In the last edition of P.S. for 2023, the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program announces January dates for pro bono legal clinics, Witherite Law Group donates tens of thousands to support families and seniors in need during the holidays, the VA rolls out a new program supporting homeless veterans (or those facing homelessness) and the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association announces its 2024 president and other new leadership.
The latest
— Homeless military veterans in Texas or those facing homelessness have a new resource dedicated to finding permanent housing: Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (SSVF). Funded through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and operated through nonprofit Volunteers of America Texas, the new program is available to vets in Tarrant, Parker, Dallas and Collin counties. The nonprofit has already received the first year’s $1.2 million grant from the VA and has a commitment from the federal agency to fund the program for two more years. Roughly 150 veterans are expected to be served annually — or 450 over the course of the current grant’s lifetime.
Beyond providing short-term emergency housing and connecting veterans to affordable, long-term housing, the new program will help alleviate the homelessness issue by conducting outreach to veterans, case management, rental/utility assistance and help obtaining VA benefits. Those interested in applying or getting more information about the program can contact the SSVF intake service at ssvfdfw@voatx.org or call (682) 209-9884. Applicants are eligible if they match one of three requirements: 1) be a veteran or a member of a family in which the head of the household or spouse of the head of the household is a veteran, 2) be part of a low-income household in which the income does not exceed 80 percent of the area’s median income, or 3) be currently experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness within the next 31 days.
— The Dallas Hispanic Bar Association has announced its new leadership for 2024. Employment and white collar criminal defense lawyer Edward J. Loya, Jr. is the new DHBA president. He succeeds Haynes Boone associate Carla Green, who now serves as immediate past president. Last year, Loya accepted an award on behalf of his law firm, Epstein Becker Green, which was the recipient of the DHBA’s inaugural Law Firm Excellence Award for its significant support in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and identifying, sponsoring and promoting Hispanic attorneys.
The 2024 vice president is Maria Alonso, trade and corporate counsel at Tokyo Electron US. DHBA’s 2024 president-elect is Berenice Medellin Pruettiangkura of Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith, while the secretary and treasurer are Erica Santamaria of Haynes Boone and Fernando Juarez of Freeman Law, respectively. DHBA’s 2024 directors are Ashley Aten of Greenberg Traurig, Clarissa Benavides of Toyota Financial Services and Dania Duncan Moreno of Bell Nunnally & Martin.
— The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program will host nine virtual and in-person legal clinics in the first month of 2024 to provide pro bono legal help to low-income Dallas residents. DVAP is the pro bono arm of the Dallas Bar Association and is a joint venture with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. Those who need assistance and want to connect with a lawyer at one of the virtual clinics should fill out this form first. Those interested in receiving help at one of the in-person clinics can simply show up. All virtual clinics run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Virtual clinics
Jan. 4 (veterans clinic): DVAP and SMU Dedman School of Law
Jan. 11: DVAP and Hunton Andrews Kurth
Jan. 18.: DVAP and St. Mary’s University School of Law
Jan. 25: DVAP and Haynes Boone
In-person clinics
Veterans clinic: Jan. 5 at 1:30 at the VA Medical Center (4500 S. Lancaster Rd., Dallas). Sponsored by DVAP and Duane Morris
South Dallas clinic: Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (2922 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dallas). Sponsored by DVAP
East Dallas clinic: Jan. 18 at 5:30 at Grace United Methodist Church (4105 Junius, Dallas). Sponsored by DVAP
South Dallas clinic: Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (2922 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dallas). Sponsored by DVAP
West Dallas clinic: Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center (2828 Fish Trap Rd., Dallas). Sponsored by DVAP
— The Witherite Law Group/1-800-TruckWreck recently supported families and seniors in need with two donations to Minnie’s Pantry, a nonprofit that provides healthy meals and educational resources to children and families in need and focuses on giving those in need a plentiful holiday season every December.
With a $20,000 donation, Witherite Law supported Minnie’s annual Christmas food and toy giveaway on Dec. 22, which fulfilled wish lists of hundreds of children and provided holiday meals to more than 300 families. A separate $5,000 donation from Witherite Law helped Minnie’s fund its annual senior citizen Christmas Bash at the Tuscany at Goldmark retirement community. The donation helped provide a catered meal, gifts and raffle prizes to approximately 100 senior citizens — an often neglected group during the holiday season. According to the Senior Affairs Commission, senior citizens are the fastest-growing segment of the Dallas population, and at least 30,000 of them live on less than $1,000 a month.