Rural North Carolina Receives $300K From SECU Foundation For Legal Aid
A $300,000 grant from SECU Foundation will boost Legal Aid of North Carolina’s push to bring vital services to underserved parts of the state.
Lawyers shake hands with clients who come to testify in the case of embezzlement from business partners who jointly invest in the business. The concept of hiring a lawyer for legal proceedings.
Getty ImagesA $300,000 grant from SECU Foundation will boost Legal Aid of North Carolina's push to bring vital services to underserved parts of the state. The funds will back new tech and an Innovation Lab to bridge the gap between rural communities and legal support.
The project tackles a stark need. Short, quick fixes won't cut it. Instead, the plan mixes high-tech tools with boots on the ground. Mobile units and local centers will meet folks where they live.
"We are so pleased to support Legal Aid of NC as they connect people with integral legal services they may not have access to otherwise," said SECU Foundation Board Vice Chair Mona Moon, per Wake Weekly.
The first wave of help targets four counties: Robeson, Hoke, Scotland, and Bladen. Through smart use of web-based tools, the team aims to assist 30,000 low-income residents who need legal guidance.
The stats paint a stark picture. In one-third of NC counties, you'll find less than one attorney per thousand people. Last year showed the scale of need: staff worked through 25,000 cases while teaching 65,000 citizens about their rights.
"It's really inclusive to the whole state, the software system. And it's going to reduce a lot of time that people will have to wait to get access to what they provide," Patterson said to WUNC.
Since 2001, the group has stood firm in its mission: free civil legal aid for those who can't pay. Now, the Innovation Lab joins forces with schools, tech experts, and local groups to crack the code of rural access to justice.
