Foundation Reports
really motivates you, now would be a great time to reach out to one of them to serve on the Best Practices or Development Committees.
Finally, in a similar effort to engage more of our Fellows in the challenging and rewarding work of the Foundation we have obtained approval from the Board of the College to add as many as five members to the Foundation Board of Directors. In creating these new slots we look not only to bring new volunteers on board as first-time Directors, but also to continue the service of certain of our more experienced Fellows who have “termed out” as members of the Board but now are eligible to serve an additional term in the newly-created position of Senior Director. We welcome Richard Carmody as our first Senior Director, and will report on the filling of the other four seats with new Directors in the next edition of College Columns.
For now, a truly heartfelt thanks to all for making 2015 a record year for the Foundation. And hey, don’t forget to sign up to support the Foundation as your designated charity on AmazonSmile! If you’ve not done that yet, here’s the link: smile.amazon.com.
Heartfelt Thanks
District 10 Pro Bono Project, Inc. ("D10") is one of the ACB Foundation's 2015 pro bono grantees. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, D10 serves Clay, Greene, Hendricks, Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, and Putnam counties. Their clients are at 125% or less of federal poverty levels. D10 sent us the following stories as part of their grant report. For those who wonder where Foundation donations go and if what we do makes a difference, we share the following D10 client profiles...
Alma’s husband fled the country, leaving her to pay their joint mortgage. In her 50s, Alma went to culinary school, but her plans were derailed when an injury put her in the hospital. Tests done ancillary to the injury showed she had advanced diabetes. Alma had no insurance, so until this hospitalization she did not realize she was ill. Because of untreated diabetes, her vision is 20/200 in both eyes, and she now receives disability for blindness. Alma lost the 100-year-old house where she’d raised her children, and was left with an $85.000+ deficiency balance.
Alma is collection proof, but because of her blindness she risks missing a lawsuit or court hearing, possibly being jailed for contempt of court. Her condition also worsens with stress, so a bankruptcy is best for her physical health. In addition to the bankruptcy, D10 helped her pull credit reports, read the entire petition to her before she signed, and gave her a ride to and from the creditors’ meeting.
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Betty and John had just enough to live on with Betty's job and John's social security, their children grown and their mobile home paid for. Betty got cancer, forcing her to quit her job and incur large medical bills. The couple lived on credit cards in Betty’s name until her Social Security Disabilty, Medicare and Medicaid began. D10 helped Betty file bankruptcy singly. Betty had life-endangering surgery a week after her creditors’ meeting. Without a bankruptcy using the tenants of the entirety exemption, her death would have left her widowed husband with judgment liens high enough to have eaten all equity in the trailer and rendered him homeless.
Betty pulled through her surgery and all her debts were discharged. D10 law students helped Betty, who is in her 60s and computer illiterate, do her counseling and pull her credit reports. Because of her poor health, D10 met with her in her home county courthouse for appointments and to do the counseling.
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Carl struggled with alcoholism, and after a series of drunken driving convictions and jail, he lost everything: his job, his wife, and his house. The only property he claimed on his bankruptcy was his phone and the scooter he used because his driver’s license had been revoked. He was living with