Attorneys, paralegals and law students in the Philadelphia area are working to assist Puerto Rican evacuees.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, Esperanza College will host a pop-up pro bono legal clinic to help Hurricane Maria evacuees to:

• Register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Submit claims to FEMA

• Appeal denials of FEMA claims

• Address other legal issues

Esperanza College is located at 4261 N 5th Street, Philadelphia 19140. The clinic begins at 10 a.m.

Organizers of the legal clinic are:

• The Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania

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• The Toll Public Interest Center at the University of Pennsylvania Law School

• The Vanguard Group

• Unidos Pa’PR

• The Philadelphia Bar Association

Hurricane Maria, which ravaged Puerto Rico in September, has forced the evacuation of thousands of people from the island. According to a recent report by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, nearly 60,000 Puerto Ricans are expected to evacuate to Pennsylvania before next year.

For more information about the free legal clinic contact Ceiba, a coalition of Latino community-based organization in Philadelphia, via email ([email protected]) or by phone (215-634-7245). To register for the clinic, click here.

According to Ceiba, FEMA will accept claims from Hurricane Maria victims until March 20, 2018, and victims have 60 days to appeal if FEMA denies them disaster relief.