As our 50th anniversary year and 2018 come to an end, we wanted to thank all of our supporters for joining our ongoing fight for fairness. Your support helped protect domestic violence victims from future abuse, preserved the homes of seniors and low-income families, safeguarded the legal rights of people living with disabilities, and so much more. None of this would’ve been possible if it weren’t for the generous donations from passionate people like you.
Looking toward the next 50 more years, we will continue to protect the livelihoods of thousands more vulnerable people across southeast Louisiana to ensure that everyone has access to equal justice. We hope you will help support our efforts today to join us in our mission of helping people clear life’s legal hurdles. While our capacity to serve is great, the need for these services is even greater. To invest in justice, you can donate online or mail your investment in civil legal aid to: Southeast Louisiana Legal Services; PO Drawer 2867; Hammond, LA 70404. Thank you!
– Laura Tuggle, SLLS Executive Director
Restoring Hope for a Client in Critical Condition
On a cold and stormy night, Mr. Turner sat alone in the dark on a rusty, old wheelchair questioning what he could do to improve his life. His deteriorating home was owned by his family and lacked electricity, running water, and proper insulation to keep him warm at night. Aside from allowing him to live there, his family wanted nothing to do with him. He felt hopeless.
Without a high school diploma, Mr. Turner struggled to make a living for himself. He worked countless hours in a series of manual labor jobs – cutting grass, digging ditches and working in restaurants. He rarely earned more than minimum wage. While he barely managed to make ends meet, Mr. Turner hoped for a better future. To find out how SLLS helped him regain control over his life, click here now.
Expanding Efforts to End Homelessness at the New Orleans Low-Barrier Shelter
Many who are chronically homeless cannot access traditional shelters because they can’t afford the nightly shelter fees, their work schedules prevent them from lining up during check-in times, or because they’ve had experiences that make them feel more safe and welcome on the streets than in some shelters. However, the new “low-barrier shelter” in downtown New Orleans, which does not have these barriers to entry, helps the most vulnerable have a safe place to lay their heads at night. This month, SLLS began offering weekly on-site legal clinics at the shelter to remove legal barriers to escaping life on the streets. We help the residents expunge criminal records, obtain ID documents, clear credit reports, and access healthcare, food stamps, and social security benefits. Thanks to funding for a staff attorney from the Edward Wisner Donation grant and our partnership with Start Corp., each day brings us one step closer to ending homelessness in the city of New Orleans.
Invest In Justice
Your support of SLLS changes lives. Each year, generous supporters like you provide life-changing civil legal help that:
ensures the safety and stability of
domestic violence victims and their children,
safeguards elderly people from consumer scams,
protects the rights of hard-working families against slumlords,
helps veterans and people with disabilities escape homelessness, access healthcare, and obtain safe, permanent housing,
and much more!
It is not to late to give to this year’s Annual Fund Campaign. And this year, your donation goes even further to advance justice for low-income people. Every donation given to SLLS before December 31, 2018 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to increasing access to justice. We hope you will join our community of supporters and donate to SLLS today.
Access to Justice (ATJ) Distinguished Pro Bono Fellows
Terrel Broussard
Established in 1977, the distinguished fellowship program provides direct support to legal services providers in Louisiana that are involved with the Bar’s Access to Justice Committee. The Committee facilitates the work of all legal services providers, encouraging statewide collaboration and interaction through the programs it sponsors and the projects it implements.
We’re excited to collaborate with Terrel Broussard and expand our efforts in the fight for fairness.
As an ATJ Fellow, Terrel will help SLLS extend its outreach to thousands of senior citizens hoping for justice. To achieve that, he will help SLLS develop relationships with different church related entities that provides pro bono legal workshops for the indigent.
Prior to joining SLLS, Terrel served as a judge pro tempore on the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal. He was also an attorney and mediator at Broussard Dispute Solutions.
Terrel is a highly regarded individual in the legal community, winning numerous awards in his legal career. He’s served on the Board of Regents of Our Lady of Holy Cross College and on the Board of Directors for both Catholic Charities in New Orleans and the New Orleans Business Development District. We’re thrilled to have him on board, defending the rights of every day people struggling to make ends meet.
American College of Bankruptcy Foundation Project
This spring, SLLS will collaborate with the United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s J. Wayne Leonard Prosperity Center on an innovative initiative to benefit everyday people struggling to make ends meet. Thanks to a grant from the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation, the project will expand holistic services to vulnerable people striving for financial freedom. SLLS will also team up with pro bono volunteers to help address consumer bankruptcy and consumer debt issues through legal clinic and community legal education workshops at the Center. The project will provide:
Refining consumer debt legal screening tools
Educational information on consumer debt issues
Training workshops on identifying consumer legal needs and creating a referral process for Prosperity Center and STRIVE case managers
Four “Know Your Rights” workshops during group orientation
Regular onsite Legal Clinics
Justice demands innovation. With these efforts, we’ll ensure that the most vulnerable populations in southeast Louisiana get the help they need for a more successful future. If you are interested in volunteering, email us at volunteer@slls.org.
Ready to take the fight for fairness to the next level?
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