Local Affiliate

HYLA Bears for Babies
By:  Kristy Gabrielova

Bears for Babies is one of the Houston Young Lawyers Association’s favorite annual charity programs. Throughout the year, HYLA collects donations of new stuffed animals to give to children during their adoption ceremony.  The main adoption event at the Harris County Juvenile Center is held each November, and originally HYLA’s program was designed to donate the stuffed animals to the juvenile courts for only National Adoption Day.  However, the program has become very popular not only with children who are elated to pick out their new teddy bear after the adoption hearing, but also with the judges, court staff, and adoption attorneys.  On July 29, HYLA board member and Secretary Kristy Gabrielova, and HYLA Executive Director Lucy Cain delivered over 40 stuffed animals to the Harris County 314th Juvenile Court. The courtroom was full of children waiting to be adopted and their new families. The desks of the court staff and the credenzas behind the judges were full of stuffed animals for this special day.  As the judge called each family and their advocate to come forward, the kids patiently waited until the end of the hearing to pick out a stuffed animal.  Once they selected their favorite stuffed animal, the children and their family took a photo with the judge behind the bench.  The families, attorneys, and the court staff thanked HYLA for the donations, and several court clerks and adoption attorneys asked whether HYLA would be able to make a similar delivery to other courts in the building.  The judge advised us that they nearly ran out of the stuffed animals from our last delivery and were happy to see us back. This year’s Bears for Babies event was made possible by a generous grant from the Texas Young Lawyers Association.

HYLA encouraged all attendees of our Lawyers and Libations Membership Party, held on September 23 at St. Arnold’s Brewery, to bring a stuffed animal to benefit the children on Adoption Day, November 21, 2015, at Harris County Juvenile Center.

Kristy Gabrielova of Midland Credit Management