FOR IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

It’s been a tough year for many in Northeast Ohio. As part of the ongoing Facing the Mortgage Crisis project, WVIZ/PBS has organized a live phone bank, hosted by ideastream’s Rick Jackson, in the ideastream studios from 8-10pm on Thursday, November 19 during a special block of programming.

Representatives from several area community organizations dealing with mortgage, foreclosure, and unemployment have partnered with ideastream for this effort and will be on hand to take calls and offer information and guidance.

United Way of Greater Cleveland 211, ESOP (Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People), Home Repair Resource Center, Neighborhood Housing Services, Community Housing Solutions, WECO (Wealth, Education, Collaboration, Opportunity), the Better Business Bureau and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Greater Cleveland Chapter are scheduled to have volunteers answering calls on Thursday, November 19 from 8-10pm.  In addition to the two-hour, live call-in opportunity, United Way of Greater Cleveland will extend their open 211 phone line hours after 10pm.

The number to call will be on the screen beginning at 8pm during the broadcast of Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times, an hour-long HD special hosted by Al Roker, Deborah Roberts and Elmo, aimed to help families with children, ages two to eight, experiencing difficult economic circumstances. Calls will continue to be answered through the next program airing at 9pm, The Moneywise Homeowner’s Empowerment Special, a unique sixty-minute motivational program designed to help Americans avoid losing their home to foreclosure or a mortgage scam. Viewers can also log on to wviz.org/mortgage for more information.

Facing the Mortgage Crisis is part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) Public Service Media Economic Response Initiative.