LASP is now an official member of SEPA VOAD!
(March 6, 2023)
As a result of ongoing work to help survivors of Hurricane Ida, LASP was elected as an official member of Southeastern PA Voluntary Organizations Active in A Disaster. SEPA VOAD is a forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle including response and recovery to help disaster survivors and their communities.
Julia Menzo, co-chair of SEPA VOAD and Director of Community Outreach for Liberty Lutheran Services, made the nomination at the SEPA VOAD's December meeting.
LASP Disaster Relief Staff Attorney Charles Burrows accepted the nomination on LASP's behalf. He regularly joins SEPA VOAD meetings as part of LASP's response to Hurricane Ida. In the immediate aftermath of the storm in 2021 and 2022, Sara Planthaber, LASP Staff Attorney, led LASP's response.
In October 2021, LASP activated its regular helpline, 877-429-5994, as the legal aid helpline for Hurricane Ida in PA, in collaboration with MidPenn Legal Services, North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) and Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA). When a federal disaster is declared, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires one legal aid helpline per state per storm. All counties in LASP's service area, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, were part of the FEMA declaration, along with Bedford, Northampton, Philadelphia and York counties.
SEPA VOAD coordinates planning efforts and, during a disaster, matches community needs with services provided by member agencies. This cooperative effort is an effective way for a wide variety of organizations to work together in a crisis.
LASP's ongoing disaster relief work in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties is supported through a grant from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).
Further reading
You may also be interested in LASP’s Hurricane Ida webpage: lasp.org/hurricane-ida