Hebrew Free Loan honors Laura and Mike Richardson
April 1, 2021
Each month in the Jewish Journal online, LIFE & LEGACY® will spotlight a local family who has made their commitment to one of eleven local Jewish organizations. The Hebrew Free Loan Association of San Antonio (HFLA-SA) takes this opportunity to honor their favorite power couple, Laura and Mike Richardson, for their many years of incalculable service to the organization and the entire community. Laura was engaged by the HFLA-SA Board about 15 years ago to help with administrative tasks, such as picking up the mail and answering the phone.
From this modest start, she progressed to being the first Executive Director before joining the Board and eventually becoming President. Along the way, Laura developed a vision for HFLA-SA as an integral agency of the San Antonio Jewish community and a resource of financial loans for as many Jews in our community as possible.
With the assistance of several Board Presidents, Laura grew the agency from a small, insular organization to the vital, professional, agency that it is today. Laura’s vision included the revival of the HFLA-SA community picnic, the growth of our loan funds to meet the response to increased need, the creation of specialized loan funds, and long-term organizational planning.
Laura’s husband, Mike, joined her as a marketing professional, and through his efforts, there is an HFLA-SA website and a large presence in social media. Mike, who later joined the Board, served as HFLA-SA’s digital expert.
In 2018, Laura’s vision to ensure the long-term financial stability of HFLA-SA aligned with being a partner of LIFE & LEGACY®. The HFLA-SA team, led by Laura, met its goal of 18 Letters of Intent. Most important, was the establishment of the first HFL-SA permanent named endowment fund held at the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies of San Antonio, a program of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio.
“With gratitude and in appreciation we thank both Laura and Mike for their commitment and leadership to Hebrew Free Loan – San Antonio,” HFLA-SA’s Executive Director Howard Feinberg said. “We know that their legacy will impact the lives of Jews in San Antonio for generations to come.”
LIFE & LEGACY® is a program offered by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Jewish Federation of San Antonio that provides support for local Jewish organizations to secure meaningful after-lifetime legacy gifts to ensure a vibrant Jewish legacy for San Antonio.
LIFE & LEGACY is focused on “Assuring Jewish Tomorrows”. This ambition would not be possible without members of the San Antonio Jewish community who choose to give to Jewish agencies and synagogues. By giving, you are part of a movement that is working to secure a strong Jewish future for generations to come.
To learn more about securing your legacy, contact Beth Keough, Director of Philanthropy at the Jewish Federation of San Antonio at keoughb@jfsatx.org or visit jfsatx.org/lifelegacy.
Follow the stories of families who have made their commitment to the San Antonio Jewish community in this series each month at the Jewish Journal Online at jewishsa.org.