In the days following Hurricane Helene’s vicious descent on Western North Carolina, leaders and staff at nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services moved quickly to mobilize assistance for people throughout the region who were left devastated.
“It was never a matter of ‘should’ we help,” said Jackie Kiger, Pisgah Legal’s Executive Director. “It was only a matter of what form that would take and how quickly we could be up and running.”
She continued, “First, we ensured our staff was safe and accounted for, then immediately pivoted to get up to speed on FEMA applications and regulations.”
A few short days later, the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers began hosting the first of dozens of free clinics from Cashiers to Asheville, Spruce Pine to Brevard and other locations around WNC, aid that continues even now. Since September 2024, Pisgah Legal has provided free FEMA application help, insurance aid, housing assistance and much more to thousands impacted by Helene.
Pisgah Legal Services is known for providing free civil legal aid, anti-poverty advocacy and access to health care, with a long history of offering holistic service to people in need that began in 1978 with a mission to assist people living in poverty and increase access to justice.
With offices in Cashiers, Highlands, and all around the 18-county region it serves, Pisgah Legal works in conjunction with local cities and counties and other nonprofits in the mountains, such as Vecinos’ new Community Hub in Franklin. Their staff of 132 leverages a volunteer network of approximately 250 pro bono attorneys, resulting in help for more than 25,000 people in need in the last year alone.
Pisgah Legal’s focus areas address housing crises, safety from abuse and violence, accessing health care and securing subsistence income.
“Every day we navigate complex government and bureaucratic systems with our clients,” continued Kiger, “so we have been in a natural position to also successfully assist those affected by Helene.”
And there are new challenges on the horizon, as significant federal and state funding cuts are decimating the safety net for people with low incomes and reducing the capacity of nonprofits as well. Almost 25 percent of Pisgah Legal’s annual budget is at risk in the coming year.
“We are so grateful for the community support that we’ve received from the people of Highlands and Cashiers, both for our disaster recovery work and for the core services that alleviate poverty,” remarked Kiger. “We hope that the generous people of the Plateau will continue to stand alongside us and allow us to continue to be that beacon of light in the darkness for those who need us most. We are in this for the long haul.”
Pisgah Legal Services Annual Justice Forum is happening on October 23 in downtown Asheville with a special free watch party also happening in Highlands.
This year’s speaker is Dr. Imani Perry, a Harvard University Professor, recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and celebrated author whose work bridges history, law, literature, and the arts to examine the enduring legacies of race and inequality in America.
Visit pisgahlegal.org to learn more, or contact local staff person Leslie Manning at (828) 575-1353 or leslie@pisgahlegal.org.
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