PRESIDENT’S GREETINGS
The Valley Community Legal Foundation (VCLF) is the charitable arm of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association. The Foundation was created for and exists to assist law related projects, battered and abused spouses and needy children and students that are considering law as a career. The VCLF is a registered 501 (3) (c) organization and has a tax identification number of 95-3397334.
Many persons do not think that charitable deeds and attorneys and their Bar Associations go together. One of the purposes of the Foundation is to not only assist the support of attorneys, corporations, businesses and individuals but to also demonstrate that attorneys can work together for the betterment of the San Fernando Valley.
Over the years the VCLF has funded many worthy projects and organizations such as Haven Hills, the “teddy bear” program in juvenile court, awarded grants and scholarships to students and other such worthwhile efforts.
For those of you that go to court you will notice that there are Children’s Waiting Rooms in the Van Nuys and San Fernando courthouses. The VCLF was instrumental in the creation of these safe havens for children. Imagine the stress placed on a child who accompanies a parent to Family Law Court regarding proceedings filed by one parent against the other. In the past the child had to either wait in the hallway by themselves or in the courtroom and listen to his or her parents tell the judge “bad things” about the other parent. Thanks to the Children’s Waiting Rooms the children can be left in a supervised room and not have to be subjected to the bickering of their parents.
Children are, unfortunately often, the victims or witnesses to crimes. Police stations over the years have not been designed with the comfort of children in mind. This is not a criticism of the police departments but it is simply “just the facts”. The newest Los Angeles Police Department’s facility in the Valley is called the Topanga Station. That station is equipped with a soft interview room where children that are victims of abuse or other criminal activity can be interviewed in a more home like environment. The Foundation was approached and asked to fund the furniture for the soft interview room.
This year the Foundation is undertaking the task of helping the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) project of the Juvenile Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court. CASA volunteers are members of the community that want to help with children that are under the jurisdiction of the dependency portion of the Juvenile Court. These children are the victims of battery, abuse of all types and may be abandoned. The Count’s budget cannot assist the CASA program to its greatest potential and the Foundation is going to try and help with a grant.
The main source of income for the Foundation is derived from the yearly GALA dinner. The GALA is the Foundation’s opportunity to allow all persons to help by attending, having a great meal and meeting elected officials that are helping the Foundation. The GALA also provides the opportunity to recognize the heroic efforts of local fire and police officers who put their lives on the line every day for us.
The Foundation also gratefully accepts donations.
Each of you are urged to think what you can do to help the victims of abuse and abandonment by joining the Foundation in its efforts. For further information please contact the San Fernando Valley Bar Offices at 818 227 0490 ext 105, or write to the Foundation at 21250 Califa Street, Suite 112 Woodland Hills California, or send a message to our web site which is www.vclegalfoundation.org
Sincerely,
VALLEY COMMUNITY LEGAL FOUNDATION
Judge Michael R. Hoff (Retired)
President
