A national nonprofit that provides financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans is awarding more than $3 million to Kentucky Legal Aid to help people impacted by the December tornado outbreak.
The award of $3,004,620 comes from the Legal Services Corporation, an independent nonprofit created by Congress in the 1970s. The group says Kentucky Legal Aid will use the funding to improve staffing and infrastructure to help low-income storm survivors get the legal advice and representation they need for disaster-related issues.
Legal challenges storm survivors may be dealing with could include bankruptcy filings, Federal Emergency Management Agency appeals and legal matters related to housing, domestic violence, fraud or scam cases and more.
“Low-income people who confront civil legal issues in the wake of natural disasters face an uphill battle, and they shouldn’t have to go it alone,” LSC President Ronald S. Flagg said in a statement released Wednesday. “We are grateful that Congress recognizes the need for legal assistance in these recovering communities and provided this funding that will help our neighbors repair and stay in their homes, obtain key identification documents, apply for benefits and so much more.”
LSC says Kentucky Legal Aid will also build a unified Case Management System to allow advocates to serve storm survivors remotely, enabling them to help people where they live and work and where recovery and rebuilding efforts are ongoing. The organization also says a communications coordinator will raise awareness of the civil legal services survivors can access.
Kentucky Legal Aid has a free legal helpline for tornado survivors in the state. The line is available from 9 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday, and messages can be left after hours and on weekends. The number for the helpline is 877-782-4219. Those calling to leave a message are advised