In commemoration of
National Military Appreciation Month, Legal Services Alabama and the Department
of Veterans Affairs will begin a partnership on May 24th to offer free civil
legal services to low income Veterans in Central Alabama.
Perry Myer, a 21-year
Army Reserve officer and a Staff Attorney in LSA’s Montgomery Office, will
rotate every Wednesday between the VA Medical Center on Perry Hill Road and the
VA facility in Tuskegee. Myer will begin offering legal advice on May 24 from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the VA facility located at 215 Perry Hill Road.
Myer, who has worked for
LSA for 18 years, said this outreach effort, which has never happened in
Alabama before, ensures veterans they are not alone. While veterans with basic
legal needs like Wills will be serviced through this initiative, Myer pointed
out that its main value is providing legal help for veterans who have fallen on
hard times and are facing foreclosures, evictions, garnishments, or have gotten
entangled with payday lenders or title loan companies.
LSA also recognizes that
the veterans’ population is more diverse today than ever, and the clinic will
provide assistance to veterans who are facing special challenges like becoming
victims of domestic violence or abuse in their own homes.
“It’s important for
veterans to know there are people out here to help them,” Myer said. “A lot of
them feel isolated, that there’s no one to help.
“There’s a good bit of
veterans who have legal issues,” Myer said. “This gives a little bit of insight
as to what LSA is doing for veterans. I’m happy I can be there. I want to help
as many people as I can.”
If you are a veteran in
need of civil legal help, you may visit the VA on Perry Hill Road every second
and fourth Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or the Tuskegee VA location every
first, third and fifth Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Myer pointed out that
LSA will be available to provide either advice or full-scale representation to
veterans, depending on their need. But as Myer noted, what separates LSA from
one day volunteer lawyer clinics, is LSA’s ability to handle long-term extended
cases that may end up in court or require a long time to resolve.
“[For example] there
seems to be a lot of veterans that have housing problems, and in our core cases
we handle,” Myer said. “These are cases we are very good at. I am looking
forward to the 24th.”
The VA Medical Center in
Montgomery is located at 215 Perry Hill Road in Montgomery, Ala., and the
Tuskegee Veterans Administration Medical Center is located at 2400 Hospital
Road in Tuskegee, Ala. Legal Services Alabama has also partnered with the
Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHCS) for this project.
For more information
about the event, call 1-866-456-4995 or visit legalservicesalabama.org.
by Desiree Taylor, Legal Services Alabama