Community volunteers sought to staff legal helpline

The Volunteer Lawyers Project is looking for community volunteers to staff its legal helpline in Portland, the project announced. Volunteers do not need to be attorneys or have a law background; they only need to have a desire to help Mainers in need and be able to commit to three hours a week for a minimum of six months.

Volunteers can work morning shifts from 9 a.m. to noon or an afternoon shift from 1-4 p.m. Interested volunteers will be trained to answer the phone lines, interview callers, review the matter with legal supervisors and act as the link to needed services.

“Over 15 percent of Maine's citizens live in poverty, half of all Mainers read at or below an eighth grade level, and approximately 70,000 low-income households experience a significant legal problem every year,” said Lin Martin-Hunt, volunteer coordinator for the Volunteer Lawyers Project. “Our volunteers serve as the front line in empowering people to assert their rights and use the law to change their lives for the better.”

Since the project began, volunteers have contributed nearly $30 million worth of free legal assistance to indigent Mainers. To learn more about the helpline — and other volunteer opportunities, call Lin Martin-Hunt at 774-4518, ext. 1223 or email at lmartinhunt@vlp.org.