PRESS RELEASE: ESOP - HOUSING ADVOCATES QUESTION FAIRNESS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL MORTGAGE SETTLEMENT

For Immediate Release                                                         
May 29, 2013                                                                   

Contact:
Deonna Kirkpatrick
(216) 361-0718 
dkirkpatrick@esop-cleveland.org
 

Housing advocates question fairness in implementation of National Mortgage Settlement

Groups appeal to federal judge for fair lending data on homeowner relief

 

CLEVELAND, OH – Housing and consumer advocates have long questioned whether homeowner relief given under requirements of the National Mortgage Settlement is being given fairly to borrowers in communities hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.  This week groups voiced their concerns to the federal judge assigned to the case.

  
      In a letter to U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer 17 groups including Americans for Financial Reform, Consumer Federation of America, Woodstock Institute, ESOP and others requested fair housing data on the implementation of the settlement.

  
      "We are writing because we work with and are concerned about the communities and families who should be seeing improved processes, fairer mortgage servicing outcomes and compensation for illegally completed foreclosures as a result of the federal / state mortgage servicing settlement.   We are deeply worried that the goals of the settlement are not being met fairly, and we urge you to require full public disclosure of the distribution of principal reduction and other loan modification benefits under the settlement so that you, the signatory parties, and the public can evaluate the outcomes adequately."

  
      Advocates are particularly concerned that servicer-defendants may not be complying with state and federal fair housing laws.
 

      This is not the first time groups have voiced their concerns.  In previous letters to NMS Monitor Joseph Smith housing advocates have made three basic requests:

1. Use the Monitor’s access to loan-level servicer data to show which neighborhoods are receiving homeowner relief under the settlement;
2. Aggressively, immediately, and regularly monitor fair lending concerns, and make that process transparent to the public; and
3. Fully audit fair lending compliance before relieving any of the servicers from their obligations under the settlement.

 

 

    But so far neither the monitor nor the lenders have provided the information.
 

      "We want to make sure the communities that were devastated by the crisis get their fair share of the relief mandated under the settlement," said Paul Bellamy, Director of Research and Development for Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People. 

                                                                             ###        
(Read full letter below)

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP) is a HUD-approved foreclosure prevention counseling agency. We have nine offices across Ohio to help urban, suburban and rural homeowners. ESOP has been on the frontlines of the predatory lending and foreclosure epidemic since 1999, combining community organizing, foreclosure prevention and advocacy.  



May 23, 2013

Judge Rosemary M. Collyer
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
333 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington D.C. 20001

Re:         United States of America, et al., vs. Bank of America, et al.       
Case No. 12-cv-00361, et seq.

Judge Collyer:

We are writing because we work with and are concerned about the communities and families who should be seeing improved processes, fairer mortgage servicing outcomes and compensation for illegally completed foreclosures as a result of the federal / state mortgage servicing settlement.   We are deeply worried that the goals of the settlement are not being met fairly, and we urge you to require full public disclosure of the distribution of principal reduction and other loan modification benefits under the settlement so that you, the signatory parties, and the public can evaluate the outcomes adequately.

  
  New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has already brought public attention to the defendant banks’ systematic failure to implement the agreed-upon servicing reforms.  In addition, we fear that defendants’ discretionary distribution of consumer relief under the settlement has systematically left minority homeowners and neighborhoods behind. It would be a disastrous result if the settlement compounded the disparate impact of the foreclosure crisis on communities of color by denying these communities a fair share of relief.

  
  We are concerned that the servicer-defendants may not be complying with state and federal fair housing laws; and paragraph 17 of the consent order makes it clear that they must do so: Nothing in this Consent Judgment shall relieve Defendant of its obligation to comply with applicable state and federal law. We therefore ask that the defendants be required to report data that would make it possible to evaluate this aspect of their performance, including the census tract (along with the type and amount of relief) for each mortgage adjustment that they are claiming towards their obligations under the Mortgage Settlement.

  
  For more detail, please see the attached letter to Joseph Smith, the settlement Monitor, which lays out why we believe this is a matter of central importance to achieving the goals of the National Mortgage Settlement. 

