The Eagles continue to support nonprofits that work to reduce barriers to opportunity and end racism. In support of Black History Month, the Eagles are proud to recognize the work of one of these nonprofits each day.
The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) is a client-centered organization that provides leadership, funding, and support to improve the availability and equality of civil legal aid and direct legal services for low-income people and victims of domestic violence across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, according to its website.
It prides itself on offering a continuum of legal information, advice, and services through direct representation for low-income individuals and families who face urgent civil legal problems.
To help PLAN's cause, the Eagles granted the organization $20,000 via their Social Justice Fund. PLAN used the grant in two ways: Fund a pardon hub for the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equality (PLSE) and help fund Philadelphia Legal Assistance, which helps low-income families preserve their homes.
The latter is led by Philadelphia native Shalisa Brunson, who worked with PLAN via its Martin Luther King Jr. Internship and Fellowship programs in 2019.
"The money that the Philadelphia Eagles give to PLAN we directly pass through to fund Shalisa's work in Philadelphia on behalf of low-income Philadelphia homeowners, who are trying to remain stably housed," said PLAN's Executive Director Patrick Cicero.
"A lot of her work involves helping people in tangle title legal issues that arise out of probate," said PLAN Administrative Officer Arlene Marshall-Hockensmith. "Sometimes, people pass away without a will and we're making sure that the homes get to stay within the families rather than being done away with and going to someone else."
The grant money also allowed PLSE to increase its pardon applications for individuals with criminal records that are old and impede their ability to gain employment or obtain stable housing.
"They're doing training across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, some in Philly but mostly actually outside of the City of Philadelphia, to train lawyers to do pardon applications to ensure that individuals with criminal records that impede their ability to regain employment or remain housed would be able to go through the process of obtaining either expungement or cleaning up of the record, or go through the pardon-application process," Cicero said.
Learn more about the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network:
• Website
