Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Lara.
As a newly licensed Funeral Director in 1997, 3ABF’s founder, Michele Lara, soon realized the need for comprehensive funeral and bereavement programs and services specifically targeted toward Greater Houston’s broad and diverse ethnic communities. She quickly discovered that the emotional stigma of poverty is significantly intensified when low-income and working poor families attempt to bury a loved one. Ms. Lara also noted there was a gap in the availability of affordable bereavement support for our area’s low-income and working poor families. 3ABF was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in that same year to tackle this concern.
With exceptionally few resources available to address this basic human need, economically disadvantaged families experience additional emotional suffering when confronted with the overwhelming burden of funeral expenses and the unfamiliarity of making burial arrangements. While the thought of not being able to bury a loved one in a reasonable timeframe is incomprehensible for many of us, it is all too common for the poor, as some have waited weeks or longer to afford funeral and burial services.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The challenge for a bereavement charity is the misrepresentation that our services are for the deceased. We service those who are mourning – families who, in the midst of their grief, are starkly confronted with the reality of not being able to bury their loved ones or obtain grief counseling services. Whether they have suffered through the ordeal of a long-term illness or are shaken by an unexpected loss, the death of a loved one can completely shatter a low-income family.
Over the past four years the greatest difficulty faced by 3ABF was the impact of the economic downturn on our fundraising efforts. 3ABF anticipated that obtaining new funding sources would be challenging because of the economy, but we were not prepared for the shift in direction for exiting supporters.
Fund Development over the past three years has been difficult and challenging as several of our present funding sources have decreased their grant funds.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the A Bereavement Foundation (3ABF) story. Tell us more about the business.
3 A Bereavement Foundation (3ABF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1997 to provide comprehensive bereavement support services to low-income and working poor families. We occupy a unique position in the Houston Metropolitan Area as the only nonprofit organization with a sole purpose to provide comprehensive bereavement services to economically disadvantaged families. Our mission is to enable low-income and working poor bereaved families to secure services to comprehensively address their bereavement needs.
3ABF’s seven program areas:
The Bereaved Family Assistance Fund (BFAF)– providing financial support to defray funeral expenses.
Crisis Emergency Assistance –consultations and referrals to families prior to a death of a loved one.
Helping Hands – hands-on assistance in all aspects of preparing for funeral services.
3ABF Care Team – volunteer care program to provide a safety net and grief support for bereaved families.
Grief Counseling – group and individual informal and professional sessions.
Crime Victim Services – assist crime victim families to receive state financial support and benefits.
Community Outreach – workshops to educate low-income residents about bereavement planning.
Since its inception in 1997, 3ABF has impacted Houston’s community by assisting over 8975 bereaved families. This includes providing over 805 hours of group and individual grief counseling for children and their families, helping bereaved families secure over $2.2 million in Crime Victim Compensation and FEMA disaster relief funds, in addition to $400,225 in direct financial support to needy bereaved families.
What enables 3ABF to reach so many families every year is its committed staff. 3ABF currently has a full-time Executive Director and a full-time Program Assistant, who is bilingual in English and Spanish. On any given day, 3ABF is assisting six or more families (each case averaging between two to four weeks). Working with low-income, bereaved families every day can be disheartening. Yet, 3ABF takes pride in the professional and compassionate services delivered to each family member by a staff that continually reinforces and expresses hope for the future.
3ABF has proudly been named an Official Charity of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday, January 14, 2018 and the ABB 5K Run, scheduled for Saturday, January 13, 2018.
We ask people to Run [or Walk] for a Reason in 2018 to enable us to meet the growing needs of economically disadvantaged bereaved families. Our fundraising goal for the 2018 Chevron Houston Marathon is $40,000.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
3ABF’s long-term goal is to bridge the gap in the availability and quality of bereavement services available to low-income and working poor families in the Houston Metropolitan Area. Over the next 18 months, 3ABF desires to increase BFAF financial support to cover at least 40% of eligible families; with the 3-year goal to support 75% of eligible families. The immediate impact would decrease the number of potential delayed services from over 25% to under 10%. We also seek to expand Family Support Services “3ABF Care Team” to follow-up at 3, 6 and 9 month intervals after the initial office contact to monitor the need for counseling, social services or emergency assistance and to conduct community education/outreach in at least four low-income Houston communities.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5330 Griggs Rd., #A108, Houston, Texas 77021-3758
- Website: www.3abereavement.org
- Phone: 713-649-3232 Fax: 713-649-2328
- Email: bereavement3a@aol.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/3abereavement.org/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/3ABereavement
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/3-a-bereavement-foundation-a58728131/
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