  
  The letter to Mr. Smith makes three basic requests:
 

• Use the Monitor’s access to loan-level servicer data to show which neighborhoods are receiving homeowner relief under the settlement;
• Aggressively, immediately, and regularly monitor fair lending concerns, and make that process transparent to the public; and
• Fully audit fair lending compliance before relieving any of the servicers from their obligations under the settlement.

   

 

  Unfortunately, while we have raised these concerns repeatedly with Mr. Smith, and proposed a variety of ways to address them, no actions to make the data public or to measure fair lending compliance have been taken.  The servicers who are subject to the settlement also appear to be strongly resisting any requests for this data.
   

  As a practical matter the only way for us, the Monitor, the Court, and the American people to be assured that the fair housing laws are being followed is to have data on who has received what kind of assistance through the settlement.
 

  We understand that tracking protected class status by borrower is sometimes problematic for reasons of privacy. With careful protection of personally identifiable information (PII), census tract information can provide a simple, albeit imperfect, proxy for measuring race and ethnicity. Given the large number of transactions involved, census tract level data would provide meaningful information about fair lending compliance under the remediation terms of the settlement.
 

  A number of features of the housing market and the structure of the settlement make us particularly concerned that absent data collection , analysis, and corrective action if necessary  there is grave danger that relief will go to wealthier and whiter communities, while lower income homeowners and homeowners of color will be left behind. These include the fact that it is simpler - and therefore cheaper - for servicers to get the same amount of credit under the settlement for adjusting one large mortgage than for adjusting multiple smaller loans.
 

  
  We urge action to collect the relevant data soon, as the banks party to the settlement are moving quickly to complete their obligations to fulfill the agreement.  It would be tragic to learn that fair housing violations occurred after the fact, when it is too late to remedy them.
 

  Respectfully,

Americans for Financial Reform
Campaign for a Fair Settlement
Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio (COHHIO)
Community Legal Services Philadelphia, PA.
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Empowering & Strengthening Ohio’s People
Homes on the Hill
Leadership Center for the Common Good
Miami Valley Fair Housing
National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations
National People’s Action
New Jersey Citizen Action
Ohio CDC Association
Toledo Fair Housing
Woodstock Institute
Working in Neighborhoods

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CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND MAY 2013 NEWSLETTER

Did You Know?

Did you know a child shot earlier this month at a New Orleans Mother’s Day parade had been shot less than a year earlier on his 10^th birthday? How can we allow this culture of gun violence to continue in America? 

in this edition

Did You Know?

Organize a Children’s Sabbath Service

Youth Spotlight: Michael Tubbs

Early Learning Day of Action

Beat the Odds® Program

Children and teens in Louisiana are among the most at-risk for gun violence in the nation. How have state legislators responded? By introducing 19 bills to protect guns, not children. That’s why our office in New Orleans set up a “Protect Children, Not Guns” display table in the Capitol Rotunda for two days this month and used the opportunity to educate legislators and advocates by sharing CDF’s gun fact sheets. Some of the legislators left the tables wearing CDF's “Protect Children, Not Guns” buttons. 

Five months after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School a child or teen is shot by a gun every 30 minutes, and yet Congress has failed to pass any common sense gun safety legislation to protect children, not guns.  

Here’s What You Can Do:

• Make your presence known! Follow the example of our Louisiana office, set up a table in your state capitol and hand out “Protect Children, Not Guns” bumper stickers and buttons and “The Truth About Guns” fact sheet. Order yours today.
•  
• Blog about it! Join CDF, MomsRising.org and others for a blog carnival on June 14, the sixth anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre.
•  
• Watch and share the stories of those personally affected by gun violence with our new video series “Faces of Courage.” Please contact us if you would like to share your story.
•  
• Read and share Marian Wright Edelman’s powerful column “Numb –Spiritually Dead – Nation” which documents the story of Ka’Nard Allen, the 10 year-old shot twice in less than a year.

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Organize a Children’s Sabbath Service

Want to make a difference for children in your community?  If you are a member of a faith community, you can begin organizing a Children’s Sabbath celebration as part of our National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths® weekend, October 18 – 20. Whether you are a layperson or a religious leader, start organizing now using our newly published resources around this year’s theme, “Beating Swords Into Plowshares: Ending the Violence of Guns and Child Poverty.”

