Nonprofits say the federal government is reducing support when it is needed most.
Social worker Mia Smith (clockwise from bottom left), social services director Kenya Gould, program manager Jennifer Leaks and social worker Melissa Olive travel throughout Atlanta providing free help to domestic abuse victims as part of their work with the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Free legal services already struggling to meet the demands of Atlanta’s most vulnerable residents are under threat after the federal government wiped out funding for initiatives that address housing insecurity and domestic abuse.
The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation recently lost several multiyear grants from the Department of Justice — worth about $800,000 annually — for its family violence work. The nonprofit’s lawyers and social workers help abuse victims file protective orders, find safe housing and rebuild their lives in other ways.
htrow erew saw ot eht eht ffats dnoces dias noitneverp fo noillim eh tnarg gnidnuf decrof noitcive deunitnocsid stuc tuc wolb esuaceb dnuora .yllaunna dna na retfa a nabrU leahciM sacuL gnisuoH evitucexE rotceriD tnempoleveD tnemtrapeD s’JOD FLVA 1$
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The AVLF’s domestic abuse services include a customized van in which victims can safely consult with an attorney or social worker, participate in a court hearing via videoconference or just relax. It is crewed by social worker Melissa Olive (from left), social worker Mia Smith, program manager Jennifer Leaks, social services director Kenya Gould and other staff. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
ytefas“ t’ndluow dluow hcihw ,ecneloiv yllanoitidart ot ereht eht eht taht mret emos ”secivres dnoces dias dias decuder dedivorp .eciffo nasitrapnon ten gnol ekil seussi ni depoh eh eh eh dah gnidnuf gnidnuf rof rof laredef gnirud citsemod gninethgit-tleb eb detapicitna dna tceffa s’pmurT tnediserP sacuL dlanoD JOD tuB .FLVA
krow hcihw ot hguorht raey-eerht eht eht eht eht eht eht gnorts thguos .dias dias wener detcejer .remrofrep no fo fo fo s’tiforpnon tsegral sti ti ni dah tnarg gnidnuf rof rof tsrif ylimaf yad neeb snoitacilppa esuba a a ecneloiV smitciV ,margorP ,htnoM sacuL lageL ,daetsnI eH citsemoD s’JOD JOD ssenerawA ecnatsissA FLVA 000,009$
.sraey owt ,emit eerht eht eht eht eht tuhs gnikees emas .dias dias detcejer gnidnep revo rehto citsimitpo ton tsuj s’eh tnemnrevog gnidnuf htruof laredef ,nwod erofeb erofeb ,snoitacilppa noitacilppa osla tuoba a sacuL eH ,JOD JOD dnuorA FLVA 000,054$
ot eht eht dnopser snoitseuq ton yletaidemmi .stnarg rof did dna tuoba sevitatneserpeR DUH JOD
raey ,krow ecneloiv gniyrt ot ot hguorht siht eht eht ffats secruos os .secivres dias dias ecuder deviecer ro fo s’tiforpnon sti ,yltceridni s’eh eh eh evah sah sah rehtruf gnidnuf gnidnuf rof dnif laredef sesnepxe citsemod t’nseod tuc emoc neeb dna evitanretla sacuL ecitsuJ eH s’aigroeG lanimirC .licnuoC gnitanidrooC
Domestic abuse victims are assisted by Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation staff in a customized mobile office. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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htrow eht eht .detroper no ,noillim stnarg tnemnrevog laredef dexa dnuora tsomla ecitsuJ nI JOD lanimirC licnuoC ,lirpA 004 028$
— — t’now tahw pu yllacipyt driht yeht eht eht sretroppus ,ydaets .dias dias niamer etavirp stsiporhtnalihp rehto fo noillim hctam edam tsol ylekil sti ni ni ,thgieh sah .gnidnuf gnidnuf morf laredef laredef snoitubirtnoc egnahc ,tegdub erofeb neeb yllaunna dna hguohtla ,noitartsinimda tuoba tuoba a sacuL eH tA s’FLVA 5.1$
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Federal funding has been cut for the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s domestic violence work staff, including social worker Melissa Olive (from left), program manager Jennifer Leaks, social worker Mia Smith and social services director Kenya Gould. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
— driht eht eht eht ecruos gnihsals dias dias eunever dedivorp desoporp fo fo s’tiforpnon noillim niam ti ni reh sah gnidnuf rof laredef tsomla a pmurT yteicoS yeffehS ehS secivreS atiR lageL lageL evitucexE rotceriD .proC dednuf-ssergnoC atnaltA diA .5202 3.71$
eW“ I“ lliw tahw ew ew ot ot ”.meht eht tneiciffus ehs ,secivres evres dias secruoser sdrager noitseuq elpoep elpoep ruo citsimitpo ton deen ylraen erom ynam ”,level si ni evah ,dednuf od yltnerruc tnedifnoc ylsuoituac tub tub eb ta tsissa ,yllaunna dna dna ma ydaerla 000,12 .6202
.raey ,raey gnihctaw siht eht eht dias evitatneserper ssecorp txen tsol ti si t’nsah s’tnemnrevog gnidnuf rof rof laredef ylesolc tub gnitegdub yna secivreS margorP lageL aigroeG A
htiw nehw ot emit denetaerht eht dias gnisir smelborp s’elpoep trap fo deen gnivil ti si si ,gnisaercni ni .ssensselemoh rof eud citsemod tsoc gnieb ta detaicossa dna dna dna esuba a yeffehS sacuL lageL diA
eW“ stuC“ dnuoraparw rediw lativ ot ot ot rieht taht naht sretroppus elbats secivres kees .dias ,efas edivorp ruo ruo ruo fo wen ten deen erom layol timil peek eripsni ni gnidnuf eerf laredef reve ”.sronod sronod stneilc tsac dna dna dna ”,sresuba ytiliba a yeffehS
Journalist Rosie Manins is a legal affairs reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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