NEWARK, NJ - May 19, 2004
Bankruptcy lawyers from throughout New Jersey have
formed the New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers' Foundation ("NJBLF"),
a statewide not-for-profit organization whose mission is to give
back to the community in which these lawyers practice.
On June 14, 2004, NJBLF will host its First Annual Dinner and
Golf and Tennis Classic at Forsgate Country Club, Cranbury, New
Jersey. NJBLF invites attendance from all members of the bar,
their friends and family to help raise money to serve financially
distressed individuals and families in crises. NJBLF, which seeks
to provide support for basic needs to those facing devastating
financial crisis, will focus its efforts to assist those applicants
who are brought to its attention from within the Bankruptcy System.
Day after day, New Jersey bankruptcy lawyers come face to face
with individuals and families facing difficult choices among paying
rent, paying transportation costs to commute to a minimum wage job,
buying groceries or filling prescriptions," stated Gail Cooperman,
member of the Board of Trustees, NJBLF. "The New Jersey Bankruptcy
Lawyers' Foundation serves our community's most vulnerable and deserving
cases for those who seek the assistance of the bankruptcy bar."
One of the NJBLF Trustees recounts the story of an eighty nine
year old woman, three months behind in her rent and facing homelessness,
who one afternoon appeared at his office hoping to find a solution
to her problems. The attorney attempted to resolve the rental arrears
with her landlord to no avail. Not only had she been ordered out
of her apartment, but she had also been assessed attorney's fees
for the landlord's counsel who refused to waive them despite her
advanced age and frailty.
'The Trustee recalls, "As far as the system was concerned,
this woman was homeless already." Fortunately, at the time,
there was a small fund available for pro bono work, which the Trustee
was able to use to fund the rental arrears. The woman remained in
her apartment until other Social Service agencies were called in
to help her. Happily, she remains in her apartment to this day,
but the small pro-bono fund that prevented her homelessness is no
longer available. The Trustee recalls being asked at one point,
"is there no safety net for people like this?" Today,
the answer may be the NJBLF.
Another incident giving rise to the NJBLF involves a woman who
came to the office of one of the founding Trustees with unpaid medical
expenses as a result of the terminal illness of her husband. The
woman, the mother of a young adult son, had successfully completed
a series of training programs and was recently employed. The mother
and son shared an old car that they used to drive to school and
to work. The attorney promptly prepared a petition to file for a
Chapter 7 bankruptcy to provide this woman with a fresh start in
life. The attorney soon realized that she did not have the required
$209 filing fee. While trying to raise the $209, a judgment creditor
repossessed the woman's car. The woman could no longer go to work
and her son could no longer go to school. The attorney realized
that "The thin thread by which her recovery had been hanging
had been severed leading to a spiral of despair." The attorney
advanced the filing fee, filed her bankruptcy petition and successfully
negotiated the return of the car. This woman and countless others
like her, are placed at similar unnecessary and avoidable risk.
Formally, the Foundation exists to provide financial stability
to individuals and families at times of personal financial crisis.
The spirit of the organization however is that of helping those
in need. For more information concerning the NJBLF, the First Annual
Dinner and Golf and Tennis Classic, or other ways to become involved,
please contact Gary Norgaard at 201-871-1333 or www.NJBLF.org.
|
