More Volunteers Needed For Senior Legal Hotline
By David Mandel

You're heard the saying, "Be careful what you ask for"? Well, here's a case study: For several years, the Senior Legal Hotline (SLH), a project of Legal Services of Northern California launched in Sacramento County in 1991 and serving Northern California since 1994, has been trying to find a way to expand statewide.

Other such programs around the country funded as "demonstration projects" under Title IV of the Older Americans Act about two dozen at one time or another cover whole states. When the Administration on Aging (AOA) started the program in the late '80s, California was declared two states because of its size. No hotline had ever been funded for the south.

The hotline's experience and enthusiastic client feedback have demonstrated the need for and high value of quick access to solid, free advice by phone for seniors on any legal subject, extra assistance in some cases and top-notch educational and self-help materials by mail or e-mail. Why shouldn't southerners two-thirds of the state's population have the same opportunity?

So in 2002, when the AOA changed course and said that a California application would have to be statewide, like everywhere else, the LSNC program stepped up relationship building with local Southern California senior legal services providers and eagerly applied. But in an amazing foul-up, a package of 20- some letters of support and commitment, from most of those local providers, the State Bar, Department of Aging, consumer groups and others, all disappeared in the AOA's Washington office. California, not surprisingly, missed the highly competitive cut, despite its record as the largest senior legal hotline in the country and reputation as one of the best in quality, efficiency and innovation.

The 2003 round was different: California's application was top-ranked, so SLH now has a mandate to serve seniors in the whole state for the next three years. But while the eligible senior population has tripled with the addition of the south, the federal funds awarded have been whittled to the point where taking inflation into account, LSNC's grant now is about the same as the original one, 10 years ago, then for Northern California only.

The other 10 statewide hotlines currently funded around the country receive an average of about 16 cents per senior from their AOA grants. Those in the smallest states and D.C. range from nearly 50 cents to $1.25. The California grant, by contrast provides less than 3 cents per senior.

SLH personnel are hard at work seeking out other possible grants to make up the difference. Offers, connections and suggested leads are most welcome. And meanwhile, another way to help serve more seniors is for local attorneys to volunteer. Attend the upcoming training, or call for more information even if you can't make that event. A series of orientation sessions for new volunteers will be held in April, after the training; others are scheduled as needed throughout the year. For a closer glimpse at the SLH's operations, have a look at www.seniorlegalhotline.org