2018-2019-LLS-Annual-Report_FINAL

LAUREL LEGAL e for Justic All SERVICES, INC 2018-2019 Annual Report Dear Friends, Another year has come and gone For over fifty years, Laurel Legal Services has been providing residents in our communities an invaluable resource - a place to go to when there is nowhere else When all hope may seem lost, it is our job to provide sound legal advice as well as be the listening ear and the shoulder to lean on We give our clients the tools and resources in order for them to heal and re-build their lives As we sit back and reflect on this past year, we have a lot to be thankful for We had set a goal in January to reach out to and embrace our communities, to become the backbone for the local community organizations, and to increase awareness about the importance of civil legal aid Not only have we achieved these goals - we have surpassed expectations! We have introduced a new Managing Attorney in Greensburg and two new staff attorneys to our Greensburg and Johnstown offices This has allowed us to take on additional case types and to visit all of our counties more frequently We have re-incorporated ourselves into our neighborhoods through the installation of our Community Partnership Program Doing so has gained the attention of organizations and the local residents in all areas of our six counties who rely on their services With the increase in staff, we have had the opportunity to increase our community outreach through legal clinics and attending community resource events Our advocates act as ambassadors for Laurel Legal Services, demonstrating the importance of legal aid through distributing educational materials and talking with our local residents All of our hard work and efforts are starting to pay off and we have to take the time to thank you for believing in us and our cause These are achievements that all of us can take credit for Your support helps to play a significant role in changing lives and saving lives, allowing us to expand our services As we move towards planning for the future, we will celebrate our achievements and always strive to improve We will continue raising the bar for our organization, giving our time and our talents, to ensure that everyone has equal access to justice in our communities We invite you to join us in reflecting on this past year and we ask that you'll consider donating to Laurel Legal Services during our annual campaign, beginning next month Sincerely, The Board of Directors, Management, and Staff of Laurel Legal Services, Inc Laurel Legal Services, Inc All e for Justic 2018-2019 Snapshot 1-800-253-9558 www.laurellegalservices.org Counties: Armstrong Cambria Clarion Indiana Jefferson Westmoreland "My advocate answered every question I had and explained every step in detail He prepared me in every way possible since this was my first hearing I would highly recommend Laurel Legal Services." 37 Community Outreach Events From giving presentations, to hosting legal clinics and to helping community organizations, Laurel Legal Services believes in contributing wherever we can Estimated 7.8% Increase in Case Numbers Between 2017 and 2019 1600 Event Attendees We Believe in Equal Access to Justice Every year, millions of Americans experience a civil legal problem involving basic necessities of life like housing, health care, safety and income Many such problems can be resolved with legal help; without it, the consequences can be devastating When a family is at risk of foreclosure or eviction, a parent faces losing custody of their child, or a veteran is wrongly denied medical care, those are all civil justice problems No one should be denied justice due to their inability to afford an attorney 147 Pro Bono Cases from Private Bar Attorneys Pro Bono attorneys are important partners to legal aid They help us to meet the legal needs of more residents in our communities 1230 Family Law Cases 435 Housing Law Cases 548 Economic Stability 2264 Lives Changed Legal Aid Protects Families Sister Melanie Di Pietro, Esq., Co-Chair Tremba Kinney Greiner & Kerr LLC Minta Livengood, Co-Chair Indiana County Christina Dubosky, Esq., Treasurer Stewart, McArdle, Sorice, Whalen, Farrell, Finoli, & Cavanaugh, LLC Nancy Gibson, Secretary Cambria County Clarion: Office Locations 231 W Main Street Johnstown: Clarion, PA 16214 227 Franklin Street Suite 410 Greensburg: Johnstown, PA 15901 16 E Otterman Street Greensburg, PA 15601 Board of Directors John Achille, Esq Achille Law, P.C   Ronel Baccus Westmoreland County   Jackie Bosak Jefferson County   Imogene L Cathey, Esq Seton Hill University Advocates Clarion: Johnstown: Eric Hackenberg, Esq David Flowers, Esq Andrew Yetzer, Esq Greensburg: Joseph Baughman, Esq Karen Crow, Esq R Benjamin McGiffin, Esq Mark Pietrusinski, Esq Megan Williams, Paralegal Katelyn Hendrickson Jefferson County Tammy Patterson Westmoreland Community Action Nicole Pardus, Esq Long & Long, LLC   Adam N Quatrini, Esq Quatrini Rafferty, P.C Legal Aid Safeguards Justice Interns & Volunteers 2018-2019 Donors Janice Hendrickson Katelyn Hendrickson Robert L Jennings, Jr., Esq George Kepple, Esq Johanna & Robert Lindsay R Benjamin McGiffin, Esq Vincent Morocco, Esq Tammy Patterson Nicole Pardus, Esq PA IOLTA Board Katie Thomas, Esq Bonya, Gazza, & DeGory, LLP   Christopher Welch, Esq Budash & Welch, LLP   Daniel Wolfe, Esq Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, LLP Management Staff Charles I Himmelreich, Esq Interim Executive Director Lauren E Catalano, Esq Managing Attorney Jessica L Lynch, Esq Director of PAI & Pro Bono Services Teresa Shanta Director of Financial Operations Kimberly Tarbell Director of Development & Marketing Todd Yeager Director of Intake & Compliance Pro Bono Attorneys Gina Bianco Timothy Burns Granville Carter Marshall Chriswell Debra Cribbs Michael G Dailey Kelly Eshelman Amanda N Faher Michael Filia Russel J Heiple Sean Bacon, Penn State University Caitlin Cooke, Penn State University Morgan Green, Clarion University Elyse Eichlin, Clarion, PA Heather Hoch, Clarion University Amanda Ginnis, Clarion University Sarah Johnson, Seton Hill University Liam McNicholas, Seton Hill University Ariel White, Duquesne University Matthew Zullo, University of Pittsburgh Robert Austin, Esq Joseph Baughman Joyce Cummings-Burkinshaw James D Carmella, Esq Suzann L Delaney, Esq Alfred Rees Derwart, Esq Sister Melanie Di Pietro, Esq Christina Dubosky, Esq Dr John Fung Major Funding By: Adam Quatrini, Esq Patricia Quatrini Kenneth Randolph Matthew R, Schimizzi, Esq Cynthia Sheehan Kimberly & William Tarbell Gayle Williams Renee Williams John Wohlin Tara Hutchinson Maureen Kroll Joel Kundin Roger D McGilll George Miller Paul S Miller, Jr Donald R Shroyer Andrew F Skala Kerith Strano Taylor Thank You To all of our supporters, our volunteers, our community partners, and our employees for such a successful year We look forward to 2020! 2018-2019 Laurel Legal Services Cases in a Snapshot Of Closed Cases: 2264 TOTAL Cases Handled Economic Stability Family Housing 77% were female clients Laurel Legal Services Handled 1230 Family Law Cases 45.2% Protection from Abuse cases 43.0% Child Custody/ Visitation Laurel Legal Services Handled 435 Housing Law Cases 62.5% Private Landlord/Tenant issues 12.4% Public Housing Laurel Legal Services Handled 548 Economic Stability Cases 52.7% SSI appeals 6.8% Bankruptcy Cases Other 11.1% Collections/ Reposessions 7.5% Food Stamps and Other Welfare