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Youth Spotlight: Michael Tubbs

Raised by a single mother, with his father in prison, Michael Tubbs was determined to make a difference and determined to stay out of the Cradleto Prison Pipeline™.  He went on to become a Truman Scholar, graduating with bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University last spring and becoming the youngest City Council member in Stockton, California’s history last fall. But that hardly scratches the surface of why we celebrate Michael—his work with youth in his home city has been unrelenting, teaching them the leadership, civic engagement, and social justice principles he learned as a part of CDF’s Young Advocate Leadership Training (YALT^®) program. 

Next month Michael will share his story and insights as a panelist during the CDF-ETS Achievement Gap Symposium, “Black Male Teens: Moving to Success in the High School Years.” Learn more about the unique challenges facing young Black men and examine the most effective practices schools and communities should adopt in order to help close achievement gaps and foster college and career success. Waiting list only available for the Washington, D.C. event on June 24. 

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Early Learning Day of Action

The President has laid the groundwork for an important historic investment in early learning. Now it’s up to us to make sure it happens. Join us in the Strong Start for Children campaign for a day of action next week to support investments to ensure our youngest, most vulnerable children are ready to learn. On June 5, participate in a blog carnival, write letters to the editor and op-eds, and join in a tweetchat with the experts, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Contact your members of Congress TODAY and let them know you support the President’s Early Learning and Child Development Initiative.

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Beat the Odds® Program

Growing up hungry and homeless first in Mexico and then in the United States, Maria Cruz Mendiola has persevered and now hopes to help others. Maria remembers waking up one night while living in a cardboard box and “telling myself that I needed to do something more for the world.” She aims to be a doctor involved in international activism. Maria is one of four extraordinary youth celebrated earlier this month by CDF-Minnesota through their Beat the Odds scholarship and leadership development program. Check out the stories of these amazing youths with their video biographies, produced by our long-time friends at We Are Fallon. Next week, CDF-Texas will celebrate their own set of heroes and sheroes at an awards luncheon in Houston. Donate to support the Beat the Odds scholarship and leadership development program.

CLEVELAND NAACP TO HOLD 54TH ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER JUNE 14, 2013

DATE/DAY:      FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

TIME:               6:30PM

PLACE:           CLEVELAND RENAISSANCE HOTEL, 24 PUBLIC SQUARE, CLEVELAND, OH


Guest Speaker:  William Pickard, former director of the Cleveland NAACP and now Detroit entrepreneur

Awards will be given for work in fostering the principles of the civil rights organization.
     Arnold Pinkney
     Rev. Ken Chalker
     Shayla King
     Devon White
     U.S. Rep Marcia Fudge

Scholarship Awards will be given to students recognized for academic achievement

Contact (for tix and info): NAACP  216.231.6260

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN SAYS AMERICA HAS A SPIRITUAL PROBLEM

Newsletter from the Children's Defense Fund

 

Numb - Spiritually Dead - Nation

Ka’Nard Allen has been shot twice in his 10-year-old life. On May 12 he went with his mother to the annual Mother’s Day second line parade in New Orleans. When two gunmen shot into the line of participants—men, women and children—Ka’Nard’s cheek was struck by a bullet. Eighteen other people were wounded including a 10-year-old girl. Less than a year ago, at Ka’Nard’s 10^th birthday party in his front yard, his five-year-old cousin Brianna Allen was fatally shot by an AK-47, and he was shot in the neck. 

Now, with his 11^th birthday coming up on May 29, Ka’Nard’s mother doesn’t know where to have the party. He wants to go to a hotel, swim in the pool, and stay overnight, he told a reporter for the Times-Picayune, but his mother said she can’t afford it. She doesn’t know where to let him play that will be safe, and he remains at risk because she can’t afford to move. 

I have written this before and I write it again now: The psychological and emotional toll of gun violence on children, whether they are bystanders or victims, can be overwhelming and last for years.   

A recent screening of 232 New Orleans middle school students who were part of a teen pregnancy prevention program found that 44 percent had someone close to them murdered, 29 percent had witnessed an assault with a weapon, and 14 percent had witnessed a murder. More than half the children classified concerns about “personal safety” as a source of worry, more than twice the number who worried about “being unloved.” “At least a third of our kids are experiencing symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, which on a simple level means it is hard to attend school and do well,” said Dr. Denese Shervington, a psychiatrist who heads the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies that ran the program and conducted the screening.

