Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County

1. Legal Aid Foundationof Santa Barbara County Equal Access to Justice

2. Our Mission • Our Mission is to ensure that low-income people and seniors have access to the civil justice system - • to secure safe shelter, • adequate income, • and protection from domestic violence and elder abuse.

3. Primary Services • Domestic Violence and Elder Abuse Restraining Orders • Housing Discrimination, Habitability and Eviction Defense • Social Security, SSI and Public Benefits Eligibility Appeals

4. Other Services • Legal Resource Centers • Telecom Rights Campaign • Consumer Debt Clinic • Project Outreach • Senior Outreach • Advance Health Care Directives

5. Protection from Abuse • One Client’s Story • Our client was a Santa Barbara mother with 2 teenage girls, ages 12 and 16. • Her ex-husband had been convicted and imprisoned for sexually molesting his older daughter. • The mother came to Legal Aid after her ex-husband attempted to contact the older daughter by having his sister forward her a letter.

6. Protection from Abuse • How Did Legal Aid Help? • Our client was frightened because her ex-husband had been released from prison and the Restraining Order she had obtained when the abuse was discovered had expired. • Legal Aid helped the woman renew the Restraining Order for another 3 years.

7. Legal Help for Seniors • One Client’s Story • Our client was an elderly Lompoc woman whose home was being seized by the Sheriff because of a debt her deceased husband had neglected to pay several years earlier. • The value of her home was far greater than the amount of the debt.

8. Legal Help for Seniors • How Did Legal Aid Help? • Legal Aid negotiated an agreement with the creditor’s attorney. • The creditor agreed to postpone collection of the debt during the woman’s lifetime. • Our client can now remain in her home.

9. Protecting the Disabled • One Client’s Story • Our client was an elderly, slightly developmentally disabled, monolingual Spanish-speaking Santa Maria couple. • They were being evicted from the home they had rented for 20 years because they used their rent money to pay for a family member’s funeral and repair their only vehicle.

10. Protecting the Disabled • How Did Legal Aid Help? • Legal Aid contacted Adult Protective Services and secured funds to pay off a portion of the past due rent. • Legal Aid then negotiated an agreement with the landlord that allowed the couple to make monthly payments over a 1 year period to pay off the remainder of the past due rent. • Legal Aid also worked with APS to set up a payee account for future rent payments so the couple’s home will not be jeopardized in the future.

11. Preventing Homelessness • One Client’s Story • Our client was a mildly mentally disabled Santa Barbara woman who had been ordered to vacate her apartment while plumbing repairs were being made. • Unable to afford a motel and unaware that the property manager was violating her rights, the woman took her pet cockatiels and started sleeping in the park.

12. Preventing Homelessness • How Did Legal Aid Help? • Because the weather was exceptionally hot at the time, the woman’s pet birds began to suffer; when she sought help for the birds she was referred to Legal Aid. • Legal Aid informed the property manager that his actions were illegal. • Legal Aid called the police and arranged for officers to escort our client and her pet birds back to her apartment.

13. Other Help with Housing • Fair Housing Advocacy • Rental property testing. • Health and Safety Code Enforcement • Working with code enforcement.

14. Unmet Needs • Family Law • Contested divorces • Custody and property disputes • Guardianship applications • Consumer Law • Auto loan repossessions • Credit report corrections • Wage garnishments

15. Volunteer Opportunities • Project Outreach • Senior Outreach • Legal Resource Centers • DVRO Clinics • Consumer Debt Clinic • Internships • Fundraising Committees • Board of Directors

16. How to Support Legal Aid • Special Event Sponsorship • “Justice for All” Fund • Monthly Pledge • House Parties • Cy Pres Awards • Annual Auction • Endowment Gift • Bequest

17. Budget

18. Revenue

19. Expenses

20. Attorneys & Advocates • Yvonne Cudney, Director of Litigation • Ellen Goodstein, Program Director • Alex Lambrous, Santa Barbara • Robert Test, Lompoc (starts 1/4/06) • Jane Wierda, Santa Barbara LRC • Diamond Tran, Santa Maria LRC • Elizabeth Diaz, DVRO Coordinator

21. Support Staff • Claire Magee, Paralegal • Corine Greensky, Intake Coordinator • Maribel Aguilera, Intake Coordinator • Mari Estrada, Office Manager • Jennifer Ohlmacher, Development • Audrie Krause, Executive Director

22. Board of Directors • Officers • Philip Sinco, President • Garry Tetalman, President-Elect • David Thurber, Vice President • Molora Vadnais, Secretary • Barbara Tzur, Treasurer

23. Board of Directors • Members • Tim Allison • Yvette Andrade • James Cordes • Allan Ghitterman • David Landecker • Jennifer Raphael

24. Where to Find Us • Offices • Santa Barbara: • 301 E. Canon Perdido St. • Santa Maria: • 301 S. Miller St., Ste. 116 • Lompoc: • 106 S. “C” St., Ste. A

25. Where to Find Us • Legal Resource Centers • Santa Barbara Courthouse • McMahon Law Library • 1100 Anapamu St. • Santa Maria Courthouse • Santa Maria Law Library • 312-C E. Cook St.

26. Where to Find Us • Project Outreach (weekly, drop-in) • Tuesday: Franklin Community Center, SB • Wednesday: Goleta Community Center • Thursday: Westside Community Center, SB • Senior Outreach (monthly, appointment) • Carpinteria Senior Center • Goleta Senior Center • Lompoc Senior Center

27. Where to Find Us • Domestic Violence Clinics • Santa Barbara Office • Santa Maria Legal Resource Center • Consumer Debt Clinic • Santa Barbara Legal Resource Center

28. Equal Access to Justice • The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County • Thank You!