“I really had no idea how I would tell my children we had to move… again. As soon as we got comfortable in the neighborhood and the kids got used to their new school, the house we were renting was foreclosed on and we needed to be out in a very short time. I couldn’t get our security deposit or our (paid in advance) last month’s rent back and I needed that to get a new place. Without family to help, we were facing homelessness. CLS really made a difference – they were able to get us time to find a new place, and helped us secure new housing without recent references. Staying in the same school was so important for my children, and CLS made that happen!”

“I always thought domestic violence happened to other people – not me. I knew my husband for four years before we married and I never would have believed it if you would have told me he would ever hurt me. I knew when he drank he had a temper but only after he lost his job and went months without finding employment, did I understand abuse and violence. He hit me and punched me in the ribs causing a punctured lung. I had such bad bruises, I couldn’t go to work, which even made him angrier. He pulled out clumps of hair, and kicked me in the stomach repeatedly. I think the worst thing was when he threatened our son who saw him hit me and he, a six year old, tried to protect me.

I talked to my mother-in-law and she suggested I go to legal aid – I was shocked when she told me she had been abused at the hands of my former father-in-law. Her experiences taught her about abuse, and she knew I needed legal help to prevent continued abuse and to keep my children safe. CLS changed my life. My attorney handled everything and made me feel safe. Although I loved him, I knew ours was not a healthy relationship. We are divorced now and only because of CLS and my attorney, is my ex paying support for our three children and he sees the kids on a regular, supervised schedule. I’m making a new life for my family, and I can again, sleep at night. Thank you, CLS!”

“I never heard of legal aid or legal services, and when I finally went there, it didn’t seem like a big law firm. Everyone was friendly, people asking if I needed anything, and I guess I thought I’d be intimidated and would feel like a failure – not being able to take care of my family and all. I got scammed because I was so anxious to finally have a car that I let myself be taken advantage of – after I got called back 2 times by the dealer, I knew something was wrong – they kept telling me my loan wasn’t approved and I’d need to come back and sign for higher rates. A friend at work told me about legal aid and that they help people like me. After I met with an attorney, I felt like there was someone on my side. He contacted the dealership and pretty soon, I had my down payment back, and the contracts I signed were voided. I also learned how to protect myself from this type of consumer fraud – and that lesson will last a lifetime! Thanks to programs that do this kind of work for people like me.”