Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief
September 13, 2005APABA Members and Friends:
In response to a number of inquiries from our members, I attach the following announcement from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). This is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an endorsement of one organization over another.
Paul Estuar
APABA President
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Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief
Dear NAPABA members and friends:
We have all witnessed with horror the devastation and suffering Hurricane Katrina has imparted upon Gulf Coast residents. We are particularly pained because those suffering the most appear to be disadvantaged communities of color.
NAPABA is committed to helping those affected. We are coordinating with our affiliates in Texas to make sure that our efforts are directed to local organizations who can best serve those in need.
We urge our members to join in the more immediate relief efforts by contributing to the agencies listed below. In addition, we encourage our members to contribute to these agencies via their firms or companies if they have a matching contribution program. In addition, NLF is considering how it might use tax-deductible donations to support the recovery efforts in line with its charitable purposes.
We recognize that the impact of this disaster will include the significant need for longer-term assistance, such as legal aid, scholarships, and housing for affected communities. NAPABA is presently convening a committee to determine how best to address these long-term needs.
With respect to more immediate relief, the American Bar Association website www.abanet.org/katrina offers ways you can assist. Our local NAPABA affiliates in Texas, which include the Houston Asian American Bar Association and the Dallas Asian American Bar Association, are putting together more targeted relief efforts. You can contact them as follows:
Houston AABA:
info@aabahouston.com
Hoang Quan Vu, President
Phone: (713) 546-0518
Email: hvu@mayerbrownrowe.com
Houston AABA has been working with the Houston Bar Association on a number of relief efforts, but they are also looking for bilingual (particularly Vietnamese-speaking) attorneys to provide legal services to victims of Hurricane Katrina. If you would like to offer such pro bono services, please contact Daniel Hu at Daniel.Hu@usdoj.gov
Dallas AABA:
www.daaba.org
Tom Yang, President
Phone: (214) 651-5545
Email: yangt@haynesboone.com
In addition, the Vietnamese Culture and Service Association in Houston needs more volunteers in the coming weeks, as well as laptops with wireless cards to be used at VCSA Center. Currently they only have 3 laptops available all the time. The rest go with those volunteers who have them. If you can lend us the lap-tops for usage in the next week or so, please let VCSA know. They would also like to have a coordinator for this lap-top setup and maintenance.
To send donations for the relief, send them to:
VCSA
Memo: Katrina Relief Fund
11554 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77072
For more information, contact Mr. Philip Nguyen, our VISTA coordinator, at hpnguyen2006@yahoo.com or call at 281-933-8118.
How to Help:
American Bar Association
Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief
www.abanet.org/katrina
This website is tailored for legal professionals and organizations to contribute services and resources to those in need.
American Red Cross
www.redcross.org
Donate by Phone:
1-800-HELP-NOW
(1-800-435-7669
Or Mail Donation to:
National Disaster Relief Fund
Hurricane Katrina
American Red Cross
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, D.C. 20013
