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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Peter Kempner, Legal Director of Volunteers of Legal Service, on Legal Services for Veterans
1:42:00
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Peter Kempner, Legal Director of Volunteers of Legal Service, testified about the importance of free legal services for veterans, particularly those aged 60 and over. He emphasized the critical nature of the $600,000 funding from the city council for legal services for veterans and requested its continuation in the upcoming fiscal year.
- Volunteers of Legal Service provides end-of-life and incapacity planning services to veterans aged 60 and over, including wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare proxies.
- A recent VA survey found that 6 out of 10 highest unmet needs for homeless veterans were legal in nature.
- The current funding, while small, is crucial for bridging the access to justice gap for the veteran community in NYC.
Peter Kempner
1:42:00
Good afternoon, shareholder.
1:42:02
My name is Peter Kepner.
1:42:04
I'm the legal director at Volunteers of Legal Service.
1:42:06
Our purpose is to leverage private attorneys to provide free legal services to low income New Yorkers to help fill the justice gap.
1:42:14
The Vols Veterans Initiative focuses on providing free legal services to veterans aged 60 and over, focused on end of life and incapacity planning allowing them to age in place with dignity and respect in their community.
1:42:28
We provide them with last wills and testaments, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, living wills and other advanced directives.
1:42:35
These documents enable our clients to ensure that their dying wishes are fulfilled and that they are able to maintain income and services during their lifetime.
1:42:45
We also enable our clients' caregivers to make medical decisions in line with their beliefs.
1:42:51
Our guides, fact sheets, workshops and trainings are aimed at overcoming confusion about planning for for the future.
1:42:59
And through this work, we empower older veterans to take charge of their finances, property and medical care, helping them continue to live in the communities for as long as possible.
1:43:11
Every year since 1994, the the US Department of Veterans Affairs conducts a survey in which participants rank the needs of homeless veterans in the community.
1:43:22
This is called the challenge survey, and this past year, it found that six out of the 10 highest unmet needs for veterans were legal in nature.
1:43:34
And so ensuring that there's access to free legal services for veterans, active duty service members, and their families is of utmost importance.
1:43:46
Last year, the city council dedicated $600,000 for its legal services for veterans initiative to help bridge the access to justice gap for our city's veteran community.
1:43:57
The organizations that receive this funding provide a wide range of legal services and it is of utmost importance that that funding remain in place in the upcoming fiscal year.
1:44:08
The amount of funding dedicated to providing free legal services to veterans is small but critical.
1:44:15
And we would just like to thank the council for its past support for this initiative and hope that that money is restored in this