Tag: Let’s Lose Our House

Foreclosure Working Group: March 15, 2012

Save Our Community: Fight Foreclosure event debrief

  • Fox8, WXII TV12 and News14 sent reporters, video to cover. Fox8 broadcast stories twice.
  • Consensus was that the march went very well with a good sized crowd
  • Limo arrival was enthusiastically received and a lot of fun
  • Lobby tables were very active with a lot of folks signing up for assistance and information
  • Theater band conflicted with red carpet arrival since they were playing while the film’s stars appeared, could have been better planned to avoid that conflict.
  • Attendance was estimated at minimum 351. General feeling was that the real number was significantly higher.
  • MC, John Kernodle ruled the event. Excellent job engaging the audience, making points on the seriousness of the crisis, introducing robots and Jeff Thigpen.
  • Interview with Ricky was powerful and encouraged other foreclosure victims to come forward with their own stories.
  • Movie itself was very well received. Audience laughed at the satirical scenes and were engaged in the explanation of the serious consequences of mass foreclosures. A Legal Aid lawyer commented after the movie that it did a great job explaining job explaining a lot of complicated issues.
  • Thigpen speech, he was warmly welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd who wanted to hear about his foreclosure law suit. We could have benefited from providing more guidance on the subject of his talk.
  • Lobby activities, space was very crowded due to number of tables and large number of attendees. Ushers could have used better direction in collecting signups and distributing flyers. Recommend creating checklists of tasks for all categories of volunteers.
  • Funding, Kickstarter still short of target donations, but very close. Need to spread word about Kickstarter to boost donations.
  • FWG members need to bring receipts for expenses incurred to next meeting to get reimbursement.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Dates for events coming up: 4/19, 4/26, 4/26, 3/31, 4/6, 4/10
  • Bobbie reports she has 8 requests for LLOH DVD’s for various screenings across the state.
  • May Day event: focus on organized labor events and participation. Immigration issues a pressing topic for future actions.
  • Larry Morse to speak at BCC 6:30pm
  • YWCA event, Women in Foreclosure
  • Guilford College screening of “Let’s Lose Our House” @ 5:30pm
  • Fraud Detection Training, 29 attendees have signed up
  • Screening of “The House We Live In” at Glenwood Coffee
  • LLOH screening at UNCG @ 1:00 pm

Jeff Thigpen files suit over robo-signing, will speak at movie premiere

For Immediate Release

Contact: Nathan Pius, npius20@gmail.com, 732-570-8847

“Save Our Community: Fight Foreclosure!” – Movie Premiere at Carolina Theater

“Let’s Lose Our House: A Modern Foreclosure Tale”

Film Stars, Robots, Crowds and a Red Carpet

Jeff Thigpen will address attendees at the premiere of our locally produced film: “Let’s Lose Our House: A Modern Foreclosure Tale” at the Carolina Theater at 7:00 P.M. Wednesday March 14, 2012.

The Guilford County Register of Deeds announced today he is suing several banks, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo, alleging thousands of mortgage documents filed in the county were fraudulent. Thigpen said the fraudulent documents make it difficult, if not impossible, for his office to track who actually owns the property.

Over the last two years Thigpen has become a national figure in calling attention to document forgery, robo-signing, and other types of mortgage fraud by major banks. His office conducted a study of 6,100 mortgage documents here in Guilford County and discovered that 74 percent, about 4,500 transactions, or a stack of paper two feet high, had problems involving forged signatures and fraudulent documents. His research into robo-signing has been cited in a number of pending court cases as well as in the Associated Press, Business Week, and other national publications.

In appreciation of his efforts on behalf of illegally foreclosed homeowners and Guilford County residents, Thigpen will receive autographs from the film’s robotic “Robo-Signers” who will make a special appearance at the premiere.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

  • 5:30 – 6:15: Dinner at the Interactive Resource Center. Provided by Unity in Greensboro Church
  • 6:15 – 6:30: Photo Op: Marchers assemble at IRC, including Cakalak Thunder
  • 6:30 – 6:45: Photo Op: March comes down Washington, turns left on Greene
  • 6:45 – 7:00: Interviews: Early birds arrive
  • 7:00 – 7:05: Photo Op: Paparazzi/Limo arrival
  • 7:15 – 7:22: Real Foreclosure Story. Ricky and Patricia video
  • 7:24 – 7:47: Screen the movie
  • 7:50 – 7:53: Intro Jeff Thigpen
  • 7:53 – 8:03: Featured Speaker: Jeff Thigpen
  • 8:03 – 8:05: Robots give Jeff autographs, and …
  • 8:30 – 8:45: Interviews: Q&A (in lobby or auditorium, depending on size of crowd.)

Excitement builds for March 14 event, Save Our Community: Fight Foreclosure!

Press Advisory

Contact: Nathan Pius, npius20@gmail.com, 732-570-8847

Movie Premiere at Carolina Theater

“Let’s Lose Our House: A Modern Foreclosure Tale”

Film Stars, Robots, Crowds and a Red Carpet

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

  • 5:30 – 6:15: Dinner at the IRC. Provided by Unity in Greensboro
  • 6:15 – 6:30: Photo Op: Marchers assemble at IRC, including Cakalak Thunder
  • 6:30 – 6:45: Photo Op: March comes down Washington, turns left on Greene
  • 6:45 – 7:00: Interviews: Early birds arrive
  • 7:00 – 7:05: Photo Op: Paparazzi/Limo arrival
  • 7:15 – 7:22: Real Foreclosure Story. Ricky and Patricia video
  • 7:24 – 7:47: Screen the movie
  • 7:50 – 7:53: Intro Jeff Thigpen
  • 7:53 – 8:03: Featured Speaker: Jeff Thigpen
  • 8:03 – 8:05: Robots give Jeff autographs, and …
  • 8:30 – 8:45: Interviews: Q&A (in lobby or auditorium, depending on size of crowd.)

