News and stories about our work to protect and advance the civil legal rights of low-income Texans.
The rise in recent school shootings Mass school shootings are a traumatic event that can potentially trigger mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in people directly impacted by a violent threat, such as a school shooting. Studies show that adolescent trauma has more lifelong effects on young people with developing brains. This causes them to struggle […]
It wasn’t unusual for the police to arrive at Cynthia’s home in the middle of the day, however this time, they expected to find her dead. They always came and checked on her and warned her to never leave her house at night. Cynthia was a victim of domestic violence for two years until she got a divorce from her […]
Port Arthur, Texas – John Beard, the President of PA-CAN (Port Arthur Community Action Network), a community group client of our Environmental Justice Team, is being recognized for his environmental advocacy with two 2021 Awards, the FracTracker Alliance’s 2021 Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship and the Climate Law Institute’s 2021 Rose Braz Award for Bold Activism. The Community Sentinel […]
Houston, TX – Following statewide guidance, public libraries are now open at 75% capacity. Masks are required to enter all government facilities. If you do not have a mask, the library will provide one free of charge. Aside from offering access to physical collections of books and movies to browse and check out, public libraries also offer computer access, printing […]
We’ll be taking a break from virtual outreach for the rest of December, but we’ll be back in January. We already have our 2022 schedule set so you can resume watching informational series like Law Talk Friday, Local Law Live, PRIDE without Prejudice, and The Safe Space. We’ll see you… streaming, next year! Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501(c)(3) […]
While 4 and 5G networks are available, many older adults and low-income individuals use older cell phones, life alerts or other devices that still use 3G networks. 3G Wireless Networks are scheduled to shut down in 2022, which will prevent 3G cell phone users from placing and receiving calls, and cutting off their access to data. Each mobile carrier plans […]
Doctors diagnosed Joseph with Progressive Glaucoma, which is an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve resulting in permanent vision loss. He was told his eyesight would gradually fade over several years until he was blind, but little did he know he would be involved in an accident that would dramatically change his life sooner than he thought. […]
Mary’s insurance denied her the coverage she needed to keep seeking treatment and surgeries for the genetic illness that she was diagnosed with when she was born. Von Hipple Landau (VHL) is a type of cancer that causes malignant tumors to form in multiple organs of the body which initiated her permanent blindness in 2007. She also experiences numbness, weaknesses […]
The six top holiday scams Charity Scams: If a website wants donations in cash or gift cards, don’t do it! Charity scams pop up around the holidays. Scammers can trick you into paying them by thanking you for a donation you never made. They may also appear legitimate by their name, but always research them first to find out where their […]
What is Giving Season? Giving Season is the time between November 1st and December 31st, in which nonprofit organizations campaign for donations, champion volunteer work, and inspire acts of kindness. Falling on November 30th this year, Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Unlike its gift-buying counterparts, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is to encourage charitable donations. Sometimes […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid is accepting cryptocurrency donations through The Giving Block this Giving Season. The Giving Block allows people to donate cryptocurrency and nonprofits to receive it safely and relatively easily. Non-profits are also businesses, and individual donations allow us to be innovative, provide high quality services, and sustain our work when other resources are unavailable. […]
Lone Star Legal Aid wishes you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. In observance of the holiday, Lone Star Legal Aid will be closed. All offices will reopen on Monday, November 29th, 2021. Texans can still apply for free legal help online at http://www.lonestarlegal.org.
A mother applied her two children for Children’s Medicaid six months before reaching out to Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA), but Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) denied her because in their system, the two children had foster care insurance. The mother informed Paralegal Cristina Palacios, that the children have not been in foster care for over a year. She […]
The children were crying, screaming and covering their watery eyes while their mother starved them, neglected them and continually drowned herself in drugs. The children deserved to be loved, looked after and cared for. They didn’t deserve to be abandoned, neglected and left to fend for themselves, especially at the ages of seven and nine. Valerie, the daughter in law […]
The Constitutional rights of several residents were being violated in a low-income housing complex in Center, Texas. They were facing invasion of privacy and unequal protection to the laws rooted by racial discrimination. The Center Housing Authority (CHA) continually violated these residents’ Constitutional rights by breaking multiple federal laws. The landlord’s rules and regulations were so restrictive that the residents’ […]
In observance of Veterans Day, Lone Star Legal Aid will be closed to honor all those who served. All offices will reopen on Friday, November 12th, 2021. Texans can still apply for free legal help online at http://www.lonestarlegal.org.
Devoted uncle Justin Gillis became involved in a court action with his sister’s children. Their mother and father lost legal and custodial rights in New York City due to several allegations of neglect and abuse. Thus, a New York order placed the children with Mr. Gillis’ mother; the court order allowed the parents visitation rights at the discretion and under […]
Kassandra met Lilah in San Diego, California in 2012 when she was just twelve years old, and instantly knew she was in love with her. She expressed to her mother that she was bisexual and did not approve. Her mother thought life would be hard for her, because she would be judged harshly. Kassandra’s father was never in the picture, […]
The Texas Rent Relief portal is closing on Friday, November 5, 2021 at 5:00 PM, affecting all new applications. Local rent relief may still be available in some areas. Due to the total requests for assistance now exceeding all Texas Rent Relief funds available, the program is closing its application portal to new applications and additional funding requests on Friday, […]
Lambda Legal, a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV, has won victories in two class action lawsuits on behalf of surviving same-sex partners and spouses across the country. These cases impact anyone denied Social Security Survivor’s Benefits because they were unable to be […]