Low-income locals who need help navigating certain federal application processes - or are looking for legal representation on a variety of issues - may have a chance to get the help they need this week.

Legal Aid of North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit law firm, will hold two workshops at Richmond Community College on Wednesday.

The morning session is designed to help those who are applying for Social Security Disability and Medicaid benefits. Staff Attorney Danielle Briggs said the workshop will provide a general overview of those application processes.

“This is for people who believe they are disabled and are either applying or have applied and have been denied,” said Briggs. “We’ll be going over some of the standards those agencies use in determining eligibility as well as what needs to happen if you’ve been denied, what your timelines are, and what evidence you will need to make your case as strong as possible.”

Those interested in attending this workshop must call 800-672-5834 in advance to be screened for registration.

The afternoon session is for general intake, which Briggs said is for anyone who has a legal problem involving housing, collections, violence in the home, foreclosures, repossessions or education, and wants to apply for Legal Aid services.

“We get the information we need (from those who come) to determine whether or not they are eligible for services; it’s mainly based on household income and assets,” said Briggs. “We also take a look to see if it is a type of problem legal aid can handle, and what types of services we can provide t that person.”

For example, Briggs said education law issues may involve children with disabilities or behavioral problems — perhaps students who are have been or are in danger of being suspended or expelled. Domestic violence and elder abuse fall under violence in the home. The intake session is first come, first served.

“It’s an outreach effort for people who are unable to make it to one of our offices,” said Briggs. “Our office handles six different counties, and they’re spread out from the northern border of the state all the way down to the south. Sometimes it’s not as easy for our clients to get to us by, say, taking a bus like they would if they lived in Raleigh, so we have to be a little more creative..”Both Legal Aid of North Carolina workshops will be held in room two of the Lee Building at Richmond Community College on July 15. The first is for applicants for Social Security Disability and Medicaid benefits, and will last from 11 a.m. to noon. Those interested in attending must call 800-672-5834 to be screened for registration. The second workshop is on housing, collections, violence in the home, foreclosures, repossessions and education - and is first come, first served. It will last from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on either workshop call 1-800-672-5834.