Community Level Impact

2011 Accomplishments

Pisgah Legal Services helped 12,676 low-income people to meet basic needs
in 2011.

(Total includes all members of households in all 2011 cases)

• PLS closed 4,585 cases that helped 4,572 children with urgent needs.
• PLS closed 1,522 cases to help 3,883 victims of domestic violence and their children.
• PLS closed 1,343 cases to help 3,327 low-income people with housing problems.     
  
  

PLS secured more than $31,943,569 in quantifiable benefits for clients, including:

• $3,433,508 in disability income benefits for people with disabilities
• $20,056,252 estimated in Medicaid benefits, payable to medical providers
• $5,271,817 in monetary benefits for clients, such as child support payments and unemployment income.

Private attorneys and office volunteers donated more than 11,000 hours helping PLS clients, providing pro bono services and supporting PLS staff.

• More than 300 volunteer attorneys donated 3,527 professional hours to help PLS clients. These pro bono hours are modestly valued at $529,050.
• Office volunteers contributed more than 7,500 hours of service to interview potential clients, assist with legal research, and support PLS staff with administration.

Pisgah Legal Services succeeds in advocacy efforts to alleviate poverty.

• PLS worked collaboratively to produce an enforceable housing code for the town of Brevard, NC to protect the health and safety of residents and preserve the community’s rental housing stock.
• PLS secured a temporary moratorium through the State courts to preserve critical healthcare benefits for disabled individuals and the elderly.  As a result, several thousand Medicaid recipients in NC maintained key health support services enabling patients to stay at home and prevent the high costs of services from assisted living facilities.
• PLS updated the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Asheville and Buncombe County to establish housing priorities for the next five years.