Kate had suffered from an abusive relationship for years when she finally escaped her abuser and found an apartment of her own. Kate was very careful to try and make sure her abuser couldn’t find her, but eventually, he did. He broke into her new apartment, assaulted her, and caused a large amount of property damage. Following this incident, Kate’s apartment complex ordered her evicted from her home. Kate couldn’t afford to get a lawyer, but fortunately, she heard about Legal Aid of East Tennessee and turned to them for help. Legal Aid took Kate’s case and, based on the Violence Against Women Act and Fair Housing violations, they were able to prevent her eviction. Kate then had time to find new housing where her abuser could not find her and she finally felt safe. Through Legal Aid’s pro-bono work with Kate, she was able to find safety and stability that she didn’t dream of before.
United Way of Greater Knoxville is proud to partner with an agency that defends and upholds Knoxvillians’ rights, even when they can’t afford legal defence themselves. Everyone in our community has inherent rights, and Legal Aid of East Tennessee is dedicated to upholding them. Change doesn’t happen alone. To live better, we must LIVE UNITED.