Legal Aid of North Carolina receives grant to help battered immigrants

January 22, 2007 MEDIA RELEASE

(Raleigh, NC) – The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has awarded a grants totaling to Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) in support of its Battered Immigrant Project (BIP).

The Foundation designated the $60,000 grant to LANC to help provide free legal assistance and collaborative, community training on issues for battered immigrant women in North Carolina.

The BIP is coordinated through LANC’s Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative, which provides legal assistance to battered women and/or domestic violence victims and strives to strengthen the working relationships between legal aid and domestic violence programs throughout the state.

“Domestic violence is a pervasive problem among North Carolina’s immigrant population, just as it is among U.S. citizens,” said TeAndra Miller, project director for LANC’s Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative. “Due to the constantly changing and regulatory nature of immigration law, it is necessary to have specially trained immigration attorneys as part of our domestic violence corps of attorneys. ”

In addition to immigration assistance, the BIP attorneys help their clients obtain domestic violence protective orders and public benefits, assist Limited English proficient (LEP) clients to ensure that they receive appropriate services in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and network with law enforcement and community agencies which assist victims of human trafficking.

"The continued financial support of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has been critical to this vital, legal services project," said George R. Hausen, Jr., LANC’s executive director. "We and our clients are, indeed, greatly appreciative of the Foundation’s commitment to improve the quality of life of the people in North Carolina."

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was established in 1936 and has given more than $366 million in grants to projects in all 100 North Carolina counties. The Foundation now gives special attention to the following focus areas – community economic development; democracy and civic engagement; environment; pre-collegiate education; and social justice and equity.

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to eligible, low-income people in all 100 counties in North Carolina through 24, geographically located offices in North Carolina. LANC’s clients typically have an annual income of 125% or less of the federally established poverty levels.

Additional information about LANC and its Battered Immigrant Project can be found on the LANC website, www.legalaidnc.org.

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CONTACTS:

  • George R. Hausen, Jr. (Executive Director, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC) 919-856-2564

    TeAndra Miller (Project Director, Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative, Raleigh, NC) 919-856-2142

    Dock Kornegay (Director, Public Relations & Development, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC) 919-856-2564

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Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

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