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Answers from 211's Senior Assistance Line
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Dear SAL,
I am 80 years old and happy to say I am in good health. However, I am drowning in debt and not sleeping well anymore. For the past decade, I have had to use credit cards to cover rising expenses and, as a result, I have significant credit card debt. Financially, things have gone from bad to worse. I fear I will lose my home and may have to declare bankruptcy. On the advice of friends I called a few attorneys, but quickly discovered I cannot afford to pay for their services. Are there any resources to help?
-Drowning in Debt
Dear Drowning,
Financial advice and credit counseling from a Member Agency of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®) may be just the life-preserver you need at this time. The NFCC is the nation's largest and longest-serving nonprofit financial counseling organization. NFCC Member Agencies provide financial reviews and education to millions of consumers each year in person, over the phone, or online.
Every NFCC member agency client receives comprehensive money management services based on their individual needs. Clients may receive a variety of free and affordable services including: credit/debt counseling, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, reverse mortgage counseling, student loan debt counseling, debt management plans, credit report reviews, and financial education.
Credit counseling sessions by NFCC certified credit counselors are free and confidential and may take place in person, by telephone, or via the internet. After receiving information about your income, living expenses, and debts, the counselor will create a personalized action plan and budget to help you repay your debts. Though they do not provide legal advice, credit counselors can usually work with creditors to stop collection efforts and minimize legal actions.
For some clients, budgeting alone is not enough to make ends meet. For them, a Debt Management Plan brings additional concessions that can lower monthly debt payments and make it possible to repay debts. A Debt Management Plan allows the client to consolidate monthly credit card debt payments into one convenient payment.
If you are in need of legal assistance, Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) may be able to help you. With its origins going back to the mid-1950s, the mission of LSNC is "to provide quality legal services to empower the poor to identify and defeat the causes and effects of poverty within our community efficiently utilizing all available resources." Under a grant from Area 4 Agency on Aging, LSNC provides free legal assistance and advocacy to seniors ages 60+ who reside in Nevada, Placer, or Sierra County. The office provides consultations in person or by telephone on a wide range of legal issues affecting people age 60 or older. Priority is given to seniors at risk of losing their housing or income, or who are being financially abused. Legal assistance may include advice, counseling, and forms completion in the areas of eviction defense and Advanced Health Care Directives as well as assistance with unfair and deceptive debt collection practices by creditors.
Services depend upon the client's needs, LSNC priorities, and resource availability. Due to a special grant, there are no income requirements for seniors (age 60 and older) who reside in Nevada, Placer, or Sierra County. The Auburn office serves Nevada County as well as neighboring counties of Placer, Sierra, El Dorado, Calaveras and Amador.
You can reach Legal Services of Northern California by phone at 530-823-7560. Their office is located at 190 Reamer St., Auburn CA 95603. For more information, check out the LSNC
website.
I hope these resources will help you get on more solid financial ground. Good luck!
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Ask SAL is a new feature where we answer questions from Nevada County's seniors. If you have a question for SAL, email us at alicej@ns-pa.org.
The Senior Assistance Line is funded by:
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Local Urgent Care Service Expands
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WSMC Fills the Gap for Same-Day Non-Emergency Care
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Western Sierra Medical Clinic (WSMC) has expanded its urgent care service to serve all Nevada County residents in need of same-day care. The service will provide access to health care for non-emergency treatment for minor injuries and illnesses such as cold, flu, back pain, cuts, and sprains.
The urgent care service will offer no-appointment-needed health care for all, regardless of their income level. WSMC will accept most insurance plans, including private, Veterans, Medicare, and Medi-Cal.
For those who don't have a primary care provider or who are not able to get a same-day appointment with their doctor, this expanded service provides a great alternative to a costly (and often frustrating) hospital visit.
Details:
What:
Urgent Care
When:
Every Monday through Saturday, 8 am to 7 pm
Where: Western Sierra Medical Clinic
844 Old Tunnel Road in Grass Valley
For more information, see the WSMC website.
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Resource Spotlight: Community Legal
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Accessible Legal Services for All
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 Our current justice system can be alienating and intimidating for many people. Access to legal information, advice, and representation often feels out of reach to those with the fewest resources. The new non-profit Community Legal seeks to change that. The idea for Community Legal began in 2013, when concerned attorneys and mediators came together to find a way to make legal services attainable for clients with low income. The result was an organization that provides a wide range of legal services to residents of Nevada County to make legal services more accessible and less intimidating.
The Community Legal model focuses on:
- Creating access to justice by locating services conveniently and holding clinics at local nonprofits.
- Listening for clients' needs, not just their legal problems, so they can find solutions that outlast the legal problem.
- Building relationships and capacity by using collaborative legal tools that help build client capacity.
- Empowering clients to know when they can do it themselves and when they can't, and giving them the information they need to help themselves.
Community Legal will provide monthly clinics on specific legal topics, including landlord-tenant law, family law, wills and trusts, MediCal issues, and other areas that are important to Nevada County residents with low income. Clinics will provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions and learn basic information for free or at very low cost.
In addition, limited-scope legal representation and legal mediation will be available for free to those with very low income and at low-cost to others.
Community Legal also plans to partner with local non-profits to hold legal clinics on-site for their consumers. Currently, Community Legal has plans to hold ongoing clinics at
Community Recovery Resources (CoRR), which serves people recovering from substance abuse; FREED Center for Independent Living, which serves seniors and people with disabilities; and Nevada County Works, which serves participants of the CalWORKS program.
Recently, Community Legal began offering limited services at their new office at 214 Church Street in Nevada City. They will celebrate their grand opening on October 1st.
For more information about Community Legal and their services, visit their website or call 530-265-3425.
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Meeting People Where They Are
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Connecting and Learning at Community Events
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You may have seen 211 out in the community a lot lately. From in-services at community organizations to our booth at local farmers' markets, we have had some great opportunities to get out into the world this summer. One of our goals this is year is to get out into the community more, both to increase awareness of 211's services and to connect with people in person and learn more about our community's needs.
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Call Center Manager Alice Johnson and Resource Specialist Kristina McLean presented at the ADRC's Our Community event in July.
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We recently had the opportunity to attend some great events, including United Way's Grills 'N' Grilles car show and barbecue competition and the fabulous Nevada County Fair. We had a great time talking with people, hearing new ideas (thank you to the gentleman at the fair who urged us to do more outreach in Lake of the Pines), and learning about how 211 has impacted your lives. We are so grateful to be a part of this amazing community.
Thank you to United Way of Nevada County, the Nevada County Fairgrounds, and FREED Center for Independent Living for inviting us to participate in recent events.
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By the Numbers: 211 Community Data
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FY 14-15 Fourth Quarter Report
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The FY 14-15 Fourth Quarter Report is now available. As in the
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| Click on the above image to open a PDF of the report. |
past, requests for information on housing and shelter continue to make up a large portion of our calls and web searches.
We want to provide data that is meaningful for you. If you have questions about your specific sector, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 211.
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