NORRISTOWN - Michelle R. Dempsky, LASP Staff Attorney, was honored with the Henry Stuckert Miller Public Service Award from the Montgomery Bar Association April 30. The award was presented at the MBA's annual Law Day celebration, held virtually due to COVID-19.

This is awarded to a lawyer who demonstrates leadership and unusual devotion to community service in addition to service to the legal community.

"We're so fortunate to have Michelle on our team," said Shawn Boehringer, LASP Executive Director. "She has done a great job in leading our efforts to help tenants in Montgomery County during the pandemic. It's awesome recognition by the Montgomery Bar Association for her hard work and dedication to LASP clients."

Montgomery County's Law Day highlighted a Naturalization Ceremony in addition to Law Day Awards and new member swearing-in.

Sponsored by the American Bar Association, Law Day is held on or around May 1 every year to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession.

LASP attorneys also will attend the Defenders' Pottstown Community Resource Fair Saturday, May 8 (see below for details, or visit our website: lasp.org/events/pottstown-resource-fair-5-8-2021.

Please scroll down for more information on rental assistance in all four counties LASP serves, plus Pennsylvania and Norristown.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) moratorium on residential evictions is set to expire on June 30, 2021. APPLY NOW for rent and utility assistance to prevent eviction.

Pennsylvania Emergency Rent [and Utility] Assistance Program (ERAP)

PA's Dept. of Human Services (DHS) website for the Emergency Rent [and Utility] Assistance Program (ERAP) is now open for applications. http://bit.ly/38YznWs. Tenants can apply through COMPASS or their county offices (see the statewide list). Apply online through COMPASS, or use the paper application, available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Cambodian, Russian, and Vietnamese.

Bucks Emergency Rental Assistance (BERA) Program

www.buckscounty.org/renthelp or call 1-888-50-BUCKS. Tenants and landlords are encouraged to apply. LASP is one of the partners in this program. March 17 press release.

Program flyer.

Need rental assistance? Call 211 and select prompt 2.

Tarde con el pago de la renta? Enfrentando un desalojo? Llame al 211.

Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA)

Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance opened March 26, 2021, at delco-era.com.

Montgomery County Emergency Rent and Utility Coalition (ERUC): https://yourwayhome.org/eruc

Call Your Way Home by dialing 211, text your zip code to 898-211, OR contact any of the following six participating nonprofits directly:

Norristown Emergency Rental, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance - Home Improvement Program (ERMUA) https://hip.cgph.net/norristown-cares. Clients can call 484-808-2112, email NorristownCARES@gmail.com, or fill out an application online.

WEST CHESTER - LASP continues its partnership in the Chester County Mobile Home Tax Reassessment Project, with United Way of Chester County, LCH Health and Community Services (formerly La Comunidad Hispana), and local food pantries.

In 2019 and 2020, this project helped 510 people lower their property tax payments by an average of $966 per home owner. Sign up now at United Way of Chester County's website: https://bit.ly/3hJzSaf or by calling 610-429-9400. (Para más información en español, llame a 610-444-7750 opción 8.)

Need more information and/or flyers? See LASP's website: http://bit.ly/2P5lVZH.

With the theme of "Support Victims, Build Trust, Engage Communities," the Office for Victims of Crime recognizes National Crime Victims' Rights Week April 18-24, 2021.

From Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2020, LASP helped 464 people obtain Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders in the four counties. Many of the PFA orders obtained also include orders evicting abusers and/or awards of child custody.

If you are a victim of domestic violence who needs help in a civil legal matter, contact our offices below or visit lasp.org/domestic-violence or lasp.org/services:

Bucks County - 215-340-1818

Chester County - 610-436-4510

Delaware County - 855-879-3100

Montgomery County - 855-980-6924

Crime victims can get additional information and resources at PAVictimsHelp.org.

The Office for Victims of Crime provides a downloadable list of online resources: https://bit.ly/3v5Uy1y.

SNAP (food stamps) benefits increased in April, following a settlement between Community Legal Services (CLS) & USDA

Beginning April 16, SNAP benefits have increased, according to the PA Dept. of Human Services (DHS). The emergency allotments (EAs) are for the month of April, for households that currently receive the maximum monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit. Additional payments will be made in May/June to cover Sept. 11, 2020 through March 2021.

These funds come following a settlement between Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) and the United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) and will be the first part of a $712 million distribution of federally-funded food assistance for approximately 700,000 households that either received less than half their monthly SNAP payment in additional assistance, or have not received extra SNAP assistance since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

More details at the Dept. of Human Services website: https://bit.ly/3gGpVLY and from our neighbors at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia: https://bit.ly/3eGDQiT.