John C. Raphael, the pastor of a church in the neighborhood where Ka’Nard lives, told Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julia Cass on assignment for the Children’s Defense Fund that children who regularly hear gunfire and see dead bodies on the street become acclimatized to violence and learn that violence is the way to solve conflicts. “They’re afraid but they can’t escape so they harden themselves to survive. They become numb to what should be emotionally disturbing and accept it as a norm, as the community does.” 

As a nation we seem to be hardened and numb to what should be emotionally disturbing when we cannot legislate the most modest and reasonable measures for national gun safety even after children in as seemingly safe a place as Newtown, Connecticut, far from an inner city, can be shot down in school. We are numb when the same child can be shot one year at his own birthday party and shot again the next year at a Mother’s Day parade and both shootings are just another day on our cities’ streets. Why are we not all calling our legislators and expressing outrage? How can we let the voices of gun dealers and manufacturers drown out the cries of children?

Pastor Raphael pointed out another consequence of rampant gun violence in places like New Orleans, Chicago, and Newark: Young men become locked into a situation where they feel they have to retaliate to protect themselves and to be respected. When a culture teaches its children that violence is a way to resolve conflicts, “if your brother or friend is shot, you think you have to strike back,” he said. “Sometimes, the family members or friends of the shooter assume you will retaliate and go after you preemptively.” 

Retaliation is said to be the motive for the Mother’s Day shooting. Police said that the brothers, aged 19 and 24, who are charged with the crime, were part of a loosely organized neighborhood drug gang and were shooting at a member or members of a rival group. The shooting was related to two previous ones, police said. The childhood experiences of the accused brothers have not been revealed, but it would take numbness to violence to shoot into a crowd with women and children. 

In Pastor Raphael’s view, New Orleans “has a spiritual problem. It is beyond criminal. It is a spiritual problem when in a high population area you see children and you shoot into them.”

America has a spiritual problem when it protects guns rather than children. Since 1963, more than 166,000 children and teens have died from guns on American soil—more than triple the number of U.S. soldiers killed in the Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq wars combined. It is beyond criminal that we allow so many children to suffer and die. It is spiritual deadness. 

Support Children's Defense Fund

HOW WILL THE NEW HEALTHCARE LAW AFFECT YOU?

Watch This Fantastic Video from the Kaiser Foundation - Watch All the Way Through So You Get All the Facts







FROM HEALTHCARE.GOV

Individuals and the Affordable Care Act

The health care law helps improve care and lower costs for healthy individuals and people with health conditions. When key parts of the health care law take effect in 2014, there’ll be a new way to get health insurance: the Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace is designed to help you find health insurance that fits your budget, with less hassle.

 

 

PREVENTION AND WELLNESS VIDEO

 

 

 

Healthy Individuals and the Affordable Care Act

 

Even if you’re healthy now, sooner or later there will come a time when you will need health insurance. Not having health insurance when you need it can result in large amounts of debt and bad credit ratings. Worrying about health insurance and the cost of your care is the last thing you want to do. The Affordable Care Act is expanding your options for health insurance and making them more affordable.Find out how you can get a break on costs.

5 Things to Know for Healthy Individuals

1. Under the health care law, insurance companies can no longer drop you when you get sick just because you made a mistake on your coverage application.
2. Parents have new options to cover their children. If you have children under age 26, you can insure them if your policy allows for dependent coverage. The only exception is if you have an existing job-based plan, and your children can get their own job-based coverage.
3. Job-based health plans and new individual plans are no longer allowed to deny or exclude coverage to any child under age 19 based on health conditions, including babies born with health problems.
4. Starting in 2014, if your income is less than the equivalent of about $88,000 for a family of four today and your job doesn’t offer affordable coverage, you may get tax credits to help pay for insurance.
5. Starting in 2014, if your employer doesn’t offer insurance, you will be able to buy insurance directly in the Health Insurance Marketplace that gives you power similar to what large businesses and members of Congress have to get better choices and lower prices.

