Free mortgage and foreclosure assistance through ESOP is available on Sept. 11 and 25 for homeowners located in Ashtabula and surrounding areas at the Legal Aid Society office. Please call ESOP at 216-361-0718 or the Legal Aid Society with any questions.

Huge yard sale from grateful homeowners to benefit ESOP

Free mortgage and foreclosure assistance through ESOP is available on Sept. 11 and 25 for homeowners located in Ashtabula and surrounding areas at the Legal Aid Society office. Please call ESOP or the Legal Aid Society with any questions.

With its 36 member organizations, Community Shares held its 2008 campaign kick-off. Call Community Shares at 216-361-9920 for more information on how you can help support ESOP and other Community Shares organizations.

ESOP and the City of Parma hosted a housing forum to discuss housing issues in the City of Parma, such as vacant houses, foreclosure and rental issues. Cleveland Tenants Organization was available to answer rental issues.

ESOP and South Euclid's Housing Department addressed topics including foreclosure prevention, tenants' rights, vacant properties and grassroots efforts to address housing issues.

By invitation only, current and prospective funding partners were invited to hear updates and learn about ESOP's work. This was a private event.

ESOP held a community forum on payday lending at Holy Trinity Baptist Church, attracting legislators, community leaders, nonprofit representatives, and elected officials, including Congressman Dennis Kucinich, from around the state of Ohio.

Residents and leaders gathered for a community summit to address issues related to the foreclosure crisis. Panelists Jim Rokakis, Jim Boyle, and Judge Ray Pianka fielded questions from an audience of over 200, and received an overwhelmingly positive response. Breakout sessions on payday lending, rescue fraud, and foreclosure prevention took place, and Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray delivered the keynote address.

ESOP and national affiliates kicked off a nationwide foreclosure prevention campaign at the home of a Cleveland resident in the midst of the foreclosure crisis.