As a veterans-focused attorney, it’s been my privilege to be a part of LASCO's ongoing commitment to supporting those who have served our country. Over the past year, we have expanded and strengthened our efforts to provide essential civil legal services to low-income veterans and veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness across our 36-county service area. In 2023, we served nearly 1,000 veterans, and we're on track to exceed that number in 2024.
Thanks to grant funding, we can help ensure veterans receive the full scope of support they deserve. This includes legal representation for housing, family law, and income support. We also provide help with Veterans Affairs benefits claims and discharge upgrades, which are requests to the military to change a veteran’s discharge type to a more favorable one in order to improve access to benefits.
One such client, Rhonda*, faced an especially difficult situation. Rhonda, whose daughter and six grandchildren lived with her, received an eviction notice. Legal Aid negotiated a settlement with her landlord, but it fell through after an issue with her rental assistance application. Rhonda and her family were forced out of their home and moved into a motel. Her attorney Nathan Crowell and LASCO social worker Chris Kelly worked to secure housing voucher extensions and provided ongoing support for 10 months while the family was homeless. She credits Legal Aid with helping her find a new home. "Everyone else was giving us the run-around. [Nathan] hung in there. If it wasn't for him, I don't know what would have happened."
I’ve been pleased to connect with partners like Supportive Services for Veteran Families grantees and county level Veterans Service Commissions and volunteers at our pro bono legal clinics in Columbus, Chillicothe, and Newark.
As we build on this momentum, we remain steadfast in our commitment to serving veterans. Through innovative partnerships, robust outreach, and comprehensive legal services, we are honored to support those who have bravely served our nation. To all our veteran clients and partners, thank you for your service and trust in our mission.
If you would like to learn more about how you can contribute to our veterans pro bono program, please contact our pro bono team at probono@lasco.org.
*Name changed to protect client privacy.