Individuals with Health Conditions and the Affordable Care Act

If you have a health condition, you know how important having health insurance is and how expensive it can be. Worrying about where to get coverage and the cost of your care is the last thing you want to do when you are dealing with chronic illness. The health care law is expanding your options for health insurance and making them more affordable.

7 Things to Know for Individuals with Health Conditions

For More Information

• Download and print this brochure: The Health Care Law & You (PDF: English 8.99 MB, Spanish 8.3 MB).
• Find out how the how the health care law benefits you.
• Share educational materials with others.
• See real stories from people like you about the benefits of the law.
• Get email updates on the Health Insurance Marketplace and more.

1. Under the health care law, if you have been uninsured for at least six months and have a health condition, you may be able to get health insurance through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.
2. If a new insurance plan doesn’t pay for services you believe were covered, you now have new, clear options to appeal the decision.

 

1. Insurance companies can no longer drop you when you get sick just because you made a mistake on your coverage application.

 

1. Starting in 2014, job-based and new individual plans won’t be able to exclude you from coverage or charge you a higher premium for a pre-existing condition, including a disability.

 

1. Starting in 2014, if your income is less than the equivalent of about $88,000 for a family of four today, and your job doesn’t offer affordable coverage, you may get tax credits to help pay for insurance.

 

1. If you have insurance and have problems with your plan or questions about your coverage, get help through the Consumer Assistance Program.

 

1. If you have been rejected for insurance, learn more about your rights and find out how to appeal denied claims.

 SEE FAMILIES HERE


SEE SENIORS AND OTHERS HERE


KEY FEATURES OF THE LAW


HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE


HEALTHCARE.GOV HOME PAGE


Update: 

How do I apply for Marketplace coverage? (other choices besides the website)


"How to Navigate the New Insurance Marketplace" Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 17, 2013

CALL TO COURAGE BENEFIT FOR MICHELLE KNIGHT, AMANDA BERRY, GINA DEJESUS

CALL TO COURAGE

MISSING CHILDREN AND ADULTS

WEBSITES:


BLACK AND MISSING


Northeast Ohio Missing Persons Database


Cuyahoga County Missing Person's Initiative (1) (2)Database


Amber Alert


National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

HELP FOR FAMILIES AND VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

 

216-391-HELP

24-HOUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EMERGENCY HELPLINE

216-229-8800

FAMILY HELPLINE

 

 

 

 

Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center

 

 

Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation Program

 

 

Women's Shelters

 

 

Emergency Shelters

 

 

Housing and Utilities - Emergency Housing, Shelter and Drop-In Centers - Domestic Violence Shelters for Battered Women

 

 

 

211 First Call for Help

 

FOREIGN SITE USING GAZETTE NAME

A few people have informed us that (when they did a keyword search) there is an organization that uses Maple Heights African American Gazette with a foreign language attached.

 

 

Please do not click on any link where you see the words fa-ir.m.0.

 

 

 

This link has nothing to do with us.

EMAIL HACKING ON THE RISE

"ALAMEDA, Calif. —

Internet security experts say a surge in email hacking is putting your financial and other personal data under siege, but there are some basic defenses that can be built in just minutes."

CONTINUED HERE


Internet security experts warn against email hackers


How to Protect Yahoo Email




In addition:
Don't forget to install a good internet security program on your computer.

PRESIDENT OBAMA PROCLAIMS MAY 15, 2013 AS PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PROCLAIMS MAY15, 2013, AS "PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY" AND MAY 12 THROUGH MAY 18, 2013, AS "POLICE WEEK"

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PROCLAMATION FOR PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY

 

Day after day, police officers in every corner of America suit up, put on the badge, and carry out their sworn duty to protect and serve. They step out the door every morning without considering bravery or heroics. They stay focused on meeting their responsibilities. They concentrate on keeping their neighborhoods safe and doing right by their fellow officers. And with quiet courage, they help fulfill the demanding yet vital task of shielding our people from harm. It is work that deserves our deepest respect — because when darkness and danger would threaten the peace, our police officers are there to step in, ready to lay down their lives to protect our own.

This week, we pay solemn tribute to men and women who did. Setting aside fear and doubt, these officers made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the rule of law and the communities they loved. They heard the call to serve and answered it; braved the line of fire; charged toward the danger. Our hearts are heavy with their loss, and on Peace Officers Memorial Day, our Nation comes together to reflect on the legacy they left us.

