Officials promote legal advice, food drive for Community Outreach Day

Lehigh County officials gathered Wednesday to promote Saturday’s inaugural Community Outreach Day, a free event offering residents access to food, legal advice and other county services.

The event is the brainchild of Public Defender Kim Makoul, who recognized that many of the defendants represented by her office needed more than just a defense lawyer to extract themselves from the criminal justice system. Too many people have been caught in a cycle of crime and punishment, driving up incarceration rates and costs to taxpayers while destroying lives and families.

“To be truly effect representatives of our clients, we need to not only deal with criminal charges but to deal with the collateral damage,” she said.

County commissioners have bought into her philosophy, agreeing to fund social workers for her office to help defendants find the services or assistance that can help prevent their future crimes. Makoul wanted to take the step further by offering county residents a day where they could receive free legal advice for some of their problems.

County Executive Phillips Armstrong signed off on the proposal, and other departments and branches of county government made suggestions, ballooning the program. With food scarcity an issue at times during the pandemic, the county has partnered with local grocery stores and sponsors to make a food bank available. Households that fell behind on their rent during the pandemic can consult with Catholic Charities about a rental assistance program. COVID-19 vaccines will be available, as will people with PA CareerLink looking to help people

find work.

“We are hoping that this Saturday will be the first of many outreach programs that Lehigh County is doing to help the residents of Lehigh County,” Armstrong said.

Saturday’s Community Outreach Day will see attorneys offer advice to people who have had their licenses suspended. Losing the privilege of driving

can prevent someone from finding work. A lack of income can lead defendants to fall behind on required court payments and make it difficult to keep a roof over their family’s head. Some defendants, however, may be eligible to regain their licenses, which would help them avoid a vicious cycle.

Armstrong and Makoul said if all goes well, Community Outreach Days may become a recurring feature. Clients of the public defender’s office often run into multiple problems following their sentences, including issues on immigration or parental rights, Makoul said. The county is looking to offer services to advise people about their rights in those areas and others.

“We are taking steps forward. It’s not, ‘What did you do yesterday?’ It’s ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’ “Armstrong said.