The Houston Bar Foundation set up a Hurricane Ike Relief Fund so members can make tax-deductible contributions to organizations that directly serve victims of the storm, such as the American Red Cross. While every contribution is crucial and appreciated, one member’s donation was designated for a special use. David J. Healey contributed $15,000 to the Hurricane Ike Relief Fund in honor of the opening of the Houston office of the Fish & Richardson law firm, where Healey is now a partner. He stipulated, however, that the donation was to be used for grants, not exceeding $1,000, for emergency living and housing expenses for paralegals, legal secretaries and other non-attorney law firm employees, as well as law students at the three Houston law schools and the UT law school. The HBA advertised the availability of the grants through its publications and Web site. Grant applications were reviewed and administered through the Houston Bar Foundation.

When Fish & Richardson opened its Houston office on November 1, the firm decided to commemorate the event by making a second $15,000 grant to the Foundation to be designated for the same use, bringing the total to $30,000 in grants to help non-attorney law firm employees and law students who were hard hit by Hurricane Ike. To date, the Foundation has dispersed over $23,000 in grants.

One of those grants went to a full-time teacher and part-time law student with three children, whose roof, ceiling and walls suffered extensive water damage. Her landlord also had financial difficulties and has not been able to make the needed sheetrock repairs. Meanwhile, mold has set in on the damaged areas and is posing a health hazard. A grant from the Healey/Fish & Richardson fund enabled her to make desperately-need repairs to the sheetrock to ensure a safer environment for her children.

Another grant went to a legal secretary who lives in Galveston. She was displaced from her home by flooding, but could not stay with her mother or grandmother, who live on fixed incomes, because they  lost most of their belongings as well. There were no hotel rooms available in the area, so she had to rent an apartment in Houston. A grant from the Healey/Fish & Richardson fund reimbursed her for some of the rent and gas she was using to go back and forth from Houston to Galveston to try to salvage what she could from her home, as well as that of her mother and grandmother.

Yet another grant went to a law student at Thurgood Marshall School of Law who was forced to move out of her apartment, deemed uninhabitable because the roof and ceiling caved in. The continuing rain on the day after the hurricane ruined all of her furniture, books, pictures and electronics. She had to stay with neighbors and classmates until she was able to find another apartment. A grant reimbursed her for some of the moving expenses, security deposit, application fee and September rent she had to pay,

These are only a few examples of the nearly 30 people who have received assistance through the generosity of Healey and Fish & Richardson. Grants are still available. Send a letter of explanation, along with copies of receipts, to the Houston Bar Foundation, 1001 Fannin, Suite 1300, Houston, TX 77002.

If you would like to contribute to the Hurricane Ike Relief Fund, please make checks payable to the Houston Bar Foundation and send to 1001 Fannin, Suite 1300, Houston, TX 77002. Note on the memo line that the check is for Hurricane Ike Relief.