Orangewood Children’s Foundation: One Lawyer’s Very Personal Contribution
by Elizabeth Harrin (London)
“I make it a point to spend part of each day volunteering my time,” says Lisa Hughes, founding partner of the Hughes & Sullivan family law practice. “Depending on what the needs are, that could mean either a few minutes or the entire day.”
That’s a lot of volunteering. Lisa’s particular interest is in supporting the Orangewood Children’s Foundation, where she serves on the board of directors. She has a personal reason for dedicating so much of her time to the Orangewood Home in California, which is Orange County’s only emergency shelter for neglected and sexually, physically or emotionally abused children. “As the only board member who grew up in the foster care system, this role has an intensely personal significance for me,” she says. “I am able to provide the board with a unique perspective through the lens of my early experiences, and this contribution empowers us to make decisions that are even more focused and effective.”
As a director, Lisa is an ambassador to the community on behalf of Orangewood. “I am also in charge of financial oversight for the budget, which involves a fiduciary responsibility to manage the programs we provide for children who are in need of emergency shelter or are in the foster care system,” she adds. “I attend bi-monthly meetings and retreats dedicated to developing initiatives that will improve the Orangewood facility, which provides emergency housing for abused and neglected children who are removed from their homes.” The board oversees the implementation, execution and progress of the programs to improve the lives of vulnerable children and has had many success stories. Lisa and her colleagues work to ensure that they are able to provide the best possible care to enable the residents of the Home, which is comprised of nine hacienda-style cottages that house children and teens ranging in age from just days old to 18 and who typically stay around 17 days.
Lisa balances her voluntary work with being an attorney and trial lawyer which also gives her a unique perspective on the complex legal and financial issues facing today’s families.
“I am constantly being pulled in several directions,” she admits. “Managing the law firm and litigating cases, spending time with my family, serving on other committees requires a lot of time and attention but my work with Orangewood is a high priority.”
And Lisa believes that her work with Orangewood has enabled her to serve her legal clients more effectively, especially when faced with issues of domestic or child abuse in family law cases. “I have taken the lead on child abuse legislation, working to make sure that we take appropriate action to support, defend or debate initiatives on behalf of the children who are all too often the voiceless victims of adverse family situations,” she says.
Lisa also has personal experience of adverse family situations. She was born into poverty and suffered abandonment, abuse and neglect as she was growing up. From a young age she was determined to improve her life and the lives of others. Volunteering with Orangewood seemed a natural fit to her passion to help and her legal background.
“Bill Steiner, who was the executive director of Orangewood, saw how involved I was as a child abuse prevention advocate and invited me to tour their new children’s facility,” she explains. “When he showed me the examination room, I was overwhelmed with emotional flashbacks from my experience many years before when I entered the foster care system. I remember the four white walls in which my own exam took place feeling to me like a prison cell, complete with bars on the windows. As I stared at Orangewood’s colorfully-painted walls adorned with dancing animals, I knew this was nothing like the alienating experience I had known as a child. The new facility reflected a friendly, non-threatening environment for the children it served, and the powerful experience of that tour inspired me to become actively involved in the organization.”
As Orangewood is a public facility with private oversight, Lisa operates as a watchdog in preserving the shelter’s primary function as an emergency care facility for children who have been removed from their homes. Orangewood welcomes up to 200 children at any one time while Juvenile Court decisions are being made about their future and welfare. Along with the cottages, the Home has medical facilities, a branch of the Orange County Public Library system, and an on-site school and preschool. The facilities also include a fully equipped gymnasium, softball field, basketball courts, game room and pool. Orangewood sees around 2700 children each year and when they leave the children are placed into foster care or into the care of relatives.
It’s clear that Lisa values the opportunity to give something back and to work as part of a community than can inspire and shape young lives that haven’t had a good start. She’s enthusiastic about spreading the word about volunteering too. “I highly encourage working women to spend time volunteering,” she says. “It causes us to take the focus off ourselves, and to turn our attentions to how we can be of benefit to our community. Volunteerism is a major part of my personal life, as well as a part of our corporate culture at Hughes & Sullivan. All of my employees, including those with children at home, have actively given of their precious time to others through volunteer work. I take very seriously the notion that to whom much is given, much is required. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your life’s work in action.”
