Our Story

Help Now Advocacy was founded in 2004 by attorney Laurence M. Kahn, who saw firsthand how easily people in crisis could become overwhelmed when they did not know where to turn or could not resolve a problem on their own. He recognized that many crises did not require legal action, but did require someone willing to listen, understand the full situation, advocate on the person’s behalf, and stay involved until a path toward resolution could be found.

That insight became the foundation for Help Now Advocacy. From its beginnings in rural Oregon, HNA developed an individualized approach to crisis resolution that combines advocacy, negotiation, investigation, problem solving, resource coordination, and persistent follow-through. Rather than simply providing information or referrals, HNA works directly with individuals and families to help resolve the crisis they are facing.

More than two decades later, HNA has assisted more than 13,000 individuals and families, with requests for help coming from nearly every state. Today, through its National Advocacy Hotline, HNA continues to provide individualized, direct crisis resolution at no cost—guided by the same principle that inspired its founding: help people first and stay engaged until there is a path toward resolution.