AppalReD receives $385,000 for pro bono initiative
Contact
Kathryn Fanlund
Communications and Social Media Manager
(202) 295-1520
WASHINGTON—The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is awarding $385,880 to Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky (AppalReD). The LSC Pro Bono Innovation Fund (PBIF) grant will enable the nonprofit legal services organization to expand efforts to engage volunteers in assisting low-income Kentuckians with their civil legal problems.
AppalReD will use the grant to expand legal assistance for disaster survivors and help communities prepare for future disasters. The organization will create a year-round pro bono framework to help clients with disaster preparedness, immediate response and long-term recovery. Volunteer attorneys, retired attorneys, law students and law firms will provide assistance with FEMA appeals, estate planning, heirs’ property matters and other disaster-related legal needs.
The project will also expand remote and hybrid service options, helping AppalReD reach disaster survivors across its service area. By establishing a standing disaster pro bono program, AppalReD will be better positioned to respond quickly when disasters occur, help communities address legal issues that can affect disaster preparedness and connect more survivors with legal assistance throughout the recovery process.
“Natural disasters have wreaked havoc across eastern and south-central Kentucky, and at AppalReD Legal Aid, we’ve seen firsthand the legal challenges families face in the aftermath,” said Angeleigh Dorsey, Executive Director of AppalReD. “Disasters bring with them the absolute worst circumstances for our communities. But time and again we've also seen them bring out the very best in people. We are so grateful that Congress allocates funds for pro bono programs like ours. Now when disaster strikes we will be prepared to help families rebuild and move forward with a corps of pro bono legal volunteers at the ready.”
With limited capacity and resources, legal services organizations nationwide depend upon volunteers to expand the reach of legal assistance in their local communities. Low-income Americans do not receive any or enough legal help with 92% of their civil legal problems.
“When your home, health or family is in jeopardy, access to legal help should not depend upon your ability to pay for it,” said Ron Flagg, President of LSC. “Pro bono services amplify the impact that legal services organizations are able to have across the country for low-income Americans seeking justice.”
Since the PBIF grant program began in 2014, LSC has awarded 200 grants totaling more than $55 million. Funding for the PBIF program is included in LSC’s congressional appropriation.
More information about the Pro Bono Innovation Fund is available here.