GLSP_Newsletter_Fall 2021-Digital

FALL/WINTER 2021
Thankful for our employees,
donors, supporters, and most
importantly, our clients
A Message from Rick Rufolo, Executive Director
As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on the many blessings we’ve received
this year, particularly when faced with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. I am truly
blessed to having a loving family and friends who stood by me when I needed them most.
I’m blessed to work with passionate and talented members of my GLSP family. Their commitment
to our clients is an immeasurable and lasting blessing. And, we are blessed to have
a GLSP legacy of 50 years of providing access to justice and opportunities out of poverty.
Throughout 2021, we’ve shared news about GLSP’s 50th anniversary celebration, the importance
of which is to recognize the success we’ve had for 50 years and embrace the changes
that lie ahead during the next 50 years.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for each one of you: our employees, donors,
supporters, and most importantly, our clients. You are the blessings that make us GLSP Strong!
WE NEED YOU ON GIVING TUESDAY
Please join GLSP as we participate in the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN) official Giving
Tuesday. This online campaign was created in 2012 to bring together nonprofit, philanthropic,
and for-profit partners to raise awareness and funds for nonprofits across Georgia. This
year our fundraising goal is $10,000. GAGives on GivingTuesday takes place on Tuesday
November 30, 2021 by using the camera on your mobile device to capture this QR code
or going to https://www.gagives.org/organization/Georgia-Legal-Services-Program.
Thank you for your dedication to GLSP!

A YEAR
I N R E V I E W
Throughout 2021, despite the nation suffering through
another year of a health pandemic, Georgia Legal Services
continues to advocate, educate, and provide access to legal
services for persons with low incomes, creating equal
access to justice and opportunities out of poverty.
Rural Georgia Justice and Poverty Summit
As part of Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP) 50th anniversary
celebration, GLSP conducted a virtual Rural Georgia Justice and
Poverty Summit, that featured guest speaker Stacey Abrams, a
political leader, voting rights activist and New York bestselling
author. The event drew more than 300 registrants and brought
attention to the numerous legal and social issues faced by communities
across the state of Georgia, from housing to education
to public health. “It was an honor to join Georgia Legal Services
Program for their Rural Georgia Justice and Poverty Summit,”
said keynote speaker Stacey Abrams. “I thank GLSP for the
opportunity to speak to Summit attendees about the sorely needed
solutions that, by working together, we can deliver to people
across all corners of Georgia — and
particularly to our rural communities.”
Topics that were addressed included
education, domestic violence, health
care, housing, public benefits,
and racial equity. For a full video
of the summit please visit: YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=R_Ths2q0OB4&t=1s
The alliance of Macon’s largest institutions is reaping great benefits
for the community. To date, our medical-legal partnership has
served 771 referrals. The outcome of those referrals:
Referred within Medical Center
Referred to GLSP or PA
Issue Resolved
Advice or counsel
Number of Referrals
Other
0 50 100 150 200 250
Number of Referr als
Medical-Legal Partnerships are partnered at over 180 hospitals
and health centers nationwide, serving children, elderly, patients
with cancer, pregnant women, and other vulnerable populations.
In Georgia when we created the Macon project there was just
1 MLP. Now, 5 years later, there are 4 MLPs throughout the State.
We would like to expand these partnerships throughout rural
Georgia, if you would like to help us pursue a medical-legal
partnership in your region, please contact Ira Foster at
Ifoster@glsp.og or Nicole Harris at nharris@glsp.org.
Our Medical-Legal Partnership Celebrates 5 years!
We are excited to celebrate 5 years of our Medical-Legal Partnership
(MLP) involving GLSP, Navicent Health (formerly the Medical
Center of Central Georgia) now called Atrium and the Walter F.
George School of Law, Mercer University. Created in Macon by
Ira Foster, General Counsel of GLSP and Tara McIntosh, Supervising
Attorney, Macon Regional Office, the Medical-Legal Partnership
between Atrium and GLSP allies’ health care providers with
lawyers to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations
in the Macon region. Through research, planning and
bringing key partners together, Ira Foster outlined the benefits
and need for this project. By combining the strengths of law and
medicine, this medical-legal partnership, “MedLaw” Project was
formed October 1, 2016, to support low-income health care patients
in navigating legal challenges that create barriers to achieving
better health. The objective is simple- to ensure that patients’
basic needs for housing, food, education, healthcare, personal
and family stability are met. This agreement supports a multidisciplinary,
community-based collaborative approach to health care,
education, and patient assistance while simultaneously taking
into consideration the medical, social, economic, environmental,
and educational needs and issues of low-income patients.

GLSP Reaches Presidential Heights
Founded in 2020, the Carter Plains Foundation is an organization setup by Chip Carter,
son of President and Mrs. Carter, to provide essential funding for services to underserved
members of their hometown community. The Carter Plains Foundation is currently in the
process of rehabilitating 23 homes, with
the hope of identifying and rehabilitating
more in the area. As part of this effort,
GLSP and the Carter Plains Foundation
wanted to provide Wills for these homeowners
to preserve these soon-to-be
rehabbed properties. This kind of estate
planning can build generational wealth
through securing and preserving these
homes and investments. Plains, Georgia
is what we call a “legal desert”—an area
in which there are no practicing attorneys. Given the lack of attorneys, our Pro Bono staff,
led by Attorney Michael Monahan and Alex Eichenbaum recruited pro bono attorneys from
around the state to draft Wills, financial Powers of Attorney, and Advanced Directives for
Health Care for the constituents of Plains, Georgia.
On June 26, 2021, GLSP staff traveled to Plains where participants met with their pro bono
attorney via Zoom. The attorneys reviewed the Wills with clients on camera, and GLSP staff
was onsite to assist with executing and finalizing all documents. This model allowed
for clients to meet and speak with attorneys based all over—from Cartersville, Atlanta,
Springfield, Albany, and Macon. For the volunteer attorneys, they were able to make a huge
difference in the lives of these clients whose paths they never would have crossed before.
Housing Effects Due to COVID-19
After the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, we have had to reallocate resources to meet
the unprecedented increase in demand for legal assistance by tenants facing eviction due
to nonpayment of rent. Lead by Susan Reif, GLSP’s Housing Specialist Attorney, our Housing
attorneys and Navigators continue to work tirelessly to provide legal services to tenants
to reduce the number of evictions throughout rural Georgia. Through referrals, community
education, outreach, and legal representation, GLSP has helped thousands of Georgian
households maintain housing stability.
GLSP
50 th Anniversary
Gala
Saturday, April 30, 2022
Ventanas- Downtown Atlanta
To culminate our 50th Anniversary,
GLSP will host an award and fundraising
gala. This inaugural event of 200+
guests will honor and highlight
50 years of achievement on behalf of
protecting Georgians with low-incomes.
We hope you will join us for both the
learning and celebration of 50 years
of accomplishments on behalf of our
community, friends, and neighbors.
Tickets will be available in early 2022
at GLSP IS TURNING 50 - Georgia Legal
Services Program. Visit the website at
www.glsp.org/50years.
Sponsorships start at $3,500.
Contact Amy Crowell at
acrowell@glsp.org or (770) 609-7188.
Affordable Healthcare for All
Most Georgians who qualify for health
insurance and financial help through the
Affordable Care Act are still uninsured.
Through recent funding from the Department
of Health and Human Services Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, GLSP
is positioned to help close the gap for
access to healthcare! Through a grant
award of $388,248 for three years, our
Health Law Attorney, Cynthia Gibson was
able to hire four health care navigators
to reach uninsured Georgians in 47 rural,
marginalized counties in Georgia. Funding
from the cooperative agreement will allow
navigators to provide in-person assistance,
education and outreach to uninsured
individuals seeking assistance. If you need
assistance or have any questions, feel free to
reach out to one of our Certified Navigators.
GLSP’s GEORGIA ENROLL program staff
can be reached at (866) 442-8676.

104 Marietta Street
Suite 250
Atlanta, GA 30303
Acknowledgements
Publisher
Georgia Legal Services Program
President, Board of Directors
Tennell Lockett
Executive Director
Rick Rufolo
Printer
Drummond
Design
HumpHill Design
Regional Offices
Albany Office
131 West Oglethorpe Boulevard
Albany, Georgia 31701
(229) 430-4261
(800) 735-4271
Athens Office
1865 West Broad Street, Suite B
Athens, Georgia 30606-3572
(706) 227-5362
Augusta Office
1450 Greene Street, Suite 110
Augusta, Georgia 30901
(706) 721-2327
(800) 248-6697
Brunswick Office
1607 Union Street
Brunswick, Georgia 31520
(912) 264-7301
(877) 808-0553
Columbus Office
233 12th Street, Suite 910
The Corporate Center
P.O. Box 176
Columbus, Georgia 31902-0176
(706) 649-7493
(800) 533-3140
Dalton Office
219 West Crawford Street
P.O. Box 2004 (30722-2004)
Dalton, Georgia 30720
(706) 272-2924
(888) 408-1004
Gainesville Office
705 Washington Street, Suite B-1
Gainesville, Georgia 30501
(770) 535-5717
(800) 745-5717
Macon Office
241 Third Street
Macon, Georgia 31201
(478) 751-6261
(800) 560-2855
Piedmont Office
104 Marietta Street, N.W., Suite 240
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(404) 894-7707
(800) 822-5391
Savannah Office
6602 Abercorn Street, Suite 203
Savannah, Georgia 31405-5848
(912) 651-2180
(888) 220-8399
Farmworker Rights Division
104 Marietta Street, N.W.
Suite 250
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(404) 463-1633
(800) 537-7496
Georgia Clients Council
104 Marietta Street, N.W.
Suite 250
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(404) 463-1952
Pro Bono Resource Center
104 Marietta Street, N.W.
Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(404) 527-8762
(800) 334-6865