IMPACT: Public Benefits for Children and Families

Impact

Community Legal Services has a proven track record of helping low-income families access significant public benefits that help them feed, house and get medical care for their children. Regulations regarding the receipt of public benefits are often so complex and difficult that a lawyer is required to correctly interpret and apply them. While a social worker can help a family fill out an application for benefits, it usually takes an attorney to appeal an incorrectly denied application, or to interpret how to access the appropriate level of benefits. For instance, a family may appear to be over the income level for a benefit, but they may not have used the appropriate deductions that would allow them to qualify for it. Because of CLS’ in-depth knowledge and our ability to advocate with public agencies, CLS often obtains successful outcomes for our clients.

IMPACT: Preventing Homelessness

Impact

“Community Legal Services is the single most important organization to prevent homelessness.” – Sister Mary Scullion, Executive Director, Project HOMEWhen low-income Philadelphians are threatened with homelessness, Community Legal Services (CLS) tackles tough issues to give our clients a safe place to live. CLS works to prevent many of the causes of homelessness, stabilizing neighborhoods and saving money for the City. It can cost up to $60,000 to put up a family in a shelter, but CLS’ work to keep a family in their home is a fraction of that cost.We prevent homelessness by standing up against:

IMPACT: Mr. M

Impact

Mr. M contacted Community Legal Services’ Housing Hotline, frantic that he and his four children would be homeless. Only a month earlier, he paid his first and last month’s rent along with a security deposit to a woman claiming to be the owner of the home he and his family were now living in. As it turned out, she had lost the property at a sheriff sale months prior to this transaction. On top of that, Mr. M was served with an eviction complaint, filed by the actual owner against a different tenant “and all occupants.”  Even though he had no idea who the named defendants were, he stood to be evicted as a result of this complaint against them.

IMPACT: Breaking Down Employment Barriers

Impact

When he was a teenager, Malik, now 25, was mistakenly arrested and erroneously charged in five different cases for a string of robberies. The District Attorney’s office withdrew all of the charges against him once they realized the wrong person had been arrested. Even though Malik was not involved in the incidents in any way, the five cases-each with many serious charges-remained on his record. Malik’s record painted a picture of a career criminal, and he struggled to find work for several years. He was rejected from employment at hotels, airports, and construction jobs. When Malik came to Community Legal Services for help, his attorney was able to quickly file petitions to expunge the withdrawn charges. Within a matter of months, Malik had a clean record and was able to find a steady job at a warehouse.

IMPACT: Rose Candelario

Impact

Rose Candelario and her husband, Raleigh Blythe, were shocked to find their house on a list of foreclosures- particularly since they had been making regular payments to their mortgage. They found out that they had been tricked into taking out a predatory loan, which included a $15,000 balloon payment that the bank did not disclose to them.Rose: “We didn’t know anything about predatory loans. I didn’t even know what a balloon loan was and how it worked. I thought in 15 years, the loan was supposed to be paid in full. We didn’t know there was going to be a balance.”

IMPACT: Getting Paid For His Work

Impact

Nathaneal Rodriquez, a restaurant worker and aspiring musician, always had a passion for food. “I grew up in a household where we were all cooking together,” the 33-year-old says. He honed his cooking skills by working in food services during his time in the Marines. When Nathaneal came back to Philadelphia, he worked diligently at several restaurants in the city, all under the same owner.

IMPACT: Capreece Lackey

Impact

Capreece Lackey finally got her pardon in June 2013 and her record has been expunged to a clean one, giving her a fresh start. She is looking forward to beginning her healthcare career.Below is Capreece’s story, reprinted from our FY2012 Annual Report:Capreece Lackey is striving for a career where she can help people and provide for her family in a meaningful way. Clean and sober for 13 years, Ms. Lackey has a goal of becoming a Certified Nurse’s Assistant someday.

IMPACT: Fighting Youth Homelessness

Impact

Like far too many youth aging out of foster care, Ryan was homeless.He was working hard to find a job when he learned he had a bench warrant for a retail theft citation issued to him when he was just 12 years old. He never received the notice for court because his family was homeless at the time. This bench warrant was standing in the way of Ryan getting a job and an education.