LSC Awards Disaster Preparedness Grants to Assist Low-Income Americans in the Midwest
June 6, 2019
WASHINGTON – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announced today that five legal aid organizations will receive grants totaling $985,000 to help low-income communities in the Midwest prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters. Building on the successes of Iowa Legal Aid and Legal Aid of Nebraska—LSC’s partners for disaster preparedness pilot programs launched in 2015—the project will continue to enhance preparedness in Iowa and Nebraska while expanding to Arkansas, Montana, and Oklahoma.
When disaster strikes a community, the vulnerabilities of low-income people are amplified, and the need for legal assistance becomes even more critical. Survivors need experts who understand the legal issues involved and who can help them secure temporary housing, file insurance claims, replace important legal documents, negotiate with landlords to make necessary repairs, and more. Legal aid is essential in helping survivors get back on their feet. By establishing partnerships among legal services providers, volunteer attorneys, and disaster response organizations, LSC’s Midwest Legal Disaster Coordination Project helps address the crucial disaster-related legal needs of low-income communities.
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. – $414,000
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma is partnering with Oklahoma Indian Legal Services to expand client outreach and educate local, state, and tribal emergency managers about the disaster-related legal needs of low-income communities. This joint project will steward relationships with human services agencies, the private bar, and the emergency management and disaster response community, and will form relationships with faith communities to reach more people in need of services.
This is the third time LSC has awarded grants to legal services providers in the Midwest. The Midwest Legal Disaster Coordination Project is made possible by funding from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 132 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
