Legal aid, SBDC and other partners offer free counseling, document help and technical assistance

Several nonprofit and nonprofit‑partner organizations described services available to residents and small business owners affected by the May 16 tornado, with an emphasis on low‑income access and document and legal assistance.

Marlene Elliott, managing attorney for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s micro‑enterprise program, said the nonprofit provides free legal advice to eligible low‑income residents and helps small businesses and nonprofits with formation, lease review, contracts, trademark questions and disaster‑related issues such as replacing lost documents and navigating contractor disputes. “We want to kind of step in and be that extra muscle,” Elliott said, citing assistance with deed and title issues, SNAP/Medicaid card replacement and school enrollment problems that arise with displaced families.

Lynette Watson, regional director for the Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC), described counseling and technical help for businesses, including continuity planning, cash‑flow forecasting, access‑to‑capital assistance and help preparing applications. Watson emphasized pre‑disaster resilience planning as well as post‑disaster support: “This is a good time for you all to start working on your business and stop just working in the business,” she said. Watson said the SBDC provides templates and hands‑on help with business plans, market research and training, and will offer AI/automation training later in the summer.

Both organizations urged attendees to visit their recovery tables and to request combined support when multiple issues overlap. Legal Services noted it can handle multiple legal matters for qualified clients and will coordinate with other recovery partners to avoid duplicative intake.