Volunteer Spotlight Published February 17, 2021
Janette Chamberlin and Karen Aloia
Meet VIP’s Volunteers of the Month
For VIP clients seeking title to their homes or guardianship of incapacitated loved ones, obtaining a notary’s seal is a crucial step in the process. Normally, VIP’s in-house notary provides this service for free. But due to office closures and social distancing measures, in-person notarial appointments have become a challenge.
Last summer, Janette Chamberlin and Karen Aloia, two seasoned legal professionals at Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, stepped up to fill this gap in VIP’s services. Janette and Karen are notaries with access to Remote Online Notarization (RON) software, and thanks to their generosity, VIP has electronically sealed the deal for a dozen Philadelphians in need of notarizations.
The pair recently shared their reflections on their unique volunteer work with VIP.
“Thrilled to be a part of it”
Janette, an Assistant Office Administrator/Legal Secretary who has worked at Troutman Pepper for fifteen years, has notarized documents for eleven VIP clients since August. As one of two remote online notaries at the firm, her workload has picked up since the pandemic began, but she has still made time to volunteer: “I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” she says.
“The RON process has become much easier since we started. We’ve mastered the online environment involved, and we communicate with our VIP clients in advance to make sure they have the right equipment and are prepared for the meeting.
“Knowing that I’m helping these VIP clients and making their lives easier is rewarding for me. And the staff at Philadelphia VIP are the kindest people to work with, which makes it even more rewarding. Volunteering with VIP continues to make me feel proud to be a part of the Troutman Pepper Pro Bono team.”
“One of the most rewarding things I’ve done”
Karen, a Paralegal with two decades of tenure at the firm, is the second of two remote online notaries at Troutman Pepper. She stepped up to notarize critical documents for a VIP client seeking guardianship of an incapacitated family member.
A veteran volunteer since the early years of the Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program (MFDP), Karen is happy to be working with VIP once again. “Being able to help VIP with the MFDP was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my career,” she says.
“Similarly, the RON process has allowed us to help move VIP cases forward and remove an added layer of stress from an already-stressful situation for many VIP clients.”