THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2007

5B

loggedin

HOP hopes to help disabled homeowners

until now, says Harrell. Even though society and taxpayers often pay the high cost of relocating these individuals and supporting them, the HOP Center offers assistance to keep them in their own homes. Harrell is a widow who is on Social SeStory and photo by Brit Horvat curity disability with an 18-year-old son YourHub.com staff in college. Her husband passed away at age 51 from a brain tumor. Imagine having the West Nile Virus, beAccordingto Harrell, someonemust be ing unable to work and attempting to care for three kids while in the process of disabledfor six months to qualify for benlosing a home. This is currently happen- efits and most of these people are unable to work during this time. ing to a Frederickman. If you go six months without working, Imagine losing your home over a $400 youre most likely going to lose your ambulance bill you were unable to pay at the requiredtime. This happenedto a dis- home, says Harrell. I became involved abled Denver man who lost his home in the foreclosure issue after watching when the ambulance company filed to two families with disabled heads of the household lose their homes in forecloforeclose. Whether a disabled person is currently sure. For most people, $3,000 would in the process of losing their home or al- make all the difference. According to Preston J. Keeler IV, the ready has, a simple sum of money could make all the difference in temporary fi- HOP Centerscommunityrelationsdirector, Harrell is the spark that made it hapnancial crises such as these. Youre choosing between your life and pen. With her passion to help others,Haryour home and its devastating, says rell has established a small, dedicated 58-year-old Gaylia Harrell, founder of the staff of four board members. To keep Home Ownership Preservation (HOP) costs down, Harrell works out of her Center for the Disabled. The crisis in home and turns to her seven-memberadforeclosurerates in Colorado will only in- visory committee for help in business-recrease in the immediate future and dis- lated tasks. Everyone involved in the HOP centeris a volunteer. abled homeownersneed our help. Since gaining nonprofitstatus,the cenThe HOP Center is a Boulder County-based nonprofit organization that ter has partnered with local agencies and gained 501(c)(3)statusin August.Its mis- startedgaining neededfunding. The partsion is to help disabled persons and their nering agencies include Boulder County families sustain home ownership and Housing Authoritys Housing Counseling Program, Brothers Redevelopment avoid foreclosure. Theres rental assistance,but as far as Inc., The HERO Alliance and The Legal we know, theres been no mortgage pay- Center for People with Disabilities. Although the HOP Center recently rement assistance program offered to disabled homeowners to avoid foreclosure ceived a $5,000 grant from the Greenlee

Nonprofit seeks assistance in giving foreclosure loans

Gaylia Harrell poses in her home office Dec. 6 with her cat Molly. Harrell runs the nonprofit out of her Longmont home.
Family Foundation along with a pledge for another $5,000 donation in 2008 in order to give their first Foreclosure Rescue Loan, they are still in need of great financial help. We need $15,000 before we can start giving, says Harrell. We need another founding funder to keep us self-sustaining. We want to make these loans very affordable to pay back and will work to make it happen. Accordingto Harrell, theyrealready receiving calls from agencies and partners in regards to disabled homeownersneeding assistance. However, the HOP Center has no choice but to turn them away at this time. Foreclosure happens quickly, and because were a small organization, we can move quickly too, says Harrell. However, we cant make our loan program a reality withoutthe help of others. For more informationon the HOP Center, visit www.hopcenter.org, call 303-482-2216 or e-mail home@hopcenter .org. To make a donation, make the check payable to The HOP Center and mail to: Home Ownership Preservation Center for the Disabled, 1600 Hover Road, C3-No. 182, Longmont,CO 80501. By serving with the Hop Center, I feel I am helping to provide this net. Preston Keeler IV, HOP Center community relations director

Why I started HOP

I am an active volunteerin my communityand have received many awards for my work with youth. Through my communitycontactsI became aware of two local families who lost their homes due to a temporary financial crisis caused by disability.These were people fighting for their lives and fighting to save their homes at the same time. With just a little financial assistance,these families could have kept their homes, remained self-sufficient, gotten back on their feet and resumed mortgagepayments. The HOP Center focuseson disabledhomeownerswho need a temporaryhand-up, not a handout, to get back on their feet by providing low interest rescueloans to bring their

mortgagepaymentscurrentto avoid foreclosure. Gaylia Harrell, HOP Center founder and executive director

ing to other families. Anita Games, HOP Center director/secretary, officer

Why I volunteer
I decidedto becomeinvolved in the HOP Center after several friends had struggledwith health care issues and were on the verge of losing their homes. I have personallyexperienced the laissez faire attitude with my mortgagecompanyI have been with for 10 years and have 2 mortgageswith this company.When they raised my adjustablerate mortgageover $500 in the past few months, I called to refinance.I have called for over 2 months and they have given me a major run-around. I got involved becausesomeone needs to step forward in offering a helping hand in a

I know what its like to lose a home

I am one of the board members of the HOP Center. I hold a special passion for the work this organizationis doing in helping people facing foreclosure due to severe illness or accidentor injury. Many years ago, my daughter had a traumatic life changing experience which resultedin huge medical bills left after the insurance paid their part. As a result, we lost our home. I feel my involvementin supporting the HOP centerwill help prevent this from happen-

time of crisis. I hope we can get the funds that can truly make a difference.I am also hopeful that there will be new legislation to address this terrible problem. Elizabeth Weisinger, HOP Center director

Disabled are more vulnerable

As the former Boulder County Public Trustee,I witnessed first-handthe personal tragedies that come from foreclosure. One group of homeowners was particularlyvulnerable to foreclosure,those dealing with disability.Someone disabled often does not have the resourcesthat others have. In addition, I volunteermy time to serve on the Advisory Committee of the HOP Center and offer my advice wheneverit is needed. Sandy Hume, HOP Center advisory committee member

Second chance leads to opportunity

I serve as the Directorof CommunityRelations for the HOP Center. Sometimesa secondchance opens you to an opportunityto make a difference for others. I have been battlinga recentlydiagnosed chronicillness for over 20 years. It has caused me periodictimes when I was unable to work. It has, however,given me a special empathy for the disabled and the challengesthey face.