(FORT MYERS, Fla.)- The Disaster/Outreach Team at Florida Rural Legal Services, a non-profit law firm, recently completed an emergency hurricane shelter simulation at the Harlem Heights Community Center in Fort Myers.
Alongside committed community partners, including the Southwest Florida Red Cross chapter's executive director, FRLS underwent an immersive crash course on sheltering. From setting up cots to understanding feeding logistics and registration procedures, participants gained invaluable skills and knowledge essential for disaster response.
In times of crisis, Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS) swiftly mobilizes attorneys to provide pro bono legal assistance and direct representation to qualified low-income survivors in affected communities.
Collaborating closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red Cross, state and local bars, and other national and local recovery organizations, the FRLS team steps in to offer disaster legal services at FEMA disaster recovery centers.
“Disasters often bring a host of legal challenges that can linger for years as survivors navigate the aftermath,” said Iola Mosley, Interim Executive Director of FRLS.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) grantees like FRLS provide crucial aid to survivors in the following areas:
- - Family Assistance: Obtaining emergency child custody, visitation, support, and other court orders requiring modification due to displacement, injury, or job loss.
- - Housing Assistance: Assisting homeowners in securing temporary housing, filing insurance claims, applying for home repair assistance, negotiating with landlords for necessary repairs, and protecting renters from illegal evictions.
- - Identification and Documentation Recovery: Replacing essential legal documents such as personal identification cards, property titles, orders of protection, and end-of-life documents necessary for applying for disaster relief benefits and insurance proceeds.
- - Emergency Benefits: Helping families obtain emergency food stamps and FEMA benefits to cover rent and other expenses, including disaster-related unemployment insurance benefits.
For those in need of disaster assistance, Florida Rural Legal Services can be reached at 1-888-582-3410.
Legal services and marketing are funded in part by the Legal Services Corporation, the American Red Cross, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and the Lee County Bar Association Foundation.