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December 31, 2005ForumLegal services help our neighborsPeople living in northern Michigan share a tradition of generosity, especially when it comes to helping fellow northerners. When Legal Services of Northern Michigan Inc. initiated its endowment campaign, "Drive for Twenty-Five," fellow attorneys and community residents responded kindly.As legal services continues its effort to reach its $25,000 goal, the task of providing free civil legal services to an ever-increasing indigent population is challenging. Legal services is half way to achieving its goal and more financial support is needed. In the service's 36-county coverage area, there are 119,000 residents who live at or below the poverty level. A recent United States Department of Justice survey established that due to lack of funding, two people are turned away for every client legal services assists. In the year 2004, legal services served 4,500 indigent clients, but was unable to serve an estimated 9,000 indigent people in need. Our clients are people you know. It could be the young clerk at the local party store who needs assistance with housing, the part-time substitute teacher seeking a personal protection order or an elderly neighbor whose identity has been stolen. Access to competent legal counsel is a key service that helps people protect themselves from further abuse, fraud and financial loss. Legal services cannot depend upon the whim of Congress or the state Legislature for consistent secure funding. The State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan Bar Foundation and the Access to Justice Fund share legal services' concerns and agree that a permanent endowment fund can be part of a long-term solution to chronic funding pressures. To that end, all have worked to establish legal services' endowment in order to create a steady stream of funding dedicated to supporting and expanding services to the poverty populations in the northern communities. The generosity of northern community residents will continue to be essential to our ability to provide and expand services. This is the type of good investment that directly contributes to the collective quality of life in each northern community. About the author Mary Kavanaugh-Gahn is an attorney and deputy director for Legal Serices of Northern Michigan, Inc. For more information about the group's "Drive for Twenty-Five," contact Mary Kavanaugh-Gahn at (231) 941-0771 or Kenneth Penokie, executive director, at (906) 786-2303. About the forum The forum is a periodic column of opinion written by Record-Eagle readers in their areas of interest or expertise. Submissions of 500 words or less may be made. Please include biographical information and a photo.
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