LESTIEL'S STORY
Lestiel is the mother of two small children, a Gulf War veteran living with a disability that prevents her from working, and a survivor of military sexual assault.
Like many of our clients living at the brink of poverty, a single incident unleashed a domino effect that brought everything tumbling down for Lestiel. When her husband was unexpectedly laid off, the family quickly reached the end of their savings and faced eviction from their home.
They never made me feel marginalized. They always made me feel like a person. Thank you NYLAG.
– LESTIEL, veteran & former client
Three NYLAG attorneys – a veterans’ benefits expert, a housing lawyer, and a disability advocate – worked with Lestiel to erase her student loan debt, access treatment for her PTSD, stabilize her rent, and obtain the disability benefits she was entitled to.
Today, Lestiel has peace of mind, knowing her family has a safe, healthy home, a dependable income, and the stability they need to thrive. Our lawyers care about the well-being, safety, and happiness of our clients. With your help, we will fight for justice at every corner, like we did for Lestiel.
In a one-year period, NYLAG served 2,800 veterans—from those who served in WWII to those who have recently returned home— and established the first women veterans legal clinic in the United States to reach veterans like Lestiel.