Apply online at www.compass.state.pa.us or call 1-866-550-4355.

HARRISBURG - Uninsured Pennsylvanians or those affected by COVID-19 can visit pennie.com and enroll in a plan through

Aug. 15: https://bit.ly/3uesKIm.

Virtual CLE for attorneys: Anatomy of a PFA Case - Bucks County Bar Assoc. - May 17

Presenters: Hon. James M. McMaster, Hon. Charissa J. Liller, Hon. Jordan B. Yeager, LASP Staff Attorney Barbara Kaner, Esq., Amir Stark, Esq., and Shari Williams, Esq.

Description: Overview of a PFA case – Plaintiff & Defense – how-to & Judges’ perspective

Questions? Contact Emily Norman at EmilyN@bucksbar.org.

DOYLESTOWN - Protection from Abuse (PFA) hearings take place Wednesdays at the Bucks County Justice Center at 100 N. Main St., Doylestown 18901.

To volunteer with LASP's Bucks County Division, please contact Randi Riefner, Paralegal and Bucks County Assistant Pro Bono Coordinator, at rriefner@lasp.org or 215-770-4067.

Note: In January, Bucks County Protection from Abuse (PFA) court implemented multiple new protocols, designed to keep everyone as safe as possible and limit those who need to appear.

Each judge may have specific procedures in their courtrooms; their staff should be consulted to confirm if parties may be excused.

Attorneys, paralegals, law students, and other legal professionals are needed to help with workshops from February through July. Attorneys are needed for hearings beginning mid to late summer. To learn more or to volunteer, please contact Brian Doyle, Staff Attorney and Chester County Pro Bono Coordinator, at 484-416-4259 x5210 or bdoyle@lasp.org.

The project is now accepting Chester County clients. See story above or the article on our website.

Eviction filings are on the rise in Delaware County! Even though the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) eviction moratorium is extended through June 30, 2021, LASP’s Regional Housing Unit needs help from pro bono volunteers to represent clients in eviction court. Many clients are currently arriving at court WITHOUT the CDC Declaration. Evictions lead to homelessness and negative heath outcomes, family disruption and more. The need for pro bono assistance is expected to be even greater when the moratorium expires.

To learn more or to volunteer, please contact Thomas Kerstan, Staff Attorney and Delaware County Pro Bono Coordinator, at tkerstan@lasp.org or 484-206-7808.

The Delaware County Bar Association hosted an April 14 CLE, "Landlord-tenant Law During a Pandemic," with welcoming remarks by William L. Baldwin, DCBA Executive Director and President of the LASP Board of Directors; and Donna M. Cantor, LASP Board of Directors. Presenters were Magisterial District Judge Deborah Krull, Magisterial District Judge Michael A. Burns, Lee A. Stivale, Thomas Kerstan (shown above at the CLE), and Jeremy Newberg, CEO at Capital Access, Inc., which is administering Delaware County's rent and utility assistance program.

The Eviction Prevention & Intervention Coalition (EPIC) has expanded to seven courtrooms across Montgomery County, including two courtrooms in Norristown, two in Pottstown, one in East Norriton, one in Jenkintown, and one in Lansdale. Staff Attorney Michelle Dempsky is LASP's lead attorney for EPIC, and CARES Attorney Fellow Anthony Richardson also is working on EPIC. Pro bono attorneys are needed to represent renters at eviction hearings in all seven of these courts.

To learn more about volunteering for the EPIC program, please contact Michael E. Kelley, LASP Norristown Managing Attorney, at 484-322-6468 or mekelley@lasp.org.

Sidebar Magazine article on EPIC and the Emergency Rent and Utility Coalition (ERUC): please see the Spring 2021 edition published by the Montgomery Bar Association: https://bit.ly/3dYbAry.

OUTDOOR Pottstown Community Resource Fair May 8

POTTSTOWN - The Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender is organizing the free OUTDOOR Pottstown Community Resource Fair. Dozens of community organizations will attend, including the Pottstown NAACP, LASP, Pottstown Area Rapid Transit, and CDM Law.

Did you know? Pennsylvania has an expedited pardon process for marijuana convictions. Learn more from our Community Engagement Unit attorneys at LASP’s table. This is just one of many legal areas where LASP may be able to help you!

