Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law Volunteers and Donors Aid Some of LA’s Poorest Families
According to a year end 2013 report, volunteers for the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law get credit for helping some of the poorest families in Los Angeles. Living on a monthly average income of $965, a mother or father and child at the Center are subsisting on 30% less cash than the U.S. Poverty Rate sets for a household of this size. Unable to make ends meet, clients at the Center cannot afford basic necessities like rent and medical care, much less consider payment for a lawyer to help address critical family problems such as stopping domestic violence and securing economic support.
That’s where Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law’s volunteers and donors stepped in, giving their valuable time and money to help the Center’s very low-income clients…
– The Center’s 315 volunteers, primarily lawyers and law students, provided almost 15,000 hours of donated legal services during the past year.
– Over 900 indigent individuals all received legal advice, some for initial consultation and referral, others for continuing in-depth assistance and in some cases, representation.
– For those clients with active cases, volunteers and staff provided an average of 43 hours of legal assistance per case.
– Volunteers at the Center’s office handled 1,000 pro per appointments and lawyers aided 116 clients on the pro bono panel for representation and specialized assistance.
– Private individuals, firms, businesses and foundations contributed over $500,000 to the Center’s first Century Campaign (check our our Special Donor Newsletter and Donor Video).
– Our donors enabled the Center to reduce fundraising expenses by 59% by directing the limited resources and staff time of the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law away from galas and special events and toward the Center’s programs and services.
– In addition, volunteers joined the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law staff at three neighborhood outreach sites and two community colleges throughout all of calendar year 2013, making the legal services more accessible to poor individuals.