Thank You for Your Support!

This site was built and dedicated to help save the home of a local family from foreclosure.  Now that it has fulfilled its purpose we wanted to say thank you to all who participated and remind you that when we come together (even a few) there are many things great things we can accomplish.  There are many local needs in the community, those needing food, clothes, beds, basic appliances, etc, and several of us have been working together in the local area, continuing to find more effective ways to reach those needs, some large, some small.

Many of us struggle with our own finances, concerned about unemployment, or in a paycheck-to-paycheck scenario, and so we have difficulty understanding how we are going to support ourselves let alone help anyone else.  Yet the needs remain.  We can't ignore these people, many of them local children.  You'd be amazed at the hunger that local children experience, going without clothing, shoes, basic hygiene items, etc.  It's incredible.

Our teams need guidance, we need your support, we need to be efficient and effective stewards, we need to follow the right paths.  If you think about your community as you're going about your business, say a prayer for those in need and for us as we continue to work to find better and more effective ways to work together to help these in our community.  We hope you have a great year!

*UPDATE* - Thank you for your support!

I'm happy to report that from the combined efforts of some of you as well as other the Sawyer family was able to meet the total need in time for Monday and at last check were well on their way to meeting the end of month goal.  In speaking with them, the Sawyers are confident that they will be able to work and meet the rest of the total in time on their own.  However, since there was a shortfall of about $500 for the end of month need, and since they also recently had a water main break a few weeks ago that resulted in over $400 of additional expenses, I am going to keep this site up with their information until the first week of the new year for anyone who didn't get a chance to take part previously, or for anyone else who just wants to bless them.  Thank you all for your generosity and have a happy holiday season.  :)

Save the Sawyer Home!

Kenia working with kids in a local
neighborhood - Urban Link

Giving away clothes & supplies - Urban Link

The Sawyer children playing in front
of their home they've grown up in

A little girl holds her new teddy bear from Urban Link

Due to a recent job loss and the subsequent pile up of bills and expenses, as well as highly suspicious advice from loan officers, the Sawyers are going to face foreclosure unless they can come up with $2217.10 by the end of the month, $1328 of it by this Friday, 12/17.  They shared their situation and how it unfolded to a few close friends and family, asking that we pray, and after doing some research of my own I am completely stunned at how similar their story sounds to this situation, for which JP Morgan Chase is currently being sued: http://4closurefraud.org/2010/04/06/jpmorgan-chase-advised-homeowners-to-stop-making-loan-payments%E2%80%A6and-then-foreclosed/.  The most horrifying part of this article comes at the end where the lawyer for the plaintiffs states “I’ve heard this story from many, many, many clients...I’ve seen this happen to so many people. When they come in here to tell me their story, I can actually tell it to them.”  How many times has this happened across the country?  You lose a job, get a little behind, take the lead of the loan officers in trying to get your home mortgage readjusted and before you know it you're about to have your house taken.  Luckily the Sawyers did not follow all of the advice of the loan officers or it would already be gone.

Note that JP Morgan Chase is the owner of Chris and Kenia's loan.  Chris now has a new job and Kenia starts a new job in a few weeks, but they're reaching a hard deadline with Chase to come up with this money.  Normally we witness things like this take place around us on the streets like we're all a bunch of National Geographic photographers, powerless to do anything - but in this case I decided it was a case worth acting on.  If just 50 people gave 20 dollars, we'd almost be there.  Or you take a hundred people giving 10-15, whatever.  I've reviewed the details, and this isn't in my opinion a case of personal delinquency so much as a combination of circumstances.  The article above describes what amounts to outright seizure under deceptive pretense, and I'm not happy about this.

First of all I'd like to say that they have not asked for financial assistance, this is my doing.  In fact, when I saw Kenia and Chris yesterday, Kenia was asking me to pray about someone else in need.  This is not a family that runs around with credit cards and a Cadillac, asking for a handout, from what I can tell this is a hard-working couple with kids that is getting railroaded.  This is all taking place a few weeks before Christmas, a time of year the Sawyers annually dedicate to helping others through community outreach, which they take part in on an ongoing basis.  I have been working in the non-profit community in Charlotte since 2004, and I have never met another family that was more active in helping those in need in the community.

Chris and Kenia have worked with Urban Restoration Ministries in North Charlotte for years, as well as affiliated organizations, ministries that bring food, clothes, critical social services, and a life-changing message of hope to people fighting for life on the streets and in some very difficult neighborhoods in Charlotte.  Chris and Kenia were pushed further and even started their own community support and outreach arm called "Urban Link," dedicated to collecting and distributing much needed clothes and household items to those below the poverty line, which they have operated now for the past several years.  I know several dynamic couples that do all kinds of community outreach, but I do not know another family who give more of themselves to others, and to this community, without a second thought.  Often they have challenged my notions of what it means to give of yourself, and to put others before yourself.  Now they are the ones in need of community support, and we are organizing this online effort on their behalf.

Let's pull together and help our friends save their home this Christmas, and even help put a few toys around the tree!  While a few friends are doing what we can do individually, in order to meet this need in the time frame allotted we need to band together.  Please consider giving generously to help this family in need, and encourage close friends and family to do the same!  If we all band together we can make a huge difference in this situation!

Note: *ALL proceeds directly benefit the Sawyer family.*  If you're familiar with Paypal and have the time, please consider logging into your account and making a direct donation to chrisandkenia@yahoo.com or helpsavethishome@gmail.com (that way we can avoid merchant fees).  Also if you're reading this late in the week, you can still use the button below or consider contacting them directly via helpsavethishome@gmail.com.

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