Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), the largest provider of pro bono civil legal services to low-income Marylanders, today announced the launch of its Advanced Planning Project (APP), which is designed to give low-income Baltimore City seniors free access to estate planning and administration services. The APP’s goal is to help Baltimore seniors remain in their homes while simultaneously stabilizing their neighborhood. The program is made possible through a generous grant from the Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foundation.
“All seniors should have the right to age gracefully in their own homes, even if they can’t afford an estate attorney to walk them through the necessary paperwork to protect their homes,” said Susan Francis, deputy director, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS). “Through our new Advanced Planning Project, we will debunk the myth that low and middle income households don’t need to do estate planning. In fact, estate planning can provide access to critically important resources, including homeowner’s property tax credit, water credits and home repair programs that make it much easier for seniors to stay in the comfort of their homes.”
Advanced Planning Project (APP) MVLS’ Advanced Planning Project (APP) will shine a spotlight on the two largest barriers low-income seniors experience regarding estate planning services – a lack of awareness of the relevance of estate planning in low-income communities and the out-of-reach cost associated with estate administration and recording a new deed, which can cost $600 or more.
Seniors make up 12 percent of the Baltimore City population and 65 percent of these seniors are homeowners. The majority of senior households in Baltimore City earn less than $30,000 per year and meet MVLS’ income guidelines to quality for free legal services, including important estate planning programs. MVLS will collaborate with religious sites and community health workers who often work with vulnerable seniors in their homes to raise awareness of the APP.
John Kern, New APP Project Coordinator
MVLS hired John Kern as its new APP project coordinator. In this role, Kern will develop relationships with community organizations to raise awareness of the importance of estate planning for low-income individuals while connecting those in need with MVLS’ free legal services.
Previously, Kern was the director, producer and dramaturge at Poor Dog Group, a theater collective in Los Angeles, California. In addition, Kern is a founding member of The More Life Initiative, a cultural exchange between institutions, community groups, individual artists, researchers and policy makers. At The More Life Initiative, he established strategic partnerships with state-funded institutions and grassroots organizations to record survivor testimony and launch a story bank used to transform local narratives into policy. Kern conducted fieldwork in East Africa on behalf of the organization. With deep roots in the Baltimore community, Kern volunteers with several progressive social justice and advocacy organizations, including The Charles Village Benefits District and Stand Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). Kern holds a Master’s of Arts degree in Aesthetics and Politics from the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles.
“John’s experience in building long-lasting community relationships that help generate change is a welcomed addition to the MVLS team,” continued Francis. “We are looking forward to reaching more Baltimore City communities with John’s help.”
About Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS)
Founded in 1981 with a mission to provide access to justice for all, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) serves Maryland’s low-income residents by offering counseling and full representation for civil legal cases. MVLS matches clients with volunteer lawyers who represent them in a wide range of consumer, family and workforce re-entry situations, including foreclosure, bankruptcy, income tax disputes, landlord/tenant disputes, wills, estate planning, criminal record expungement, divorce/custody and deed changes. For more information about MVLS, visit www.mvlslaw.org.
