Paying It
Forward with Legal Aid of Manasota
Our clients are remarkable people . Last year , a homeless veteran came to Legal Aid of Manasota in dire need of assistance . John was involved in a probate dispute with his siblings and didn ’ t know who to turn to since he had no ability to pay for legal services .
Through Legal Aid of Manasota ’ s Operation Military Assistance Project , our attorneys immediately jumped in to help John . After working with him and the other parties in the case , Legal Aid of Manasota was able to assist John in getting enough money from the estate to help him get back on his feet and find housing . Since that time , he has been able to maintain stable housing and re-enter the workforce .
A few months after our help , John stopped by the Legal Aid of Manasota office to drop off a Publix gift card . John continues to drop by the office every few months with a small gift card for various stores in town . His only request is that we give it to one of our client families in need . Because we were able to help him , he wants to “ pay it forward .”
Legal Aid of Manasota helps clients like John every day through our small staff and the generous participation of our pro bono volunteers . Our clients include veterans , domestic violence survivors , senior citizens , families facing homelessness , and kids in foster care , to name a few .
Unfortunately , the legal needs of our most vulnerable neighbors far exceed our small staff ’ s capacity to serve . And because these legal services can only be provided by licensed Florida attorneys , we turn to our local bar associations for assistance .
Through your contributions in time and donations , Legal Aid of Manasota ( 1 ) preserves homes and prevents homelessness by handling landlord tenant disputes , foreclosure defense , code violations , home loan modifications , and mobile home issues ; ( 2 ) provides economic and financial stability by representing clients with garnishments , predatory lending , deceptive sales practices , and debt collections ; and ( 3 ) improves safety and security for families by providing assistance to victims of domestic violence and their
children , preparing advance directives and wills for the terminally ill and elderly , and handling divorce matters in order to establish time sharing and obtain child support .
If you are interested in helping our clients obtain financial security , housing stability and personal safety , please reach out to us to volunteer or consider a gift during this year ’ s 24-hour Giving Challenge . The 2022 Giving Challenge is the exciting , local online giving event presented by The Community Foundation of Sarasota and strengthened by The Patterson Foundation . It takes place Tuesday , April 26 at noon until noon on Wednesday , April 27 .
It ’ s not an exaggeration to say that Legal Aid of Manasota changed John ’ s life . But he is also an inspiration to us as he continues his own successful path and then comes back to our office to help others . Local attorneys — all of you — are also a key part of that relief .
We hope you will join us this year during The Giving Challenge . All donations between $ 25- $ 100 will be matched 1:1 , doubling your impact . Look for future reminders about donating during this important 24-hour challenge . We hope that you will pay it forward by supporting Legal Aid of Manasota .
Attorneys interested in learning more may contact me at 941-366-0038 x 107 or
VISIT OUR WEBSITE . �
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