Another Successful Statewide Legal Aid Conference!
Tuesday, October 28th, 2014
The staff at VPLC just returned from the Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference in Portsmouth. The conference, organized by VPLC’s own wonderful Training Coordinator Danielle Manuel, is an annual gathering of 300 plus Legal Aid attorneys, staff and private attorneys who come together to hear the latest developments in many areas of poverty law. This […]
Williams: A New Children’s Hospital Must be Accessible to All
Monday, October 27th, 2014
By Michael Paul Williams, Richmond Times-Dispatch Here is yet another where-to-build-it debate that will speak to our region’s values. And this time, the sticking point is more about our future than our past. As a freestanding children’s hospital enters the planning stage, its location remains up in the air as our region’s localities revert to […]
Celebrating Richmond’s Hunger-Free Schools
Thursday, October 23rd, 2014
Last week, VPLC was honored to be a part of an event to celebrate hunger-free schools in Richmond. Through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), Richmond Public Schools (RPS) became one of the first school systems in Virginia to implement CEP districtwide. As a result, RPS provides breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge […]
SNAP To It!
Monday, October 20th, 2014
On October 12, we closed out our second annual SNAP Challenge. Participants tweeted, shared photos, and raised awareness of hunger in our community. So what’s next in our drive to protect and strengthen SNAP? We need you to call your House member. Ask your Member to co-sponsor H.R. 2384, a bill that would increase SNAP […]
What You Should Know About Protective Orders in Virginia
Wednesday, October 8th, 2014
* If you are a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please call the Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-838-8238 or visit this site to find the domestic violence program in your area.* October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We wanted to take this opportunity to highlight top 5 things you […]
Study Finds Online Lenders are Often ‘Fraudulent and Abusive’
Friday, October 3rd, 2014
The Pew Charitable Trust released a new report, Fraud and Abuse Online: Harmful Practices in Internet Payday Lending yesterday. Nothing in this reports surprises us here at VPLC because we hear almost every day from people who call us for help with an online loan. Nevertheless it is shocking to see the key findings from this report: […]
New Lending Rules Will Protect Troops from Predatory Lending
Friday, September 26th, 2014
The following is blog post from VPLC’s Director of Outreach and Financial Advocacy, Dana Wiggins: Today the Obama Administration and Department of Defense came out with proposed changes to the Military Lending Act that would plug loopholes being used by lenders that exploit members of the military. We doubt that anyone can seriously argue that […]
If you are Asking Why a Survivor Stays, you are Asking the Wrong Question
Wednesday, September 10th, 2014
The following is a blog post from VPLC’s domestic and sexual violence attorney, Susheela Varky: I was in the doctor’s office yesterday, about to be prepped for a routine procedure. The two nurses who just verified my information and injected an IV into my arm went back to the nurse’s station. “He punched her, and […]
Grant Allows Obamacare Enrollment Help to Continue in Southwest Virginia
Tuesday, September 9th, 2014
By Laurence Hammack, The Roanoke Times Federal officials announced new funding Monday for a program that helps Virginians sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, including at offices in Roanoke and Christiansburg. A grant of nearly $1.3 million to the Virginia Poverty Law Center will allow it to continue with its enrollment […]
Rural Enrollment Presents Continuing Health Law Challenges
Monday, September 8th, 2014
By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News Americans living in rural areas will be a key target as states and nonprofit groups strategize how to enroll more people in health law insurance plans this fall. Though millions of people signed up for private insurance or Medicaid in the first year of the Affordable Care Act, millions […]
Thank You for Your Support During the Amazing Raise!
Monday, September 8th, 2014
Thanks to you, we raised $6,710 in just 36 hours! We appreciate your support!
Jay Speer and Kristi Cahoon Kelly Named to 2014 Class of “Leaders in the Law”
Monday, September 8th, 2014
Virginia Lawyers Media, the publisher of Virginia Lawyers Weekly, has announced the 2014 class of “Leaders in the Law.” Now in its ninth year, this awards program recognizes the lawyers across the commonwealth who are setting the standard for other lawyers in Virginia. “Leaders” are recognized for changing the law, serving the community, changing practice or […]
CEP: A Pathway to Hunger-Free Schools
Saturday, August 30th, 2014
This upcoming school year, high poverty schools across Virginia have an opportunity to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students by utilizing an exciting new option known as the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP. The state Department of Education released a list of schools that qualify for the option late this spring and school […]
The 50th Anniversary of SNAP & A Challenge for All of You
Monday, August 25th, 2014
In his 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty in America,” urging Congress and all Americans to join him in the fight. Many of the federal programs that began 50 years ago to help wage this war are still in existence today, including the Supplemental Nutrition […]
Thousands of Virginia Residents May Lose Insurance
Monday, August 25th, 2014
By Prue Salasky, Daily Press Virginia is fourth behind Florida, Texas and Georgia in the number of enrollees who have not supplied required documentation regarding their citizenship or immigration status to support their application for insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s health marketplace exchange. The Department of Health and Human Services has set Sept. 5 […]
What You Need to Know About Virginia’s Online No Fault Divorce Tool
Tuesday, August 19th, 2014
Divorce is often said to be one of the three most stressful experiences a person faces, right up there with death and moving. But while death and moving are both point in time experiences, occurring on a single day, a divorce can drag on for months or even years. While often the painfully slow process […]
Survivors of Predatory Loans
Friday, August 15th, 2014
To mark the end of Shark Week, we wanted to share a couple of quotes from people who called our hotline and we were able to help them escape bad loans. “This is [name omitted for privacy reasons] from King George, VA. I got a few payday loans last year and talked to you […]
Don’t Become Shark Bait by Getting Line of Credit & Online Loans
Wednesday, August 13th, 2014
Monday’s blog warned of the dangers of swimming with Virginia’s payday and car title lenders. Today we want to warn you about other dangerous predators trying to lure Virginians with promises of “Fast Cash” and “No credit/no problem” loans. Believe it or not, these lenders are even worse than payday and car title lenders. […]
What Could Go Wrong if You Dip into Shark Infested Lending Waters
Tuesday, August 12th, 2014
Continuing with our Shark Week theme, we wanted to dive a little deeper into what could actually go wrong if you get a car title or payday loan. VPLC operates a hotline for Virginians in trouble with or with questions about payday and car title loans. We give advice and assistance to anyone that calls 866-830-4501. Here […]
Beware of Virginia’s “Shark” Infested Lending Waters
Monday, August 11th, 2014
In honor of Shark Week, we want to ask: Is it now safe to go in the lending waters in Virginia? Over the last several years, the Virginia General Assembly has passed legislation to regulate high-cost payday and car title lenders. Is it now safe to borrow from these lenders? The answer to that would […]
Sleep Tight Knowing How to Respond to Bed Bugs in your Rental Housing
Monday, August 4th, 2014
Bed bugs are a serious issue that we’ve seen come up in the news a lot lately. Local legal aid offices get a fair amount of questions on a landlord’s responsibility when it comes to bed bugs in rental housing. We wanted to clear up some misconceptions about bed first: Dirt does not cause bed bugs […]