Senator Amedore Secures Funding for LSHV's Veterans Unit

WHITE PLAINS, NY -- New York State Senator George Amedore, Jr. (R-District 46) has secured a $35,000 grant through the New York State Legislature for Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV). LSHV is the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services to those that cannot afford an attorney in the seven counties of the lower and mid-Hudson Valley.

The $35,000 grant secured by Senator Amedore will support LSHV’s Veterans and Military Families Advocacy Project (VMFAP) in Ulster County. Approximately 9,700 veterans live in Ulster County.

The VMFAP provides representation to veterans and their families, including those suffering from trauma, injuries, or facing denial of benefits, eviction, foreclosure or predatory consumer practices. Those who have served their country deserve equal access to justice at home. LSHV honors service members and military families by protecting their rights to the basic necessities of life as guaranteed by law. As of last year, just under 100,000 veterans lived in the Hudson Valley. In 2017, LSHV’s VMFAP attorneys handled 583 cases, impacting more than 1,000 household members. 33% of those cases were related to housing matters, 20% to income maintenance/veterans’ benefits, and 16% to domestic violence and family law.

Speaking of the grant, Senator Amedore said, “Ensuring fairness and justice for our veterans is so important, and I am happy to be able to provide this funding to help continue the great work being done by Legal Services of the Hudson Valley,” said Senator George Amedore. “They provide outstanding services to veterans in Ulster County, and I am proud to support their continued efforts in our community.”

LSHV’s CEO, Barbara Finkelstein, said “We are so grateful to Senator Amedore for securing this grant, which will enable us to serve hundreds of Ulster County veterans who have returned from service and are now facing civil legal issues at home.”

About LSHV: 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 nine 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.

Photo (L-R): Tom Gabriel, LSHV's Chief Development Officer; NYS Senator George Amedore; Lauren Sheeley, Attorney in Charge of LSHV's Kingston Office; Adrienne Thiel, LSHV Staff Attorney.