, and Sarah Vernon.
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