Inspiration by Brown
This morning I walked into the large warehouse of a well-known shipping company (let's just say I was in a sea of brown - brown trucks, brown uniforms). I walked under chutes, saw rows of trucks with packages neatly stacked and was surrounded by lots of loud noise. I had been asked to give a 3 minute speech about my organization's work for a fundraising initiative. It was during the 8:15 morning check-in before the drivers headed out for their runs.
I decided to focus on our efforts to change laws impacting foreclosures in our state. It's been in the news a lot and has resonated with other audiences.
The drivers had been hearing about different things during this brief meeting - schedules, injury prevention - and looked ready to go. As I started my speech, I asked how many folks had heard of the foreclosure crisis in our state. Some folks raised their hands but what I hadn't expected in the sea of 50+ faces was a certain reaction.
It was that obvious look on a few faces of how did she know?
Afterwards I commented to a manager that some of the drivers had probably delivered a foreclosure notice.
"Several of them have been foreclosed on" was his barely audible reply over the din.
I just wanted to turn and yell over the revving engines, "I'm trying to fix it!!"
9 comments:
And if I'm not mistaken this is the same company that tried to keep workers to part-time hours so they wouldn't have to provide health care benefits. Such a frustrating world we live in.
do you live in a state that's shaped like a hand?
Wow, I cannot even imagine having to give up a home. I can barely imagine buying a home. It is so sad to think all those people losing their dream.
FC -
Actually this company provides pretty comprehensive benefits for both part-timers and retirees.
The part-timers who load the packages from 3-7 am and unload from 5-8 pm are very important for the company's success so it seems they treat them well. At least at the site I was at.
PM -
The shape of my state? A rectangle with a curvey tail on the Atlantic Ocean side?
chelle -
I too cannot imagine losing a home.
Isn't this the company that originally denied benefits to domestic partners in New Jersey because the partners weren't legally defined as "spouses"? However, they did relent once pressure was applied, I believe.
And until I started working again in May, we were skating on very thin ice with regard to foreclosure so I'm way too well acquainted with the fear.
What you're doing is so important and seems SO overwhelming. Thank goodness there are people like you fighting for the folks that need your help.
Living in Michigan, this is in the news on a daily basis.
Your work is so so important! I would love to hear more about this from you.
Can you elaborate on how we can fix it. I live in your state I believe (CT) and I was forclosed on. I tried to work with the mortgage company. They "Lost" my paper work twice - which involved redoing alot of paperwork cause it was all time sensative, didn't take my phone calls, didn't return my phone calls, gave me an outrageous offer, Their voice mails got so full that for weeks at a time I couldn't even leave one because the box was full. Pushing zero for an operator did nothing. On the night before the scheduled foreclosure when I had moved out and found a new place "my representative" called me back. If they had worked with me at all I could of saved my house. I had some money to offer plus when I finally told my extended family they where willing to help me too but with the way the mortgage company worked there was no working it out.
To this day I still get notices from them about my interest rate going up. LOL. What great service.
Annon -
I am so glad you left a note here. Unfortunately, I am in that New England state just north of the Great State of CT. Essentially the main part of the MA state law we are trying to change is requiring mortgage companies to conduct themselves as banks are required to by law. While this may seem like a "big whoop-de-doo", over 80% of the foreclosures here involve mortgage companies. If they had to conduct themselved like banks (e.g. more honest advertisements, how they conduct themselves during signings, etc), we believe it would substantially change what happens to homeowners.
Did you keep a log of all the calls you made that went unanswered? That would be a great way to show how they were unresponsive as you were trying to renegotiate.
Our "sister" organization is at http://www.ct-housing.org/. They may be able to help you figure out any resources to stop the mail.
Nice that you could write "LOL" at the end. I would've written something much nastier.
Feel free to email me at amitchells AT yahoo DOT com if you want to touch base.
Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry you were caught in that mess.
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