In 2006, seven personal injury attorneys founded Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charity (LATLC), firm in their shared belief that they could do more to help people in need throughout the greater Los Angeles area. In addition to engaging in volunteer work, they decided to pool their philanthropic resources to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that served low-income families.
Venice Family Clinic was one of only four nonprofits that received a grant from LATLC that first year. The founders were impressed with the clinic’s strong reputation of providing quality care and our commitment to supporting the health and well-being of our community.
LATLC has been a steadfast champion for and of the Clinic, providing financial support that has allowed us to offer services we otherwise may not be able to provide, with a particular emphasis on helping children. In addition to their longstanding general operating support for our pediatric care services, LATLC recently helped the clinic purchase three pediatric tympanometers, a special machine that helps us detect fluid in the middle ear, which, if left undetected, may cause delays in speech and language development and make it more difficult for those children to keep up in school. With these machines, Venice Family Clinic can conduct routine hearing screenings for children at 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, rather than have to refer patients out to a specialist, which could cause months in delay for diagnosis.
LATLC also donated 500 string backpacks, affectionately called “boo boo bags,” to give away to children receiving care at our clinic. These backpacks were filled with age-appropriate toys and activities, including crayons, a coloring and/or activity book, Play-Doh, a stuffed animal, stickers, magic towels, and (as appropriate) a sippy cup or a jump rope.
Says Lissa Zanville, executive director of LATLC, “The 3,000 plaintiff attorneys of LATLC just want to help people and make an impact. That’s why our partnership with Venice Family Clinic is such a great fit: because the Clinic’s desire to help others is as much a part of its DNA is it is ours.”
Together, Venice Family Clinic and LATLC have helped bring a smile and better health and well-being to thousands of children.