Delaware County residents: Benefits of the American Rescue Plan virtual panel May 11

Learn about the benefits available to Delaware County residents through the American Rescue Plan. You will hear from local programs that are here to assist people in need during COVID-19. This free, virtual event will be Tuesday, May 11 at 1 p.m. Christina Drzal, Supervising Attorney for LASP's Regional Housing Unit, will be among the speakers. Join us on Zoom! Register here.

Host: Foundation for Delaware County

Panelist organizations include:

Community Engagement Unit attorneys and spring interns met via Teams earlier in the spring semester. Clockwise from top left: Erica Briant, Community Engagement Unit Supervising Attorney; Megan Reinprecht, CEU Staff Attorney; Kristen Nichols; Dawanya Shuler; Lily Austen, Independence Fellow; Manilyn Villafuerte; and Ana Hernandez.

NORRISTOWN - A West Chester University student pursuing her Bachelor of Social Work, Kimberly Clark has held a social work internship with Staff Attorney Michelle Dempsky during spring semester. "I have been contacting clients about the ERUC (Emergency Rent and Utility Coalition) program, as well as assisting them with the application if needed," Kimberly said. "I have also been reaching out to provide additional resources and access to things such as food, clothing, housing, mental health/crisis services, and anything else they may need during this tough time." She holds an Associate degree in liberal arts from Montgomery County Community College and FEMA certifications in "Decision Making and Problem Solving" and "Basic Workplace Security Awareness." As a volunteer for KenCrest Services, Kimberly has created daily project ideas, conducted activity research, assembled activity kits, and put together happiness deliveries.

NORRISTOWN - Ana Hernandez is a paralegal intern in the Community Engagement Unit. She also has interned at Al Otro Lado in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and worked as immigration legal assistant for Justin Mixon in Jenkintown, as Department Manager for the Cuba Ministry of Tourism, a Scientific Researcher for the Food Industry Research Institute in Cuba, and in other roles in the tourism industry. She earned her paralegal certificate this month from Delaware County Community College, where she won an academic achievement award. She holds a Master of Science in chemistry from the University of Havana and a Master of Arts from Universidad de Ciencias Pedagogicas, in teaching English or French as a second language.

NORRISOWN - Kristen Nichols, Community Engagement Unit intern, helped draft a letter to Bucks County Courts requesting automatic waiver of the filing fee when LASP files an expungement or limited access petition in Bucks County. The request was granted April 21 in a standing order from President Judge Wallace H. Bateman, Jr. A student at Temple University School of Law, she is Vice President of the Temple Environmental Law Society, secretary of the Temple International Law Society, and student editor of the Temple 10-Q Business Law Magazine. She holds a B.A. in environmental studies and minor in economics from the University of Pittsburgh, where her senior research used GIS software to spatially analyze air pollution levels in neighborhoods of differing socioeconomic status.

WEST CHESTER - Tyler Shields is a current student at West Chester University in the social work undergraduate program. As a social work intern in LASP's Chester County office, he has provided services to SSI and unemployment compensation clients and those who needed representation in Family Court. He has experience with managing social media accounts for others affected by trauma. Tyler is a member of the West Chester Men's Rugby Club. At St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware, he was on the wrestling, football and lacrosse teams. A native of Wilmington, he also is an assistant at Shields Electric, Inc., delivering supplies to the certified electricians in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey.

NORRISTOWN - An intern in the Community Engagement Unit this semester, Dawanya Shuler attended Community College of Philadelphia, where she studied behavioral sciences. She has served as a peer mentor for PRO-ACT and a teaching assistant for Kids on 12th in Philadelphia. She holds certifications as a PRO-ACT Ambassador for Recovery and from the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work in Mandated and Permissive Reporting in Philadelphia.

NORRISOWN - Manilyn Villafuerte, intern in the Community Engagement Unit, is completing her certification in paralegal studies at Delaware County Community College and will graduate in May. She holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Argosy University in Chicago and a TEFL-TESOL Certificate from Teflen Training College. She was reservations and accounts payable/receivable manager at Premier World Discovery, following several years as reservations coordinator. She also worked as front desk agent for Renaissance Chicago-Downtown Hotel and other hotels in Greater Chicago.

The Annual Campaign is under way!

To support legal aid in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties during COVID-19 and into the future, please donate at https://bit.ly/LegalAidHelps.

If you received e-news as a forwarded email, or if you found it on social media, please subscribe at lasp.org/enews or email Marion Hoffman Fraley, Communications Director, at mfraley@lasp.org.

Past issues are at lasp.org/enews.