As we mark this occasion, let us remember that we can do no greater service to those who perished than by upholding what they fought to protect. That means doing everything we can to make our communities safer. It means putting cops back on the beat and supporting them with the tools and training they need. It means getting weapons of war off our streets and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals — common-sense measures that would reduce gun violence and help officers do their job safely and effectively.

Together, we can accomplish those goals. So as we take this time to honor law enforcement in big cities and small towns all across our country, let us join them in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow. Our police officers serve and sacrifice on our behalf every day, and as citizens, we owe them nothing less than our full and lasting support.

By a joint resolution approved October 1, 1962, as amended (76 Stat. 676), and by Public Law 103-322, as amended (36 U.S.C. 136-137), the President has been authorized and requested to designate May 15 of each year as “Peace Officers Memorial Day” and the week in which it falls as “Police Week.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2013, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 12 through May 18, 2013, as Police Week. I call upon all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also call on Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day. I further encourage all Americans to display the flag at half-staff from their homes and businesses on that day.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

CLEVELAND ASSOCIATION OF BLACK STORYTELLERS CELEBRATES 8TH ANNUAL SISTERHOOD LUNCHEON

Greetings CABS Friends,

 

Tickets for our Luncheon can be purchased from any of our members.  For those of you who have attended in the past you know what a good time we share together and hopefully you can attend this year.   We thank you for your support in advance!!! 

 

Contact Jackki Boyd 216-526-1275 or Felecia Tinker 216-382-4203 to get your tickets if you are not connected to any particular member.

 

 

MAPLE HEIGHTS AFRICAN AMERICAN GAZETTE WISHES ALL OUR MOTHERS A HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

HAVING TROUBLE PAYING YOUR MORTGAGE?

ESOP

MAY 11TH LETTER CARRIERS WILL BE COLLECTING NON PERISHABLES TO HELP STAMP OUT HUNGER

ON MAY 11TH, LETTER CARRIERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL BE COLLECTING FOOD FOR FAMILIES IN NEED.

IT'S EASY TO HELP:

1. COLLECT AND BAG NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS

 

 

2. PLACE BY MAILBOX FOR LETTER CARRIER TO DELIVER TO A LOCAL FOOD BANK OR PANTRY

 

 

** DONATE ITEMS LIKE CANNED MEATS, FISH, SOUP, JUICE, VEGETABLES, PASTA, CEREAL, AND RICE. 

 

 

PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE ITEMS THAT HAVE EXPIRED OR ARE IN GLASS CONTAINERS.

GIANT EAGLE TO HOLD JOB FAIR

GIANT EAGLE TO HOLD JOB FAIR TO STAFF NEW STORE

 

DATE:          MAY 11, 2013

TIME:          10PM TO 3PM

DAY:           SATURDAY

WHERE:     SOLON COMMUNITY CENTER, 35000 PORTZ PARKWAY

MAPLE HEIGHTS SCHOOLS COMMUNITY CONNECTION NEWSLETTER SPRING 2013

Spring 2013 Edition Community Connection

CHECK OUT YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES UNLIMITED FOR SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM AND WORKPLACE

Y.O.U. provides services that youth need in order to achieve success in the classroom and workplace. 

 

 

Mentoring

 

Life Skills

 

Academic Support

 

Planning for College

 

Job Placement

 

Employability Skills

 

Job Matching

 

Certified Entrepreneurship Teacher

1361 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
216-566-5445 (phone)
216-566-5981 (fax)
youinfo@youthopportunities.org

ESOP: DESPITE SLIGHT DECLINE OHIO FORECLOSURES STILL HIGH

For Immediate Release
May 2, 2013

Contact:
Deonna Kirkpatrick
(216) 361-0718
dkirkpatrick@esop-cleveland.org

Despite Slight Decline Ohio Foreclosures Still High

CLEVELAND, OH – Today the Ohio Supreme Court released foreclosure numbers for 2012 and even though there has been a slight decrease in the overall number of foreclosures there is still a serious foreclosure crisis in Ohio.

