DES MOINES - Iowa Legal Aid announced Monday it would step up its efforts to provide legal assistance to elderly and low-income Iowans as the need for services grows.

Leaders of the group formally unveiled details of a new foundation that will help provide dollars for those services at a news conference that featured former Iowa governors Robert Ray and Tom Vilsack.

Organizers say the need for help in legal matters has grown because of the current housing crisis and a rise in the state's poverty level to 11 percent.

Ray said poverty often deprives people of the time and resources necessary to secure basic necessities for their families. He urged Iowans to consider how they might join the mission to help provide legal services to those who might not be able to afford it.

"No tradition is more central to being an Iowan than reaching out a helping hand," Ray said.

While Iowans who are charged with crimes are provided with a lawyer if they cannot afford one, no such guarantee exists in civil legal matters. That is where Iowa Legal Aid steps in to help.

Last year, Iowa Legal Aid closed nearly 19,000 cases but had to turn away or "under serve" another 12,000 families because of a lack of resources. The organization receives state, federal and private dollars for its operation.

The largest segment of the organization's work is in the area of family law, including women and children in domestic violence situations. Housing cases make up the next largest segment, including issues between landlords and tenants.

Vilsack said the holidays are a difficult time for many families, and Iowa Legal Aid can help families seeking assistance.

"It could be anyone in need of assistance and help who can no longer afford quality counsel," Vilsack said.

Deb O'Tool of Fort Dodge described how Iowa Legal Aid helped her during a custody dispute, a time she describes as one of the most difficult in her life.

"Legal Aid believed in me when very few others did," she said.

Dennis Groenenboom, Iowa Legal Aid's executive director, said over the long term, they plan to develop an endowment to sustain the organization, which has 10 regional offices across the state.

Those seeking legal assistance or those who want to donate can call 1-800-532-1275 or visit the Web site at www.iowalegalaid.org.

Contact Charlotte Eby at (515) 422-9061 or chareby@aol.com.