Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LASBC) provides free civil legal services to low-income and otherwise eligible residents of Broward County. Their mission is to provide high quality free civil legal advice, representation, and education to the disadvantaged of Broward County, to improve the lifestyle and living conditions in low-income communities and encourage self-sufficiency. LASBC protects and defends the legal rights of families, children, veterans, seniors, the homeless, immigrant children and many other underserved populations. Often, they help clients who have nowhere else to turn.
Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) also provides free civil legal services to low-income and otherwise eligible residents of Broward County. Their mission is to improve the lives of low-income persons in their community through advocacy, education, representation, and empowerment. CCLA aids in the following areas of civil law: family law, senior law, economic advocacy, and community health.
Every year LASBC and CCLA offer critical assistance to thousands of individuals who otherwise could not afford to pay an attorney. Here is just one of the real-life human stories that shows how the work of these two organizations is making a difference.
“Chris” is a 64-year-old Marine Corps Veteran. In October 2019, he went to the ER and was diagnosed with cancer. He had to stop working and had no health insurance. He obtained early Social Security retirement, but the amount was not enough for him to pay his bills. He came to CCLA for assistance and was assigned to a Healthcare Access attorney in the Senior Unit and also to the VALOR Project attorney for Social Security Disability assistance.
The Senior Unit attorney immediately helped Chris navigate the maze of healthcare options and chose the best program for his needs. Although he would become eligible for Medicare at age 65, his cancer needed to be treated right away. Chris was mentally and physically unable to deal with the complicated system. The attorney contacted more than six agencies and hospitals to make sure that he was able to receive the scans and chemotherapy he needed. Meanwhile, the VALOR attorney gathered Chris’s medical records and presented them to the Social Security administration.
The attorney maintained contact with them, following up and providing additional information as requested. Chris’s claim was granted at the initial stage of his application, increasing his Social Security monthly amount and enabling him to pay his bills. This is an example of the holistic services LASBC and CCLA provide to their clients.
Recently, Soukup Strategic Solutions assisted Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid with their 20th Annual For the Public Good Gala, which raised thousands of dollars in support of the mission of these two amazing organizations. We are honored to have been a small part of the success of the event.