diff --git a/committees.php b/committees.php
index d9045aec..d6848d76 100644
--- a/committees.php
+++ b/committees.php
@@ -53,30 +53,32 @@
 			
 			$uid = $r2->users_uid;
 			$u = user_load_by_uid($uid);
+			
 
 			$output=$config['committee_publiclayout'];
 
-			$name=$r2->firstname.' '.$r2->lastname;
-			$output=str_replace("name",$u['name'],$output);
+			$name=get_value_from_array($r2, 'firstname').' '.$r2->lastname;
+		
+			$output=str_replace("name",get_value_from_array($u, 'name', ''),$output);
 			$output=str_replace("title",$r2->title,$output);
 
 			//make sure we do emailprivate before email so we dont match the wrong thing
-			if($u['emailprivate'] && $u['displayemail']=='yes') {
+			if((get_value_from_array($u, 'emailprivate')) && get_value_from_array($u, 'displayemail')=='yes') {
 				list($b,$a)=explode("@",$u['emailprivate']);
 				$output=str_replace("emailprivate","<script language=\"javascript\" type=\"text/javascript\">em('$b','$a')</script>",$output);
 			} else
 				 $output=str_replace("emailprivate","",$output);
 
-			if($u['email'] && $u['displayemail']=='yes') {
+			if(get_value_from_array($u, 'email') && get_value_from_array($u, 'displayemail')=='yes') {
 				list($b,$a)=explode("@",$u['email']);
 				$output=str_replace("email","<script language=\"javascript\" type=\"text/javascript\">em('$b','$a')</script>",$output);
 			} else
 				$output=str_replace("email","",$output);
 
-			$output=str_replace("phonehome",$u['phonehome'],$output);
-			$output=str_replace("phonework",$u['phonework'],$output);
-			$output=str_replace("phonecell",$u['phonecell'],$output);
-			$output=str_replace("fax",$u['fax'],$output);
+			$output=str_replace("phonehome",get_value_from_array($u, 'phonehome', ''),$output);
+			$output=str_replace("phonework",get_value_from_array($u, 'phonework', ''),$output);
+			$output=str_replace("phonecell",get_value_from_array($u, 'phonecell', ''),$output);
+			$output=str_replace("fax",get_value_from_array($u, 'fax', ''),$output);
 
 			echo $output;
 
diff --git a/helper.inc.php b/helper.inc.php
index e86c6661..7b1b8586 100644
--- a/helper.inc.php
+++ b/helper.inc.php
@@ -5,9 +5,13 @@ function get_value_from_session(string $key, mixed $default = null) : mixed
 	return isset($_SESSION[$key]) ? $_SESSION[$key] : $default;
 }
 
-function get_value_from_array(array $ar, string $key, mixed $default = null) : mixed
-{
-	return isset($ar[$key]) ? $ar[$key] : $default;
+function get_value_from_array(mixed $ar, string $key, mixed $default = null) : mixed
+{	
+	if(is_array($ar))
+	{return isset($ar[$key]) ? $ar[$key] : $default;}
+	else{
+		return $default;
+	}
 }
 
 function get_value_from_2d_array(array $ar, string $key1, string $key2, mixed $default = null)  : mixed
@@ -22,14 +26,17 @@ function get_value(mixed $var) : mixed
 
 
 function get_value_or_default(mixed $var, mixed $default = null) : mixed {
-	return isset($var) ? $var : $default;
+	return $var && isset($var) ? $var : $default;
 }
 
 function get_value_property_or_default(mixed $var, mixed $property, mixed $default = null) : mixed {
 	
-	return $var && property_exists($var, $property) ? $var->$property : $default;
+	return $var ? $var->$property : $default;
+	
 }
 
+
+
 function show_pdo_errors_if_any($pdo)
 {// Check for errors after the query execution
 	$errorInfo = $pdo->errorInfo();