Taking care of those who served US
Many of our veterans need legal help more than ever during COVID-19
On Veterans Day, we honor the courageous men and women in uniform, like my brother, a veteran of the Iraq War, who served to keep all of us safe. As we take time on Veterans Day to remember their sacrifices, we also should remember that for many veterans, civilian life presents its own battles, many of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the more than 700,000 veterans who call Ohio home, legal challenges related to securing and maintaining VA benefits; accessing adequate healthcare and medical benefits; and resolving family, housing and consumer issues can reduce the quality of life for our military heroes. Every day, Ohio’s legal aid organizations help Ohio’s veterans overcome these challenges and get back on the path to stable housing, health, and employment.
Take Peter Lambert,* a 71-year-old veteran who, prior to the pandemic, enjoyed his job teaching art at a Columbus senior center. When the center closed earlier this year because of COVID-19, Mr. Lambert suddenly lost his income and was worried about making his mortgage payments.
Mr. Lambert needed loan forbearance under the CARES Act in order to preserve his home. Unsure of what to do and afraid that he might lose his home, Mr. Lambert reached out to legal aid for help. Legal aid helped him navigate the complicated federal requirements and work out a mortgage payment deferral. Because of legal aid, Mr. Lambert is secure in his home and no longer at risk of homelessness.
Mr. Lambert’s story is one of thousands of examples of how Ohio’s legal aids help veterans get the legal help they need. The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, the largest funder of civil legal aid in Ohio, is committed to ensuring that all of Ohio’s veterans have equal access to justice, regardless of income. Thanks in part to funding from the foundation, Ohio’s legal aids provided life-changing legal help to nearly 5,000 veterans in 2019.
Due to the enhanced general revenue fund support for legal aid in Ohio’s fiscal year 2020-21 budget, Ohio’s legal aids expanded support of Ohio’s veterans in need of crucial legal services. Because of gubernatorial and legislative support, statewide funding for veterans’ civil legal services was available to keep Mr. Lambert safe and secure in his home.
As lawmakers begin this next biennium budget cycle, Ohio’s legal aids and the services that they provide to our veterans must remain top of mind. During this time of health emergency and economic downturn, legal aid can help by stabilizing and supporting Ohio’s veterans. When veterans avoid eviction and foreclosure, local communities save money in shelter and emergency health care.
By helping Ohio’s veterans access federal stimulus checks, unemployment benefits and paid leave, legal aid enables them to pay their rent, buy groceries, and care for their families. In turn, more dollars remain in local communities.
The impact is significant. The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s 2019 community economic impact study Strength in Justice found that for every dollar spent on civil legal aid, $2.90 is returned to local communities, a 290% return on investment.
As we pause on this day to recognize our veterans, let us honor their brave service by ensuring they get the legal help they need to live stable and financially secure civilian lives. Through this commitment and dedication of resources by the state, we can give back to Ohio’s veterans and thank those who have sacrificed so much to secure our freedom.
*Name has been changed to protect client privacy.
Kimberly Shumate is associate vice president for strategic initiatives in the Office of Human Resources at Ohio State University and board president of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation.