MinnPost: Minnesota’s resources for legal aid are drying up fast
LaVeda Pompey’s grandsons moved in with her a few years ago, along with a stack of papers with instructions on how to file for custody.
The boys were safe and there was no pressing need to rush for custody, so she waited.
In September things changed.
Her daughter tried to transfer one grandson out of his high school and return the children to an “unsafe, unhealthy environment.” That day, Pompey was paired with attorney Barbara Kueppers, who walked her through the complicated paperwork.
Kueppers works for the Volunteer Lawyers Network, where the court directed Pompey. It’s one of 32 organizations to receive a grant from the state’s Legal Services Advisory Committee this fiscal year.
The grants help cover low-income individuals who couldn’t otherwise afford legal services, like the homeless, the elderly and domestic violence victims.