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Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (LASSMC) I Blog: Point of View
Happy National Philanthropy Day!
Happy National Philanthropy Day!

Thank you so much to everyone who makes our work possible. With the help of passionate pro bono attorneys, generous donors, and our corporate and law firm sponsors, we opened over 1,700 cases last year to serve local families. Through acts of philanthropy, we were able to ensure that our low-inome community understood their rights so they could advocate for themselves and received legal representation when their problems were to complex to solve alone. Check out our latest annual report to learn more about the impact of our services!

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A Post-Election Message from Legal Aid SMC

The 2024 Election season was filled with misinformation targeting our neighbors based on their race, gender, immigration status, and more. At Legal Aid SMC, we continue to push back against these attempts to disempower local families by providing accurate information and legal services to help them access the social safety nets meant to help us all. To learn more about how the outcome of the presidential election may or may not affect you and your loved ones, visit legalaidsmc.org/2024-election

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A Summer with Legal Aid: Carl L. McConnell Fellow

My name is Tracy Vu, and I am a first generation law student at the University of San Francisco. I spent this summer working as the Carl L. McConnell Fellow for the housing team at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. As I begin my second year in school, I am looking back on my summer experience and what brought me to where I am now. 

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Health

Open enrollment for CoveredCA is happening now until January 31, 2025! If you are a DACA recipient, you can also purchase health plans through CoveredCA for the first time. DACA recipients also have a Special Enrollment Period that will allow you to start using health insurance on December 1, 2024, if you enroll by November 30, 2024! Visit www.healthcare.gov to learn more and get started!

¡La inscripción abierta para CoveredCA está ocurriendo ahora hasta el 31 de enero de 2025! Si usted es un beneficiario de DACA, también puede comprar planes de salud a través de CoveredCA por primera vez. Los beneficiarios de DACA también tienen un Período de Inscripción Especial que le permitirá comenzar a usar el seguro de salud el 1 de diciembre de 2024, ¡si se inscribe antes del 30 de noviembre de 2024! ¡Visite www.healthcare.gov para obtener más información y comenzar!

Immigration Status: Starting January 1, 2024, all California residents can apply for full-scope Medi-Cal regardless of immigration status.

Estado de inmigración: A partir del 1 de enero de 2024, todos los residentes de California podrán solicitar el Medi-Cal completo independientemente de su situación migratoria.

Public Charge

Check out the Keep Your Benefits website for information about Public Charge and immigration. Information is available in English, Spanish and Chinese. www.keepyourbenefits.org

How can you protect your family and yourself from ICE?

Here are 4 easy steps for you to act on NOW!

  1. In case of ICE contact or sightings, call the Rapid Response hotline at 1-203-666-4472.

  2. Know your rights. Keep the red card handy at all times.

  3. Have a plan for you and your family in case someone is detained.

  4. Contact an immigration attorney about your legal options before speaking or signing anything.

In just one year, Legal Aid fought against social injustice by opening 1,722 cases for our low-income neighbors.

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718 households with children supported

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Provided legal aid to 555 clients with a disability

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Over 83 evictions stopped to keep families housed

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85 Pediatric Residents trained to recognize legal issues affecting their patients’ health

More information available in our annual Impact Report

The Median income in San Mateo County: $180,000

The Median income of Legal Aid clients: $26,000

The fight against social injustice for people living in poverty continues.

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Contact us at Legal Aid: call (650) 558-0915