Each February, here at MoFo, we honor the generations of Black individuals and communities who have made a significant impact throughout history and those who will shape our future. We do this while also acknowledging and advocating against the inequalities and injustices Black people have faced and still continue to face today. This year, our recognition of Black History Month centers on a theme of Black Health and Wellness. One important aspect of the firm’s broader efforts to promote health and wellness within the Black community can be seen in the many pro bono initiatives MoFo has undertaken in recent years to assist organizations whose missions promote Black health and wellness not only in the United States, but around the globe. Listed below are just a few examples of how MoFo’s pro bono program furthers this vital mission.
Promoting education and recreation in Black and brown communities
Since 2019, MoFo has devoted over 500 hours of pro bono services to Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation. The foundation funds community organizations in Oakland and the Bay Area that support children in three crucial ways: “fighting to end childhood hunger, ensuring students have access to a quality education, and providing safe places for all children to play and be active.” Along with the firm’s many hours of pro bono service, San Francisco corporate partner Fredo Silva also serves as a member of the foundation’s board.
MoFo has contributed approximately 1,500 hours of pro bono services to Concrete Safaris since the firm began working with the group in 2008. By providing safe outdoor play and learning experiences, Concrete Safaris prepares children in East Harlem and beyond to build leadership skills that will help them lead healthy lives and shape their communities. Recently, MoFo attorneys have been advising the group on the possible acquisition of a vacant building that one day could house a community center.
Advocating for food justice in Washington, D.C.
DC Greens has benefited from MoFo’s services since it was founded in 2009. DC Greens began as a farmers’ market created to directly support the local farm economy, and has evolved into a leader in the food justice movement in Washington, D.C. The organization’s extensive food access programs serve largely low-income communities by providing locally grown produce to D.C. residents with limited access to fresh foods, advocating for equitable food policies, and sponsoring school gardens and food education in D.C. public schools.
Furthering critical counseling efforts
MoFo is also advising a new San Francisco-based nonprofit that will provide traumatic grief counseling to predominantly Black communities suffering from homicides, suicides, and other traumatic experiences. Our attorneys are preparing a Memorandum of Understanding for the group’s planned partnerships with healthcare and governmental agencies.
Advocating for healthy outcomes in Africa
Along with MoFo’s U.S.-focused pro bono services, the firm has also worked with a number of groups that have substantial programs focused on health in Africa. These include the White Ribbon Alliance, which promotes reproductive, maternal, and newborn health and rights globally; Jacaranda Health, which focuses on improving maternal health and healthy births in Kenya; and Doctors for Madagascar, which our Berlin office has assisted in developing a “mobile health wallet,” a mobile app to help individuals save for healthcare expenses.
Visit our pro bono page to learn more about our global pro bono program.