Legal Services Alabama was represented at a women’s meet-and-greet event on Tuesday, February 20.  The event, held at Wallace Community College Selma, was a part of Senator Doug Jones’ Alabama Tour, and LSA was represented by LSA Deputy Director Jaffe Pickett, and Selma Regional Office Managing Attorney Felecia Pettway. The purpose of the event was to focus on the needs and concerns in the Black Belt and share Senator Jones’ vision for the region.

LSA Deputy Director Jaffe Pickett provided a brief education on the needs across the state, and particularly in the Black Belt, “LSA provides free state wide legal services to low income and vulnerable people including consumer protection, housing and foreclosure prevention, public benefits, family law, including domestic violence, elder law and Veterans services.”

Pickett also stated: “When you look throughout the Black Belt, at counties which have some of highest poverty levels in the Country, there are two attorneys providing critical legal services and community education,” she said. “These attorneys are doing an amazing job of meeting the most pressing legal needs, but it becomes apparent why state allocations to LSA is so important.  LSA is the only statewide organization providing free civil legal assistance in every county, so funding to allow us to meet the growing needs of the 900,000 individuals living below the poverty level in Alabama is critical.”

From L-R: LSA Selma Office Managing Attorney Felecia Pettway, Senator Doug Jones, and LSA Deputy Director Jaffe Pickett.

Senator Jones said that it is very important to put money back into Legal Services to help people in need.  The Senator is working on several programs that impact low income individuals and families in Alabama such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), rural healthcare, equal pay, building credit and extended funding for health centers and education programs.