Help the Senior Legal Hotline help others:

We couldn't help as many seniors as we do or give them as much as we do without a lot of help to our low-budget, nonprofit agency. With cramped offices, streamlined administration, low wages, long hours and economical equipment, it still costs around $50 to provide simple advice and some written material to one caller - far more when we get more deeply involved.

We -- and the seniors who call on us -- are grateful to the government agencies and foundations that provide encouragement and financial support; to the hundreds of individuals each year who send us checks, large and small (we're especially moved by the $5 checks and $1 bills from clients who are near poverty themselves); and to the dozens of volunteers - attorneys, student interns and others - who give of their time.

Here's a listing of the ways you can help, including some new twists:

Volunteers -- we can use all sorts, all ages, all skill levels, different hours and levels of commitment. Please click on the following job descriptions, then contact us to talk about it.

• Volunteer attorney

• Volunteer paralegal and other advocates

• Volunteer outreach agent (outside of Sacramento)

• Volunteer phone intake/clerical assistant  

• Volunteer public relations/outreach

• Volunteer interpreter

• Opportunities for law students

• VISTA Opportunity

• Computer Science Internship

• Social Work Intern

• 2010 Summer Law Student Internship Application

Donations:

• NEW! You can make a secure donation by credit card on line. Click here for instructions.

• Checks for any amount are always welcome. Please make them out to Senior Legal Hotline/LSNC, and mail to 444 North 3rd Street #312, Sacramento, CA 95811.

• The hotline can accept donations of used vehicles to support our work - and unlike some such programs, none of the money goes to commercial middlemen. Click here for more details.

Bequests:

• If you'd like to consider leaving something in your trust or will for the hotline's work (or for any other good cause), we can give you basic information on how to do it. Call or e-mail.

• If your estate is large, leaving assets to tax-exempt agencies may save on estate taxes. Consult a private attorney specialist for detailed planning techniques.

Grant ideas:

• Do you know of some potential source of funding that may be able to help us serve more seniors? Tell us about it!

• The California Senior Legal Hotline welcomes cy pres award nominations. Cy pres awards allow unclaimed settlement funds from class-action suits to be distributed to organizations that are most likely to benefit or pursue the interests of the class.

  Our dedicated staff and volunteers provide quality legal help to thousands of seniors around the state each year, but just as many callers fail to get through on our busy phone lines. Many of those who dial our number are facing foreclosure, eviction, abuse or some other crisis — and have nowhere else to turn. A cy pres award would allow us to serve more seniors in need. If you are in a position to nominate the hotline for an award, please contact us for further information about our program.