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Bringing Hope Home Tour Rolls Into Atlanta

""HOPE NOW's"":http://www.hopenow.com 'Bringing Hope Home' bus tour made its way to Atlanta on Saturday, the second stop in a four-city journey to raise awareness about the foreclosure problems facing families in local communities and direct struggling homeowners to the resources available in their area that can help them avoid losing their homes.
Joining HOPE NOW and local homeownership advocates on the Atlanta leg of the expedition were Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Mary J. Blige, and six-time Grammy Award winning rapper, song-writer, and record producer, Big Boi of the music duo Outkast.
Mary J. Blige says that she's glad she can help raise awareness about home foreclosures in Atlanta - where her family roots are so strong. ""Foreclosure rates in Atlanta have risen drastically in recent years,"" Blige said, ""so I want to do what I can to help educate people about the options available to them to help keep their homes. They have to know where to go to ask for help. But most importantly, they need to know that they have to ask.""
Big Boi, an Atlanta resident, says he can't stand by and watch more Atlantans lose their homes. ""There are too many resources available for this to continue happening to families in Atlanta. That's what this bus tour is about - making sure the people here know that too.""
While in Atlanta, Mary J. Blige and Big Boi talked with housing counselors at ""Resources for Residents and Communities"":http://www.rrc-atl.org, and ""Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta"":http://www.cccsatl.org. They also heard firsthand from local families who have struggled with their mortgages but reached out for help through non-profit, community-based counseling agencies.
The bus tour's second stopover in Atlanta follows the crusade's official launch in Newark in February, featuring Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, and Angie Martinez - all Newark natives. The 'Bringing Hope Home' campaign will continue in two additional cities, Miami and Cleveland. The program is sponsored by the ""HOPE NOW Alliance"":http://www.hopenow.com and supported through a grant from Fannie Mae's ""Office of Community and Charitable Giving"":http://www.fanniemae.com/aboutfm/responsibility/charitablegiving.jhtml.
As part of the 'Bringing Hope Home' campaign, the HOPE NOW Alliance is hosting outreach events in several cities to provide homeowners the opportunity to meet with their mortgage lender and local counselors face-to-face. Just this week in Atlanta, more than 20 mortgage servicers, along with local counseling organizations, came together to provide assistance to more than 3,300 families in the Atlanta region.
Faith Schwartz, HOPE NOW's executive director, says that homeowners need to be educated about the resources available to them and be aware and wary of the schemes out there to take advantage of their vulnerability. ""Along with the HOPE Hotline, there are various free local organizations in communities across the country available to homeowners to help them save their homes from foreclosures,"" she said.
Schwartz also warned distressed homeowners not to be""tricked by anyone asking for money - because no one should have to pay to get the help they need to save their homes, their families, and their communities from foreclosure.""

About Author: Carrie Bay

Carrie Bay is a freelance writer for DS News and its sister publication MReport. She served as online editor for DSNews.com from 2008 through 2011. Prior to joining DS News and the Five Star organization, she managed public relations, marketing, and media relations initiatives for several B2B companies in the financial services, technology, and telecommunications industries. She also wrote for retail and nonprofit organizations upon graduating from Texas A&M University with degrees in journalism and English.
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