From: Empowering & Strengthening Ohio's People
Date: Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Where: Park Inn Hotel - Toledo, Ohio

1,100 To Attend ESOP Event

ESOP TO DRAW 1,100-PLUS TO STATEWIDE MEETING
TURNOUT SHOWS POWER, IMPACT OF GRASSROOTS GROUP;
EIGHT OHIO BRANCHES TO COME TOGETHER VIA WEB TECHNOLOGYToledo, OH – Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People, ESOP, has collected over 1,100 RSVPs for its statewide annual meeting on October 8.
In Cleveland alone, more than 800 people have reservations for the Gala Celebration at the Crowne Plaza Hotel -- 60 percent of whom are homeowners ESOP has helped climb out of foreclosure. At ESOP’s seven satellite offices, many in rural Ohio cities and towns that had no foreclosure prevention services until ESOP opened its doors, grateful homeowners make up almost 80 percent of the RSVP list.“This turnout is a testament to how ESOP has changed so many lives,” said Inez Killingsworth, ESOP’s Board President.To highlight ESOP’s presence across the state, the eight meeting sites will be connected through powerful web conferencing software. All 1,100 attendees will see and hear each other live and in real-time. Local dignitaries and homeowners will speak from each satellite location to the statewide gathering.“Our goal is to celebrate this evening by showcasing our offices around the state,” said Ms. Killingsworth. “Wherever we can we are giving voice to Ohio’s homeowners because ESOP is about building power and fighting back.”ESOP invites the media to cover this unprecedented event. ESOP’s Lucas County event will be held at the Park Inn on N. Summit. All locations will begin the at 6 p.m. Media that needs additional setup time should arrive at 5 p.m. Please find the evening’s program attached.The keynote speaker is Alyssa Katz, nationally noted author and journalist who has chronicled the origins of the housing crisis in her recent book, Our Lot: How Real Estate Came to Own Us(Bloomsbury, 2009). Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and Maxine Waters and Senator Sherrod Brown will give video addresses.
In addition, speakers at ESOP’s seven satellite locations are:
Lucas County: Lindsay Potts, Special Assistant to U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Preble County: Bob Stonecash, Preble County Commissioner
Ross County: Judge Jan Corzine, Ross County Court of Common Pleas
Muskingum County: Dr. John Berry, Dean of Students, Ohio State University, Newark
Richland County: State Rep. Jay Goyal, Ohio Congressional District 73
Stark County: Ray Strain, Constituent Liaison to U.S. Rep. John Boccieri
Trumbull County: State Rep. Tom Letson, Ohio Congressional District 64 PRESS CONTACTS:
Lucas Rowe, Foreclosure Prevention Advocate
ESOP Toledo
(419) 464-9885
lrowe@esop-cleveland.org
Mark Seifert, Executive Director
ESOP Cleveland
Ph: 216-361-0618 216-361-0618
mseifert@esop-cleveland.org
Cathleen Groenstein, Special Events Coordinator
ESOP Cleveland
Ph: 216-361-0618 216-361-0618
cgroenstein@esop-cleveland.orgABOUT ESOP:
ESOP leads the state in saving homes and is the #1 resource for foreclosure prevention services in all 88 Ohio counties. ESOP saved more than 1,600 Ohio family homes in 2007, almost 3,000 in 2008, and is on track to save an additional 7,000 by the end of 2009. ESOP’s success stems from its established partnerships with various lenders and servicers, allowing for easy negotiation of loan modifications. ESOP has been nationally and internationally recognized for its success obtaining mortgage resolutions that help families stay in their homes. ESOP is non-profit and charges no fees for its services. It relies on charitable donations and grants from foundations, corporations and the State of Ohio for its funding. Created in 1993 as the East Side Organizing Project, ESOP recently added Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People to its name to reflect its expansion across the state. ESOP has also provided assistance to homeowners in 27 states beyond Ohio.