United Way of Long Island Provides Grant for Superstorm Relief Efforts
Patti Desrochers
Director of Communications
pattid@tourolaw.edu
(631) 761-7062
Central Islip, N.Y. - The United Way of Long Island has awarded a $25K grant to Touro Law Center to fund a coordinator to help with the intake of calls to the Touro Law Center – Hurricane Emergency Assistance and Referral Team (TLC-HEART), providing pro bono assistance to those in need in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. As a result of this funding, Touro Law is pleased to announce that Therese Ebarb has been hired as the Attorney Coordinator of the TLC-HEART hotline.
"Through the hotline we have been able to help nearly 1,000 people in need since the storm,” said Touro Law Dean Patricia Salkin. “We continue to receive calls every week from people in desperate situations that require legal assistance or referrals. This grant enables us to ensure continued pro bono service to those in need. We are grateful to the United Way for its support.”
Therese Ebarb has a B.A. from Sienna College, an M.A. from Stony Brook University, a J.D. from Touro Law Center where she was a Public Interest Fellow and received other honors, and a general LL.M. as well as an LL.M. in taxation from NYU School of Law. She has been helping Superstorm Sandy victims since shortly after the hotline opened. Therese brings both a strong commitment to public interest and a special concentration in elder law issues and working with students. Since 2011, she has been working with the Elder Law Clinic at Touro Law Center and has also assisted clients in the Senior Citizens Law Project. She has worked directly with students as a mentor and will continue to help them develop their practical lawyering skills with the hotline.
In her new role, Therese works closely with all those involved in Superstorm Sandy efforts at Touro Law, including: Thomas Maligno, Director of ProBono and Public Service who is coordinating the Long Island Legal Disaster Providers; Professor Benjamin Rajotte who is Director of the Disaster Relief Clinic working with students to directly help clients in legal matters; and Deidre Byrnes, Coordinator of Student Pro Bono Coordinator for Hurricane Relief Efforts who is overseeing law students from other law schools in the United States and the United Kingdom who are visiting the area to provide pro bono assistance to those in need.
“There is nothing more rewarding as a lawyer than when you are able to use your degree and training to help people in need,” said Therese. “The support from both Touro Law and The United Way enables me to dedicate my work to finding resolution for victims of Superstorm Sandy while providing hands-on experiences for future lawyers. There will always be people who need help and I am proud to be a part of an organization dedicated to providing that vital assistance.”
