On behalf of the MBF Fellows, the Foundation recently awarded a grant of $10,000 to the National Legal Aid and Defender Association's Helping Hands: the Equal Justice Colleagues' Support Fund. The fund was established to provide financial assistance to legal aid staff and public defender offices that have suffered direct and significant personal loss as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Made on behalf of the MBF Fellows, this gift will be used to assist staff of civil legal aid agencies in the affected areas.
"In the wake of such a catastrophic disaster, the MBF trustees felt strongly that the Foundation could play a role in aiding the long-term redevelopment efforts in those areas affected by Hurricane Katrina," said MBF President Francis A. Ford. "NLADA's Helping Hands Fund is an excellent opportunity for us to provide direct assistance to those individuals working hard every day to ensure equal access to justice. In this time of crisis, our assistance will be critical to the daunting task of re-establishing civil legal assistance resources for the thousands of low-income residents in the region most impacted by the storm."
The MBF is proud to join its colleagues in the legal community who have generously supported NLADA's Helping Hands Fund and the many other relief efforts nationwide. For more information about this fund, visit www.nlada.org.