LAS Donors Helping Seniors

The Y & H Soda Foundation has been a valuable partner and funding resource for Legal Assistance for Seniors for the past three years. Since this foundation places special emphasis on low-income seniors and youth, our Guardianship program has been a natural fit in that it provides services to Alameda County residents over the age of fifty wishing to formalize their relationship with children in their care by obtaining legal guardianship. LAS attorneys and advocates handle approximately 160 cases each year, impacting the lives of 300 children.

The mission of the Y & H Soda Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for the economically disadvantaged, disabled, elderly and youth; to promote their health and welfare; to provide opportunities for education and to support those organizations whose religious philosophy strengthens the spiritual and temporal well being of those they serve. The foundation concentrates its support on organizations in Alameda County and Contra Costa County.

Y. Charles (Chet) Soda and Helen C. Soda founded the Y & H Soda Foundation in 1964 and formal grant making began in 1989. The Sodas had a great interest in education with Helen serving as a Trustee at Holy Names University in Oakland, California and Chet as a Regent and Trustee at St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California. Chet also served as Chairman of the Advisory Board of California State University at Hayward, California.

When we asked Program Officer, Mary Doyle, about the foundation’s desire to support the LAS Guardianship program, she said, “The board and staff of the Soda Foundation have recognized that seniors as a group are among those most vulnerable in our communities. We have supported services and advocacy in Alameda and Contra Costa counties that enable seniors to age safely in place. Legal services that protect the rights of seniors have been one strategy to meet this goal. The Legal Guardianship efforts of Legal Assistance for Seniors empowers guardians and provides young people with  more stable family supports.”

The LAS staff is very grateful for the support of this foundation. To learn more, visit their website at http://www.yhsodafoundation.org/.