Seema Tendolkar Appointed to Board of Captain Hope’s Kids

July 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Each night roughly 1,100 children in North Texas fall asleep in homeless and domestic violence shelters, which doesn’t account for the thousands of others not lucky enough to sleep inside an air-conditioned room with a roof over their heads.  Seema Tendolkar, an attorney in the litigation group of full-service business law firm, Wick Phillips Gould & Martin, LLP is hoping to help change that.  

  On July 15, Tendolkar was appointed to the board of Captain Hope’s Kids, a charitable organization founded in 1989 to provide assistance to the critical needs of homeless children throughout North Texas.  As a member of the board, Tendolkar will sit on various committees that help raise awareness and advocate aid on behalf of children forced to live on the street.  

   “Seema is a proven and accomplished professional in Dallas, and is using her legal skills to support the cause of homeless children and their mothers,” said Jeanne Reyer, executive director of Captain Hope’s Kids. “We are excited to have an individual with Seema’s expertise who is willing to champion the cause of this most vulnerable segment within our society. Her contribution of time and effort will make a big difference in the lives of helpless children.”

   During the 1990s, the founding organization, The Hope Foundation for the Homeless identified a new and disturbing trend:  Mothers with children – especially babies – were becoming the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population.  In addition, the number of babies born into homelessness was growing.  This trend spurred the Hope Foundation’s Board of Directors into action, and the organization changed its mission and name to Captain Hope’s Kids to focus its resources on meeting the critical needs of homeless children.  

   “A 2010 census of Dallas County’s homeless showed that women and children made up 47 percent of the known homeless population, and in this economy, the number for 2011 is likely to be significantly higher,” Tendolkar said.  “Approximately 66 percent of those homeless children will be under the age of nine and 33 percent are infants and toddlers under three years old.  These statistics make it clear that immediate action is required from organizations such as Captain Hope’s Kids as well as North Texas business leaders.  This is an organization that is much needed, and I am privileged to be part of a movement that is working to improve the quality of life for these children.”

   Through programs, events and partnerships, Captain Hope aims to better the lives of homeless children in North Texas.  In 2010, Captain Hope’s Kids received and distributed 549,419 critically needed items to approximately 40,000 homeless children valued at $679,894.  Each year, 92 percent of funds collected go directly into programs that helped children, or are spent on aid-related assistance.  

“This organization does tremendous work for families in dire need of help in our community,” said Bryan Wick, co-founder and managing partner of Wick Phillips.  “Seema has always been a champion of women’s and children’s issues in her legal work, and this board position is another way Seema can serve a cause that is dear to her.  We are proud of her appointment to this wonderful organization.”

About Wick Phillips Gould & Martin, LLP:
Serving the legal needs of businesses in a broad range of industries, Wick Phillips practices law with purpose. Specialty areas include commercial litigation, bankruptcy, creditor’s rights, civil appeals, corporate, corporate advisory, labor and employment, and securities.  For more information visit www.wickphillips.com.

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