BAEC Bulletin | November/December 2021 | 17
A Special Holiday Thank You to Members of Bar Association of Erie County BY MICHAEL S. TAHERI
On behalf of the entire St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy community, I want to say “thank you” to our Bar Association members for all of your generous support over the past 15 years. So many of you – judges, lawyers, paralegals and staff – have been incredibly generous in helping lift up and support this largely impoverished and frequently ignored community on the East-Side of Buffalo. As the pandemic continues, St. Luke’s is providing approximately 8,000 meals a week to people from all walks of life. Our Mission Mall will provide clothing – including coats, boots and mittens – to over 10,000 people this year. All of these acts of kindness are offered at no charge to anyone in need.
students have graduated from Canisius College, D’Youville College, Buffalo State, Medaille, and ECC. • We have a third year law student on law review from our community who is attending school in Boston • We have 4 students presently attending Canisius College on various academic scholarships The Erie County Bar has played a large role in the success of these students. They are paying your kindness forward by volunteering to help the next generation of students. The students that you helped are now donating time to mentor students, tutor and also offer financial support. They are giving back to the next generation because of the kindness you showed them when they were in need of help. Thank you for being such great role models and sharing with them the gift of time. As my role in the legal community diminishes, my commitment to St. Luke’s and the needs of this population will increase. But without your kindness and support, many of the success stories especially involving our students may not have occurred. So, as the holiday season, approaches, I wanted all of our members in the Bar Association to know that our community is grateful for all of your gifts of time, talent and resources. You have changed so many lives for the better. Thank you and Happy Holidays! •
The members of our Bar Association have gone above and beyond to offer support and meaningful assistance to the St. Luke’s community. Members of the BAEC have been generous in so many ways including:
• Volunteering to be readers to our students in the home school in grades K – 8th • Serving meals in our dining hall • Holding law firm food drives • Paying tuition for high school and college students • Donating prizes and purchasing raffle tickets for our home school program • Donating money to help fund our home school on the St. Luke’s campus • Donating clothing and other household items to our St. Luke’s Mission Mall • Tutoring students in various high school and college subjects • Assisting community members on immigration matters especially as they related to DACA. • Providing summer employment and career advice to numerous students in high school and college Over the past 15 years, the focus of my time and effort at St. Luke’s has been directed towards education which includes holding an adult reading program. Special highlights relating to our education programs include the following: • We have an 90% graduation rate from Catholic high schools and/or GED Program • We have 5 students who hold DACA cards, have earned college degrees and are all employed full time • We have 14 college graduates including 2 nurses, a person in fashion design and a professional draftsman. Our
Powered by FlippingBook