A report from the LSC Rural Justice Task Force highlights Nebraska's Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food benefits to low-income families. Recent changes in the law modify who is eligible to receive SNAP benefits and impose new requirements on some applicants. The new law requires adult SNAP recipients (18-64 years old) to work, volunteer, or participate in employment training at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month.
“Legal Aid of Nebraska and [our attorney] Phil was there for us, standing up for us with the banks when they continued to try and take advantage of us,"
Last October, Nancy started getting letters in the mail from the Small Business Administration (SBA) - which was odd, because she had never applied for a business loan and is not a business owner. She received a letter from the US Treasury about a Small Business Loan she never applied for. One of the letters even threatened to withhold money from her social security checks.
After she was late with rent, Priscilla’s landlord accused her of smoking in the unit and threatened her with eviction. She was ready to go to court to defend herself rather than lose her apartment and be forced to move.
Legal Aid of Nebraska client receives settlement after pregnancy discrimination case at meat packing plant
“It’s hard to think about financial things when you are worried about your child. Parents are pulled in a million different directions,” said Cristy. Legal Aid’s assistance helped to carry some of the weight that was on this family’s shoulders.
“When you’re falling through the cracks, and you feel like nobody else will help you, and you don’t know where to go — Legal Aid was there,” said Angie. “She was the first person that said, ‘I’m going to help you. I’m going to try my best to help you get what you need,” Angie said she couldn’t even begin to describe the enormity of the task her Legal Aid attorney took on. “But she did it. She knocked it out of the park.”
"I knew I deserved better and I know my baby deserved to grow up in a safe place full of love, not anger.”
“She never made me feel less than. She was 100 percent there. She listened. She was patient. There need to be more Caitlins in the world. She didn’t judge my situation. She didn’t make me feel like I owed her anything. She guided me every step.” -Traci, Legal Aid of Nebraska client
COVID-19 hits home: Legal Aid helps Grand Island woman receive unemployment benefits
Legal Aid successfully keeps creditor from garnishing stimulus check of unemployed, pregnant mother
The brutal assault happened in 2017. Her husband used pieces of wood and broken bottles to beat Jennifer over the head, resulting in six staples to close a three-inch laceration. Her husband went to prison for the assault, but was released after 18 months.