The number of Ohio foreclosure case filings decreased in 2012 by 1.5 percent. That’s about 1,000 fewer cases than in 2011. But there were still 70,469 new residential, commercial, and tax foreclosure case filings in 2012.

“There is still a lot of work to be done to help Ohio homeowners,” said Roslyn Quarto, ESOP’s Executive Director. “We are not surprised by the foreclosure numbers released today. It matches up with what we’re seeing at our offices all over the state.”

ESOP foreclosure prevention advocates are swamped every week with people who need help. Many of the people we’re seeing have suffered a loss of income. Companies making layoffs or cutting back workers’ hours are still putting a crunch on family budgets.

Today’s numbers underscore the need for continued funding of foreclosure prevention counseling and relief programs that help keep families in their homes and stabilize communities. “Now is not the time to slash funding for housing counseling," said Quarto. "As legislators prepare the budget for next year it is critical that they recognize the important work of housing counselors as an investment in financially stable families and communities and an essential part of fueling the housing recovery.”

Link:

http://www.courtnewsohio.gov/happening/2013/foreclosureStats_050213.asp

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ESOP is a HUD-approved foreclosure prevention counseling agency. We have nine offices across Ohio to help urban, suburban and rural homeowners. ESOP has been on the frontlines of the predatory lending and foreclosure epidemic since 1999, combining community organizing, foreclosure prevention and advocacy.

W.E.A. RED CARPET ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, MAY 18, 2013 AND MAY 19, 2013

The Red Carpet Achievement Awards is the annual entrepreneurial awards program of Women Entrepreneurs Of America in support of disadvantaged women in Business. 

The Red Carpet symbol represents the excitement of a premiere or special event, yet also serves to envision hospitality, embracing the community, and works as a symbol that brings people to a venue, an opportunity and certainly an opportunity to share information about someone who had been a true unsung entrepreneur in its business.

 
The Red Carpet Achievement Awards for Women Entrepreneurs, the mission is to raise the profile of exemplary companies and individuals among the press, the business community, and the general public. In short order the Red Carpet Achievement Award Even has become one of WEAs most coveted awards, Yolanda Lamar-Wilder, Founder and CEO states, "this will be the Entrepreneurs Own Oscar Awards Nite."

The Red Carpet Achievement Awards are to be presented to a minimum of four and a maximum of 10 recipients. It is highly desired that recipients attend the event in person to receive this award. To be considered for the award a bio or reasons for nomination for a particular person, group, organization or business must be submitted in writing to WEA, Inc.

Mission
Considerations: Extensive support to WEA, Inc. and the Greater Cleveland community, including any or all of the following and/or other related areas to business, community and etc.: Teaching, Directing, Promotional, Administrative, Experimental, Educational, Fundraising, Outreach, Development, Production, and Community Service.

VENDOR TABLES AVAILABLE

Order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://redcarpetawards-efbevent.eventbrite.com/

facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/141941659317629/

2-DAY EVENTS

1st Day ~ XECUTIVE ULTRA LOUNGE, 1222 PROSPECT CLEVELAND, OHIO.
1OAM - 5PM
WEA RED CARPET AWARDS NETWORKING EXTRAVAGANZA VENDOR SHOWCASE

FOR MORE INFO: CONTACT THE VENDOR COORDINATOR, TINA HOBSON AT 216-406-3412 AND/OR email  for Vendor Application to: redcarpetachievement@gmail.com. 


HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
Cleveland Airport Marriott
4277 West 150th Street · Cleveland, Ohio 44135 USA
Click on Link:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/cleap-cleveland-airport-marriott/?toDate=5%2F19%2F13&groupCode=RRERREA&stop_mobi=yes&fromDate=5%2F17%2F13&app=resvlink

MAPLE HEIGHTS: CAREER TECH EDUCATION "SERVICING THE COMMUNITY" DAY MAY 4, 2013

Career Tech Education “Servicing the Community” Day Saturday, May 4th, 9:00 a.m. to Noon at Maple Heights High School (5445 West Blvd) 

Please come join the Career Tech Education team.

Students in the Auto Tech, Cosmetology and Building & Property Maintenance programs will be providing at-cost services on Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. 

