LSHV receives grant from the New York Bar Foundation

WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services to those that cannot afford it in the seven counties of the lower and mid-Hudson Valley, received a $6,000 grant from the New York Bar Foundation, in support of our Homelessness Prevention and Income Stabilization services in Dutchess County.

A long-time supporter of LSHV, the New York Bar Foundation makes grants to financially support law-related programs of legal services organizations, nonprofits, bar associations and other organizations throughout New York State. Foundation grants assist in:

• Increasing public understanding of the law
• Improving the justice system and the law
• Facilitating the delivery of legal services
• Enhancing professional competence and ethics

“The New York Bar Foundation this year allocated nearly $700,000 in grants to 105 programs across New York, and we have nearly doubled the total dollar amount of grants over the past five years,” said Bar Foundation President John H. Gross. “Foundation leadership has worked hard to increase available funds so that we can continue to assist those in need of legal services across New York State and we are pleased that we are able to offer more assistance.”

The need for civil legal services in Dutchess County is clear. 1 in 10 children in Dutchess live in poverty. According to Mid-Hudson Valley Community Profiles (http://www.mhvcommunityprofiles.org/dutchess-county/housing), since 2000: “housing has become less affordable for both homeowners and renters. Between 2005 and 2015, the rate of homelessness increased in Dutchess.”

In 2017 LSHV attorneys handled 2,429 cases for residents of Dutchess County, which impacted approximately 5,500 household members. 38% of those cases involved housing matters and 20% concerned income and benefits.

LSHV’s CEO, Barbara Finkelstein, said “We are truly honored that the New York Bar Foundation has continued its critical support of our programs in Dutchess County. Thanks to this generous grant, we will be able to provide services to hundreds of children and families.”

Founded in 1967, LSHV is the only provider in the Hudson Valley of free, comprehensive, legal services in civil matters (noncriminal) for individuals and families who cannot afford an attorney when their basic human needs are at stake. This includes urgent legal needs such as: domestic violence (orders of protection, child custody, etc.), housing emergencies (eviction and foreclosure prevention), healthcare, children's law and advocacy, disability and benefits, elder law, consumer fraud and more. In pursuit of this mission, LSHV maintains a staff of 136 individuals, including 82 attorneys and 27 paralegals working across eight offices throughout our service area.

For more information about Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, to volunteer, or contribute, please visit www.lshv.org, or contact Tom Gabriel, Chief Development Officer, at 914-949-1305 ext 160.

Pictured (L-R): Ellis Mirsky, New York Bar Foundation Board of Directors; Barbara Finkelstein, LSHV’s CEO; Tom Gabriel, LSHV’s Chief Development Officer