Posted February 15, 20242:00 pm
We provided this update on local events, community updates, and other newsworthy items to our community partners and public officials.
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Hello from Legal Aid! Legal Aid is available in person, by phone and online to meet our clients’ needs. Apply by phone at 1-888-817-3777 or online at lasclev.org. Please reach out with any questions or requests.
Please share the following information about benefits and resources with your colleagues, clients, and communities!
Are you worried about scams, or have you been a victim of a scam? Check out this list of scams to watch for from Ohio Legal Help: Legally Informed: Scams to Watch Out for in 2024. In addition, Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs’ Scam Squad task force seeks to educate residents on scams and how to address them. For more information, visit their website.
Phe’Be Foundation offers resources for financial and digital education! For information on their programs, classes, pop-up events, and more, please visit their website. Opportunities including volunteering and coaching are attached to each event. Class registration can be found here.
Are you a small business owner wanting to grow your business? Goldman Sachs and Cuyahoga Community College have partnered to create 10,000 Small Businesses. The project seeks to invest in the growth of small businesses and their owners. For more information and the application, please visit their website.
Attention Nonprofit Leaders: Free IRS workshop. The IRS is offering a series of free workshops to assist Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations and those who would like to apply for federal tax-exempt status. The trainings can be found at stayexempt.irs.gov. These workshops provide interactive lessons for existing tax-exempt organizations and those seeking tax-exempt status. Please visit the link for the workshop details.
Looking for Food Assistance Resources? FreshTrak serves Lorain, Erie, Huron & Crawford counties offering food assistance to individuals as well as Foodbanks looking to replenish resources. For additional information and help finding the nearest food resource center, visit their website.
Resources for Emergency Financial, Housing, and Food Assistance! Through FindHelp, residents have access to various emergency resources spanning a wide range of needs including food, cash, and housing assistance. Please visit FindHelp’s website to locate specific programs in your county.
Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program (HEAP). The Ohio Department of Development is running the Winter Crisis Program to assist eligible Ohioans with utility, fuel, and/or electric bill payments. The program will be available until March 31, 2024. For general information about the program and eligibility, please visit the Ohio Department of Development’s website. For application information and how to find your county’s provider, please visit this website.
Utility Assistance in Cuyahoga County. To better serve clients with utility assistance applications, program eligibility information, and any other questions, CHN Housing Partners and Step Forward are now using a call center staffed by United Way of Greater Cleveland to answer client calls. They can be reached at 216-350-8008 during the hours of 8am-5pm.
In celebration of Black History Month
Racial Equity Institute (REI) 2024 Phase 1 Session Schedule out now! REI’s two-day, virtual, Phase 1 training is designed to develop the capacity of participants to better understand racism in its institutional and structural forms. Topics cover a wide array of Racial Equity themes and analyses. For the full schedule and registration information, please visit REI’s website. REI has also released a report discussing the ways structural racism shows up in community development which can be accessed here.
Food for Thought. Check out this discussion of the question: Does colorblindness perpetuate racism?” hosted by TED and nonpartisan media group Open to Debate. Moderator John Donvan leads a discussion between writer and podcast host Coleman Hughes and New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie, with additional contributions from Candis Watts Smith, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Monnica Williams, and Robert A. George.
Check out these updates from Legal Aid!
Did you know... Legal Aid represents groups and small businesses? If you are part of a community group, tenant group, neighborhood association or are working with like-minded people on a project and need assistance with legal questions or transactions, Legal Aid might be able to help. Contact Legal Aid for group representation. If you are an entrepreneur and own your own business, learn more about help available from Legal Aid at Legal Center for Entrepreneurs with Low-Income.
Resources, Frequently Asked Questions, and Self-Help materials. Please visit our Legal Resources page for more information and to access our full list of online and print materials.
Legal Aid in the Community: Training, Know Your Rights & Resource Fairs
Legal Aid provides training to providers and Know Your Rights presentations to community groups on a variety of topics. Please direct requests to outreach@lasclev.org and give as much information and notice as possible. Also, if your organization is hosting a resource fair to share information with people who have low income, please consider inviting Legal Aid to attend. Send an email to outreach@lasclev.org with all the details (date, time, location, audience) providing as much advance notice as possible. If we are not available in person, we can always provide materials.
Free Presentation about Estate Planning – March 8 at 10:00am
Legal Aid is partnering with Union Miles Development Corporation to present a free Know Your Rights presentation on March 8 at 10:00am at the Mt. Pleasant Branch of the Cleveland Public Library. This session will provide an overview of estate planning and advanced directives, such as a living will and durable power of attorney for health care. Details are available on Legal Aid’s events calendar.
Our 2024 calendar of free legal clinics is now available! Please visit the events page on our website anytime to view the current clinic schedule. And, you can grab a printable version of our Winter 2024 clinics at this link: lasclev.org/2024WinterClinicFlyer
Upcoming Brief Advice Clinics:
- Tuesday, February 20th at Ashtabula Public Library, from 2:00-4:00pm – 4335 Park Avenue, Ashtabula. Please call 440.992.2121 for an appointment.
- Saturday, February 24th at Chagrin Falls Park Community Center, intake from 10:00-11:00am – 7060 Woodland Avenue, Chagrin Falls. No appointment needed.
- Tuesday, March 5th at Lake County Free Clinic, from 2:00-4:00pm – 462 Chardon Street, Painesville. Please call 440.352.8686 for an appointment.
- Thursday, March 7th at Lakeland Community College, intake from 4:30-5:30pm – 7700 Clocktower Drive, Building H, Kirtland. No appointment needed.
Thank you for your partnership in striving for justice throughout Northeast Ohio. As always, please reach out with any questions or ideas!