LASP Secures SNAP Benefits in
Delaware County
Ms. K* lives in Delaware County and speaks English as a second language. Recently she received a notice in the mail with numbers that she clearly understood:
her SNAP benefits for her family of three were being substantially
reduced
. Her earnings hadn't changed in the past year, so why was this happening? All she could think about was how she would she feed her family.
She came to Legal Aid for help. She met with her LASP attorney, and with
the assistance of a Language Line interpreter (a telephone interpreting service used by LASP that is available for over 150 languages), they discussed her story, reviewed her documents and planned a strategy for pursuing an appeal and a hearing. But in the end a hearing wasn't necessary - Ms. K's LASP attorney was able to clearly lay out the facts to the County Assistance Office and show that Ms K's benefits had been erroneously calculated . The CAO agreed and recalculated her eligibility, granting her $301 in monthly benefits, a 62% increase over what they had originally calculated.
Without the help of Legal Aid, and when English is not your first language, navigating the maze of public benefits programs can be intimidating and overwhelming. Help us help more people like Ms. K by donating now to LASP.
^Name has been changed but the story is real.
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Highlights from the Counties
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Bucks County
David Bennethum, Esq., Managing Attorney for LASP's Bristol, Bucks County office, met with about 40 members of the Bucks County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) to review LASP's services, particularly in the areas of housing and PFAs, and explain how our advocates can offer assistance. CIT is a first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention with community, behavioral healthcare, and advocacy partnerships
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Chester County
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Christine Zaccarelli, Esq.(standing, second from left) participated in the "Legal Issues for Single Mothers" panel at the Chester County Single Mothers Conference.
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LASP was excited to be a part of the Chester County Single Mothers Conference held on April 9. LASP's Pro Bono Director Christine Zaccarelli, Esq. (standing, second from left) participated in the "Legal Issues for Single Mothers" panel. Other panel discussions and clinics focused on parenting, relationships and finances. The event was organized by the Chester County Community Collaborative.
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Delaware County
Phillip Rosenthal, Esq. was a featured speaker at
"Empower the Advocate," a legal training event for social workers and nurses sponsored by Crozer-Keystone Healthy Start's Medical-Legal Partnership in Chester. Mr. Rosenthal provided a primer on public benefits for more than 80 attendees.
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Montgomery County
Ed Danelski, Staff Attorney at LASP, will speak to families who are part of the
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, PA program in Norristown on April 21. Mr. Danelski will provide an overview of the types of cases LASP handles, client eligibility requirements and how to apply for services.
Erica Briant, Esq. Equal Justice Works/AmeriCorps Fellow at LASP, will present an Expungement of Criminal Records CLE at the Montgomery County Paralegal Association General Meeting on Thursday, April 28 at the Whitpain Township Building in Blue Bell. Registration is free for MCPA members. Register by emailing Jennifer Kuemmerle at jujukc72@hotmail.com.
Ms. Briant helps LASP's clients apply for and receive expungements, helping them move back into the workforce.
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Give Local Greater Philly
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Save the Date! May 3 is #iGiveLocal Day!
LASP is excited to participate for the first time in Give Local Greater Philly on Tuesday, May 3, as part of the nationwide Give Local America national day of local giving.
Give Local Greater Philly is a 24-hour crowdfunding on-line event encouraging people to support important local organizations like LASP.
You can support access to justice for low income Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery County residents by donating to LASP on May 3!
Here's how you can help:
2. Please make a donation to support us on
Tuesday, May 3.
3. Help us spread the word! Share this
giving link with your colleagues, family and friends. Follow us on
Facebook and
Twitter, and follow the hashtag #iGiveLocal.
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