April 14, 2008 - Five more foreclosure prevention agencies are working with the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF), the national non-profit counseling organization that operates (888) 9995-HOPE, to help homeowners remedy their mortgage problems and keep their homes.
The agencies, Houston-based Money Management International, Orlando-based Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Central Florida and the Florida Gulf Coast, Inc. , Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Dallas, Michigan-based Greenpath and Los Angeles-based By Design, have added more than 200 counselors fielding calls from across the nation to HPF’s Homeownership HOPE™ Hotline. Every day about 4,500 homeowners call the HOPE Hotline and seek solutions to their mortgage problems.
HPF selected the agencies as members of this collaborative network after they had undergone a rigorous assessment of counselor training, expertise and interaction with homeowners. They joined the four counseling agencies that have been providing counseling services through the HOPE Hotline since the toll-free resource was created in 2005. These existing members include Auritron Solutions, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of
“These added agencies bring more counseling resources to assist homeowners calling the HOPE Hotline,” said Colleen Hernandez, executive director and president of HPF. “And they are truly the best of the best – they have the experience, the capacity and the technology to bring this important service to more Americans every day. A typical counseling session can last about an hour and call spikes often come unannounced. During busy times, we have more than 450 counselors to help those in need of counseling. No matter the situation, HPF and its network can provide options and information to help keep troubled homeowners out of foreclosure.”
HPT counseling partners are each certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and maintain stringent professional development requirements for their counselors and quality controls to monitor their work with individual homeowners. Together with community-based face-to-face counselors from across the country, HPF counselors actively engage in the financial situations of American homeowners and help evaluate options for how best to manage challenging financial obligations and develop innovative solutions to preserve the American dream of homeownership.
Eight of ten foreclosure prevention counseling agencies that have partnered with HPF are members of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
HPF and its HOPE Hotline have been prominently featured as a key resource for American homeowners in need of financial counseling. Prominent officials who have directed Americans to call (888) 995-HOPE include President George W. Bush, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) and countless other federal, state and local elected officials from across the United States.
CCCS of Central Florida has been providing financial education and counseling to families for 34 years. Since 1974, hundred of thousands of individuals and families have turned to CCCS for help with money management, credit, debt and housing issues. Its Housing Education Program is recognized nationally by lenders, community organizations, private corporations and foundations as an outstanding resource for families struggling with the challenges of homeownership.
“We are pleased to partner with the Homeownership Preservation Foundation,” said Rick Skaggs, CEO of CCCS of Central Florida. “We look forward to being able to help homeowners around the country find real solutions to their homeownership challenges.”
About the Homeownership Preservation Foundation
Homeownership Preservation Foundation is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to reducing foreclosures and preserving homeownership for American homeowners. The Foundation partners with city, county and state governments; federal government agencies, community-based nonprofit organizations; and mortgage companies to offer creative solutions to preserve homeownership. HPF’s cornerstone service is the Homeowner’s HOPE™ Hotline, a foreclosure prevention counseling service available free to American homeowners by calling 888-995-HOPE. For more information about the Homeownership Preservation or the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline, visit www.995hope.org
About Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Florida and The Florida Gulf Coast, Inc.
CCCS of Central Florida & the Florida Gulf Coast Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and accredited organization dedicated to providing you with the finest professional financial counseling and education services available. Established in 1974, the agency has helped thousands of consumers become new homeowners, bounce back from debt, rebuild their credit and establish manageable budgets. CCCS of Central Florida & the Florida Gulf Coast Inc. is a HUD approved, non-profit human service United Way agency, as well as accredited by the Council on Accreditation, a Central Florida WAGES partner, and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. For more information, visit www.cccsfl.org.
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Jenni Larmore of Clermont, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, was selected by the USAF Thunderbirds to fly with them on an F-16, but it was scrubbed at the last minute. Still, Jenni and her parents received a VIP tour of the day’s activities by the Thunderbirds. “It was an amazing day that was made possible by Girl Scouts of Citrus Council,” said Larmore who is a student at Lake Sumter Community College. “I enjoy science, participating in high school science clubs and I competed in the State Science Olympiad twice.” In addition to Larmore’s visit with the Thunderbirds, approximately 400 Girl Scouts were invited to ask a panel of “Women Pioneers in Aerospace” questions as a part of the World Expo Space activities. Those women included Maj. Nicole Malachowski, first female pilot for the USAF Thunderbirds; Maj. Samantha Weeks, first female solo pilot for the USAF Thunderbirds; Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, first American woman to spacewalk; Ret. Col. Eileen Collins, first female shuttle commander; Patricia Smith, first associate administrator, FAA - Commercial Space Transportation; and Dr. Anousheh Ansari, first female private space traveler. All of these women are former Girl Scouts. The girls also participated in WSE’s Next Generation Explorers Education Program which was designed to motivate them in math and science. Some of the opportunities they experienced included hands-on space and science activities; weather balloon launch; shuttle launch experience; I-Max movie; SpaceTEC Paper Rocket workshop; and an astronaut encounter.
