Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) has relocated its Rocky Mount office to 101 Tarboro St., Suite 100, Rocky Mount, NC 27801. The office provides free civil legal assistance to residents in Edgecombe, Greene, Lenoir, Nash, Wayne and Wilson counties.

The Rocky Mount office is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering both walk-in availability and scheduled appointments to better serve the community.

With a mission to provide equal access to justice, LANC assists low-income North Carolinians in civil legal matters that are critical to their well-being. The organization’s attorneys and staff focus on issues such as family law, housing and eviction prevention, protection of public benefits, and support for survivors of domestic violence. Through these services, LANC helps individuals and families navigate complex legal challenges, promoting stability and opportunity across the communities it serves.

The Rocky Mount office operates as an extension of LANC’s Wilson office, created to meet the growing demand for civil legal aid in eastern North Carolina. In 2024, the Wilson office handled nearly 500 cases, directly impacting more than 1,200 individuals. The most requested services included family law and rental housing assistance, underscoring the ongoing need for accessible legal support in Rocky Mount and surrounding areas.

“Our new Rocky Mount office marks an important step in expanding our services to meet the community’s needs,” said Ayanda Meachem, managing attorney for LANC’s Wilson, Goldsboro and Rocky Mount offices. “We’re excited to serve Nash and Edgecombe County residents, empowering them to overcome legal obstacles and improving access to justice, especially in rural communities.”

Legal Aid of North Carolina is the only statewide nonprofit providing free legal representation in civil cases to North Carolinians living at or below the poverty line. With 24 offices across the state, LANC addresses critical issues ranging from family safety and housing stability to access to health care and education. The organization is committed to ensuring that all residents, regardless of financial status, have the support they need to protect their rights and pursue a better future.

To learn more about Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Rocky Mount office or to schedule an appointment, call 252-281-2536. Additional information about services and eligibility requirements is available at legalaidnc.org.

Written by Christiana Johnson, Managing Attorney, High Country (Boone)

On a November evening in Watauga County, I pulled into the parking lot of a Lutheran church where community members were gathered. I said hello to a Methodist pastor who, four days after Helene, had invited me to her church to speak on FEMA as she walked in between rows of people eating a free meal. Today, I listened as a local Baptist leader helped facilitate the meeting, alongside local nonprofits, businesses, and concerned community members. We were gathered to answer a simple, but difficult question: How do we help?

As I sat, listened, and participated, I could not help but wonder at the unity in the room. In a world that currently felt so polarized, here we were, setting aside religious and political differences to work on something that we all agreed on: our beloved mountain area needed help, and we wanted to be a part of providing it. And it felt, sitting there in a church basement on a cold winter evening in the High Country, that we knew we were stronger together.

In the wake of Helene, I told several people that when disaster strikes, you tend to see the true colors of a community. And what I saw in rural western North Carolina in the months following Helene humbled me and made me proud to be an adopted member of the community.

For many people, their faith is the catalyst for their work. Exhibit A: Myself. After graduating law school and clerking, there were those that didn’t quite understand why I wanted to work for a legal services organization. Some days, I didn’t quite understand it either. But when I spoke at my law school graduation and shared that the world didn’t really need more attorneys, but it needed more justice seekers, mercy lovers, more humble walkers with their God (Micah 6:8), I meant it. My faith compelled me to action because of scripture’s emphasis on looking after the widow, the orphan, the immigrant, the abused, and the outcast.

I could not count the number of people who ran after justice, clung to mercy, and walked humbly as they carried the burdens of others after Helene. That cold November evening was just one of many gatherings across the High Country in which individuals came together to serve those in desperate need. To play any part in this community’s relief efforts was the honor of a lifetime. And just as the survivors’ stories will replay in my mind for years to come, so will the images of those who gathered around folding tables in church basements. 

Dear Community, 

I’m reaching out with an urgent request. The future of fair housing protections in North Carolina is at risk. Last week, we received indications from within HUD that it would stop funding Legal Aid of NC’s crucial fair housing work. 

The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which helps protect people from housing discrimination, is facing a 77% budget reduction. The Office of Community Planning and Development, which provides housing assistance to veterans, people with disabilities, disaster survivors, and struggling families, is set to lose 84% of its funding. Rural communities could be left without support altogether. 

This fight is personal for me, as I know it is for many of you. As a mother of a child with autism, I know how important fair housing protections are for families like mine. Whether it’s disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or family status, these protections ensure that people in protected classes aren’t pushed to the margins when they seek a home. 

Imagine a disabled veteran—someone who risked everything to protect our country—searching for accessible housing, only to be met with closed doors and no one to fight for them. A family recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, waiting for help to rebuild their home, only to be told the support they were counting on has vanished. These are real people, that could be left struggle alone when they need us most. 

For decades, Legal Aid of North Carolina has been a safety net for those facing housing discrimination. We serve all 100 counties, ensuring that veterans, seniors, families with children, and people with disabilities have access to safe, stable housing. But now, with these funding cuts, we need your support to continue this work. 

Your donation—whether $50 or $5,000—will help sustain our fair housing work at a time when so many people are at risk of losing their homes. 

Please stand with us. Give today to protect housing for those who need it most. 

With gratitude,
Ashley Campbell
CEO, Legal Aid of North Carolina

P.S. Please consider all ways of giving, such as required minimum distributions from your IRA, giving via stock or through your donor advised fund. Your support will strengthen our mission in 2025 and beyond. Request a call or meeting.