Community Legal Services marks 60 years with Spring Hill celebration

At Anderson Snow Park in Spring Hill, Community Legal Services marked its 60th anniversary with Hernando County Board members, Representative Jeff Holcomb and other community members in attendance, putting a local face on a regional legal-aid network that many residents rely on only when a problem has already become urgent.

Director of Advocacy Morgan Cardinal led the celebration, which came as the nonprofit spent 2026 visiting each of the 12 counties it serves. The organization, founded in 1966, said it has grown from 13 lawyers, four social-service professionals and eight community members into a staff of more than 160. That expansion reflects a demand that rarely makes headlines but shapes daily life in Hernando County, from keeping a roof overhead to securing benefits or protecting a family from abuse.

Community Legal Services says it provides no-cost help to people who qualify and handles civil legal matters only. Its Spring Hill office is at 463 Mariner Boulevard, and its helpline is 1-800-405-1417. The line is staffed Monday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The helpline offers brief advice, pro se assistance and referrals.

The nonprofit’s public issue pages show work that reaches deep into ordinary but high-stakes disputes. It helps renters facing eviction, people trying to avoid foreclosure, families seeking protection from domestic violence, tenants in public housing disputes and parents or guardians in paternity and non-parent custody cases. It also helps seniors fight unlawful eviction and assists veterans seeking benefits they have earned.

Its service-area materials list Hernando alongside Brevard, Citrus, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Putnam, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties. CLS also lists an Inverness office serving Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties.

Cardinal said the celebration was really about the community itself being part of the legacy, and Commissioner Jerry Campbell praised the group’s work. The nonprofit’s advisory council includes former Senator Mel Martinez, former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, Stetson University College of Law Dean Benjamin Barros and AdventHealth executive Kent Johnson, underscoring the reach of a legal aid provider that now operates as part of Hernando County’s safety net.