During the 1996 Cornell United Way Campaign, the Chronicle will highlight various area agencies and programs that receive United Way support.
Chemung County Neighborhood Legal Services Inc. makes a variety of legal services freely available to local low-income residents who are federally eligible for aid. It also reaches -- through the support of the United Way -- individuals who may have critical legal needs, but whose financial situation does not meet federal standards for aid eligibility.
"The United Way helps to pick up the people who fall between the cracks," said Diane Campbell, Cornell law student and extern at the Ithaca branch office of Chemung County Neighborhood Legal Services. "United Way funding goes to people who may not meet the strict regulations to receive aid, but who still need certain services."
NLS is a not-for-profit corporation that provides legal services and representation at no charge to impoverished residents of Chemung, Schuyler, Tompkins and Tioga counties. The corporation focuses primarily on helping residents experiencing problems with welfare (i.e., obtaining public assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, unemployment insurance), housing (going through eviction proceedings and dealing with public housing issues), Social Security and disability, and Supplemental Security Income. NLS mainly handles civil matters. It refers clients with problems beyond its sphere to local attorneys volunteering their services. The organization also works extensively to educate the public about their legal rights and assists other community organizations geared to helping low-income residents.
One particular community organization with which both it and the Tompkins County United Way work closely is the Tompkins County Office of the Aging. This agency refers its age 60 and older clients to NLS for consultation and aid in matters of government benefits and housing. The Office of the Aging donates money to NLS, but requires it to match the donated sum with an equal sum of its own. According to Gregg Thomas, managing attorney at the Ithaca branch office of Chemung County Neighborhood Legal Services, the United Way provides the money NLS needs to match funding from the Office of the Aging and, in turn, serve the elderly.
Chemung County Neighborhood Legal Services Inc. is funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the state of New York and the Tompkins County United Way. Eligibility to receive its services is based on federal standards. Though these standards are subject to change, clients must have an income of less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level.
In Ithaca, offices are located downtown in the Dewitt Building. They are staffed by attorneys and volunteer Cornell law students.
Cornell United Way campaign information is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.gsm.cornell.edu/unitedway/ or from Rhonda Velazquez via e-mail at rhv2@cornell.edu or by telephone at 255-6418.