 Services being offered are as follows: · 

• Auto Tech: Tire rotation and car washes · 

• Cosmetology: Manicures, pedicures, facials, and other hair services 

• Building & Property Maint.: Repair/assemble light home furniture & home improvement demos 

Please call 216.438.6400 for an appointment or for additional information. · AutoTech: Ext. 1622 · Cosmetology: Ext. 1172 · Building & Property Maintenance: Ext. 1168 

The career tech department represents the Skills USA Youth club. Teachers in this club encourage and develop skills with students in the areas of leadership, civic consciousness, and social intelligence. 

Please come and support these activities at the Maple Heights High School.

 MAPLE HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL, 5445 WEST BLVD, MAPLE HTS, OH 4413

EXPUNGEMENT CLINIC MAY 23, 2013 - REGISTER TO HAVE YOUR RECORDS SEALED

There will be an Expungement Clinic on May 23, 2013. See Attachment.

Participants must pre-register to determine eligibility for sealing records.

Anyone may register at www.statesenatorshirleysmith.com or call (614) 466-4857 by Monday, May 13, 2013.

 

Expungement Clinic May 23

ANNUAL LEGACY LUNCHEON OF THE CLEVELAND SECTION OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN INC

The Cleveland Section National Council of Negro Women Inc. invites you to join us at our Annual Legacy Luncheon at 12 noon, Saturday, June 1, 2013.

Dr. Cynthia Jackson Hammond, President of Central State University is the guest speaker.

She is Central State University’s first woman president in their 125 year history.

The Legacy Luncheon will be held at the Greenmont Party Center 800 South Green Road South Euclid, Ohio 44121

This year’s luncheon features introductions by Constance Harper, President of the Cleveland, Ohio Central State Alumni Chapter, “Above and Beyond” Educator Recognitions, live music by Footprints with Kevin Conwell and Marketplace vendors starting at 11am.

Ticket prices are $40.00, advance sales only. For tickets or additional information, please contact Bobette Ousley, Legacy Luncheon Ticket Chairperson, 216-681-5129 or e-mail dewempire44108@yahoo.com.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Founder Ingrid Saunders Jones, Chair Avis Jones-DeWeever, Executive Director Debra E. Williams, President, Cleveland Section

ESOP: WATT NOMINATION A GOOD SIGN, BUT HOMEOWNERS NEED RELIEF NOW

For Immediate Release                                                         
May 2, 2013                                                                   

Contact:
Deonna Kirkpatrick
(216) 361-0718
dkirkpatrick@esop-cleveland.org

Watt Nomination a Good Sign, But Homeowners Need Relief Now

CLEVELAND, OH – President Obama’s nomination of Congressman Mel Watt for Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency is a welcome sign of the administration’s commitment to dealing with the lingering devastation of the housing crisis.  Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People urges the Senate to move quickly to confirm Representative Watt. While this nomination moves through the Senate we also ask the White House to immediately name a new Acting Director to help homeowners who continue to struggle with underwater mortgages and a sluggish housing recovery.

While national trends for the housing market are on the rise, in Ohio there were more than 70,000 new foreclosure filings last year.  According to RealtyTrac Ohio has had more than 10,000 new foreclosure filings in both February and March of this year. Families are still suffering and there is still much work to be done.  This crisis calls for American ingenuity and leadership. It’s time to use all the options available to protect homeownership, help families stabilize their finances, and rebuild American communities.



The current Acting Director Edward DeMarco has repeatedly declined to use all of the effective options available to help homeowners recover from the housing crisis. He has refused to allow mortgage principal correction despite his own agency’s evidence that a principal correction program would keep families in their homes while saving taxpayers money.

ESOP is optimistic that Representative Watt will show real leadership to help keep families in their homes, ensure fair lending and servicing practices, boost the housing recovery and chart a course for the appropriate role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in housing finance.

Every day that DeMarco remains in his position the FHFA puts more families at risk of foreclosure and delays the housing recovery.  If DeMarco won’t act then we call on the Senate and the White House to act quickly to replace him with someone who will.

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ESOP is a HUD-approved foreclosure prevention counseling agency. We have eight offices across Ohio to help urban, suburban and rural homeowners. ESOP has been on the frontlines of the predatory lending and foreclosure epidemic since 1999, combining community organizing, foreclosure prevention and advocacy.