Legal aid group opens downtown office after helping over 200 people at January event

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Legal Aid of North Carolina held an open house on Thursday to celebrate the opening of their new office in the Harrelson Center located in downtown Wilmington.

At the Fresh Chance Friday event hosted with Port City United last month, Legal Aid helped over 200 people to expunge criminal records and restore their driver’s licenses.

Organizers say their services can provide the clean slate people need to get their life back on track.

“People have said, you know, ’I’m now able to apply for this job,’ or ‘shame held me back, I never applied because I knew I had this on my record.’ And the fact that we’re able to get rid of it is, you know, a huge endeavor and we’re proud to be part of it,” said Ayana Robinson with Legal Aid of NC.

The new office will handle these services year-round, and people with a qualifying income can receive these services for free.

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