ADVOCACY IN ACTION

FROM CLIENT TO BOARD MEMBER

Sandra Keys came to Legal Services as a Housing Law Program client, seeking help with unacceptable housing conditions and a landlord that refused to accept responsibility.

She is currently an active Legal Services' Board Member, and a valued community advocate. Many thanks to Sandra for sharing her story in the short video below.

EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS

YOUTH PROVIDER RESOURCE FAIR

CONNECTS THE COMMUNITY

On August 14^th staff from Legal Services’ Youth & Family Advocacy Program hosted their first ever Youth Provider Resource Fair.

With 27 different community resource groups staffing information tables, more than 100 participants, including representatives of at least 12 different school districts, met at Deaconess Center for this drop-in resource fair. 

Kim Carlson, Intake & Outreach Coordinator with the Youth & Family Advocacy Program, says, “We recognized that as a service provider it’s not always easy to find community resources for at-risk youth, or to make new connections to those resources, so we wanted to provide a space for youth service providers to meet, learn and make those valuable connections.”

“We specifically timed the event to provide a space for new school district employees to connect with resources before the school year starts,” she added.

Legal Services staff at the event

In response to the success of this first event and feedback received by participants, program staff are already planning another Youth Provider Resource Fair for 2025.

We thank everyone who participated. CLICK HERE To learn more about the Youth & Family Advocacy Program.



SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

NEW RESOURCES FOR TENANTS FACING EVICTION

Missouri Tenant Help, the statewide website to help tenants fight eviction, has recently released a series of five short self-help videos to help tenants understand their legal rights and navigate the courts.

These videos were made possible by funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of a HUD-funded project to provide housing and eviction help to tenants – especially those facing eviction lawsuits.

This new video project was led by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri with the significant assistance of the other Missouri Legal Aid organizations. Legal Services' attorneys developed the scripts and worked with Lemma Legal's subcontractor who created the videos. 

"We are thrilled to begin using 'explainer' videos that we hope will make complicated legal information more accessible and understandable to people," says Terry Lawson, Managing Attorney of Legal Services Consumer Law Program, who coordinated work on these videos.

"If these first few videos receive strong positive feedback, we hope to fund and produce many others to expand our video library and help clients in need," he added.

REGISTER NOW :

Thursday, November 21, 2024

8:00am - 10:00am

Missouri Athletic Club, Downtown

Join us for a special breakfast forum to mark the 

50th Anniversary of the Legal Services Corporation.

This community-centered conversation will discuss the role of the

Legal Services Corporation as they celebrate their 50th year and highlight

the work of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, while amplifying the

continuing and evolving need for legal aid today.

• RONALD FLAGG, President, Legal Services Corporation
• BILL BAY, President, American Bar Association
• HON. GEORGE W. DRAPER, III, Retired Missouri Supreme Court Justice
• KAREN WARREN, Associate Director of Administration & Community Outreach, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

MODERATED BY RACHEL LIPPMANN, ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO

Learn how our legal leaders play a vital role in closing the justice gap.

This program will provide 1.2 hours MCLE credits & 1.2 hours of ethics.

TICKETS:

$100 per person, including breakfast & parking / tables of ten available

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!

CLICK HERE to email us for details.

OTHER NEWS

For The Common Good Awards Luncheon

THANK YOU to everyone who joined us on August 22, 2024 at the Ritz Carlton to celebrate this years ten For The Common Good awardees!

We are grateful for the outstanding support of each of this years honorees, and for the continued dedication of our our volunteers and community supporters who joined us to celebrate the achievements of these outstanding individuals and groups.

CLICK HERE for more information about this event and our awardees.

ABOVE, Left to Right - Our 2024 For The Common Good Awardees:

April Waugh & Emily Elam, representing Citi; Lucy McCalpin; Karen McCarthy; Al W. Johnson; Barbara & Stephen Miller; Courtney A. Green; Danny Wicentowski & Brian Heffernan, representing St. Louis Public Radio; G. Fatimah Muhammad; Gary Burger; Venus A. Jackson.

LEGAL SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY

In July and August, Legal Services staff participated in several community events, celebrated successes and spent time with family & friends at the staff picnic.

In July, Hannibal Office Attorney, Tessa Oilar (Center with Judge Rodney Holmes) attended her Federal Bar Swearing In Ceremony with Hannibal interns and office staff.

Social Worker Christina Brimm braved the heat to represent Legal Services at A Red Circle's Back to School Fair in August.

Marlene Elliott (left), Managing Attorney of the Microenterprise Program featured in a St. Louis American article about the success of her client, Uniti Hicks (right) of Sistas' Pop Gourmet Popcorn.

This years annual staff picnic was held at the St. Louis Zoo and included behind-the-scenes tours.

Interested in Legacy Giving?

Legacy Giving is a great way to protect access to justice for the clients and communities we serve. 

A Legacy Gift to Legal Services of Eastern Missouri will support the vision of equal access to justice for all for future generations.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

701 Market Street, Suite 1100

St. Louis, MO 63101

314.534.4200 / 800.444.0514

www.lsem.org

Serving 21 counties with ACTION. JUSTICE. HOPE.