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Supervisor Foley recognized the pro-bono attorneys and volunteers of the Veterans Legal Institute (VLI) and their support for Orange County’s veterans population. Sponsoring the event, Supervisor Foley highlighted the joint commitment of her office and the VLI to assist veterans and provide essential legal assistance.
“The harsh reality is that veterans in Orange County go hungry, unsheltered, and neglected every day,”said Supervisor Foley. “Thank you to the pro-bono attorneys, volunteers, and staff at the VLI who dedicate as much as 10,000 volunteer hours to setting our veterans up for success. We must show those who fought for our freedom that we continue to fight for them. Our veterans give everything to this country, and we must treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Since its founding in 2014, the VLI has secured more than $3.9 million in Veterans Affairs benefits for OC Veterans and another $560,000 in civil awards. Helping those who are most often overlooked, VLI has made a name for itself nationwide as a leader in both the practice and reform of law related to Military Sexual Trauma and military discharge upgrades. Notably, VLI is also one of the only veterans aide organizations to extend legal services to veterans’ families, acknowledging the burdens loved ones carry.
The event comes on the heels of Supervisor Foley’s presentation of grocery gift cards totaling $15,000 to local veterans’ service organizations to address the ongoing food insecurity problem among the Orange County veteran population. The presentation was made possible by Supervisor Foley’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) discretionary dollars allocated for meal-gap funding.
