Sidebar Summer 2018 - 29

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EPIC Volunteers Jimmy C. Chong, Esq. and Pamela Cunningham, Esq.
Susan L. Strong, Esq. and Eileen Carroll, Esq., Legal Aid of
Southeastern Pennsylvania attorneys, provided invaluable
support and training throughout the pilot and its planning
phases. Montgomery Bar Foundation Secretary and Trustee,
Barbara M. Smith, Esq. provided leadership and unwavering
commitment to the project and was instrumental in the
unprecedented expediency of EPIC's launch.
The program is currently only available in Judge Margaret
Hunsicker's Norristown District Court, but talks of expansion
are already underway. Judge Hunsicker's support of the
program has been key to its success and was recognized at the
recent Your Way Home Summit with a Champion for Change
Award presented by the Montgomery County commissioners.
As she accepted her award, Judge Hunsicker spoke of the
power of collaborations like those responsible for EPIC, and
graciously shared her award with her partners in the program.
Studies of similar efforts to prevent eviction throughout the
country cite support and cooperation from the courts as a key
factor of success, and Judge Hunsicker, as well as Denise S.
Vicario, Esq., Chief Deputy Court Administrator, and John
Savoth, Deputy Court Administrator-Special Courts, certainly
demonstrate the validity of that claim.
Another key component of the program is the connection
to social services. Rebecca Hoover, of the Pottstown Cluster
of Religious Communities, is the social service provider who
is onsite for every EPIC shift and is integral to the program's
success. Through a thorough and compassionate intake
process, Becka determines eligibility and needs for each client

who wishes to be considered for EPIC's services, and works
with the volunteer attorney to help address the spectrum of
issues presented to her. She notes,
This is the best thing I've ever done. It is an opportunity to
assist individuals in an immediate, life-changing way. Each
case is different, from the single man whose car broke down
and couldn't get to work, to the single mother of three who
made "just enough" until her mother got sick. Each household
comes to you at one of the worst times of their lives, and this
multi-service program has the potential to change that for
them by offering concrete ways to stay in their home and legal
representation they often don't even know they are entitled to.
A comprehensive report detailing the impact of EPIC will
be completed by the Montgomery County Office of Housing
and Community Development later this summer. Look
for updates on the progress and growth of the program in
upcoming editions of SIDEBAR.
To continue to provide its essential services, EPIC is in
need of many more dedicated volunteer attorneys to
provide same-day, limited representation to tenants facing
eviction on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons in Judge
Hunsicker's Norristown District Court. No prior landlord/
tenant experience is required and training is provided.
To learn more visit https://www.signupgenius.com/
go/60b0f4dafae2fa5f58-volunteer or contact Nancy Walsh
at nancywalsh@montogmerybar.org or 610-994-3663.

SUMMER 2018 29
http://montgomerybar.org https://www.signupgenius.com/
Sidebar Summer 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sidebar Summer 2018