Foreclosure Working Group: March 8, 2012

This is a compilation of notes from our last two meetings on 3/1/12 and 3/8/12. As always, our meetings are every Thursday, 8:30 am at Spring Garden Bakery. All are welcome.

We are in our final push to organize the March 14 event: Save Our Community: Fight Foreclosure! The event will start at 7 pm.
Event page here: http://occupyforeclosure.org/save-our-community

IRC march
There will be a meal served by Unity church at 5:30pm. Mitch M. is the point person on this. All are welcome. Cakalak Thunder will play; Nego is the point person on this. Katie Y. will help assemble marchers at 6:15pm. Leave by 6:30pm to march to theater. Will S. will be work with the City for special events permitting.

Todd and Tom B. did a Lunch-and-Learn at the IRC announcing the event and had a good discussion with about 15-18 folks. Need to get some follow up fliers to the IRC – Dave R. is making them.

Press
We have gotten some good press leading up to the event. Nathan P. has been updating with several great, professionally written press releases. Todd got a good 2-3 spot on Voices and Viewpoints with WFDD that will re-air the day of the event. Bobbie and Kevin did a great interview with Jeri Rowe for the News and Record ran on Fri on page 2. Todd spoke at City Council as a speaker from the floor for the March 6th meeting announcing the event, inviting council and the general public. It has been airing on public access.

Participants/Supporters of Event
We are really building a broad coalition of support with this event. Participants include:

  • Jeff Thigpen, Guilford County Register of Deeds- featured speaker
  • MoveOn.org- outreach, tabling for Hold the Banks Accountable table
  • Guilford County Home Ownership Center- providing counseling to folks facing foreclosure
  • Greensboro Housing Coalition- providing counseling to folks facing foreclosure
  • Interactive Resource Center- supporter and sponsoring
  • Partners Ending Homelessness
  • Unity Church- providing meal at the IRC
  • YWCA- supporter and providing transport from their winter emergency shelter, hosting follow up event
  • NC Justice Center- will table that night and host a follow up training teaching people how to investigate mortgage fraud on March 31 (prob at Central Library).
  • Occupy Greensbro’s CA/A0 working group is helping will table that night and is helping to organize three follow up events including a talk/discussion with the YWCA on intersections of women and the housing crisis, a talk/discussion with the BCC on intersections of race and the housing crisis, and a public movie showing of The House We Live In.
  • UNCG and Guilford have both signed up for subsequent showings of Let’s Lose Our House: A Modern Foreclosure Tale.

Fundraising
Kickstarter is currently at $1,614.00! We are over halfway. Donations will be taken at the event. Encourage people to give what they can and continue to send the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401246699/save-our-community-fight-foreclosure

Outreach
Make personal phone calls! Everyone should have contacted AT LEAST 10 people with a commitment to come out on Wed. MoveOn.org did a phone tree reaching out to 3000 people! Thank you! Fliers are available at bookstore, post on fb and email.

Program/ Evening Logistics
Basic flow of the program is: march from IRC, red carpet intro of “stars,” seating, intro, personal foreclosure stories, movie, Jeff Thigpen, rousing get active speech from John K, lobby conversations, sign ups, story corp, Q and A, rousing send off!
Theater will open at 3 pm to start set up.

Folks doing tables, story corp booths etc need to come between 4 and 5 to set up materials.
Tables are as follows:

  • Hold Banks Accountable- MoveOn
  • Follow Up Events table- CA/AO; Maria R and Mark S
  • Training for Mortgage Fraud Detection – NC Justice Center, Rochelle Sparko and Julie K
  • Partners Ending Homelessness and IRC table
  • Foreclosure Counseling- GSO Housing Coalition and Home Ownership Center
  • Occupy as a Strategy- sign up and info for folks interested in direct action foreclosure resistance- Katie Y. and Julie S.
  • Occupy Greensboro general info table- Emiley J.
  • Need clipboards for collecting info- Marnie and/or Julie?
  • Marnie and Dave generating text for zine and will coordinate about layout with Mo who did illustrations
  • Early Smith is our event coordinator/ stage manager for the evening. If you are a participant, once the event starts do what she says! She is the one keeping the whole program on track!
  • Usher training at 5pm at the theater. All ushers need to be present for this.
  • QR needs to be checked
  • Christina Stone and Tom B have been filming personal foreclosure stories; at least one of these will air prior to movie. They will also person a story corp booth
  • Kristian Hultgren of Deep River Productions will be there to help with story corp booth as well video and photo of event
  • GSO bear will also do video and photo of event
  • John K will emcee! Thanks John! Marnie and Todd put together talking points for program and John is good with them. John has tux and cane, needs top hat…
  • Cars being coordinated for Red Carpet drop off
  • Need retro hats for ushers- box for hats at Glenwood Coffee. John K has a bunch as well.
  • Alyzza will be our people counter to get an accurate count.
  • Dave and Alex will be in the robot suits doing robot things
  • Steve T and company will be playing old time music acoustically on the mezzanine as people enter
  • There will be a Q&A session after the movie, but only after folks have a chance to mill around and sign up for stuff. We will play this by ear. Todd and John K will handle this.
  • May need Mr. Microphone for Q&A. Dave will bottomline getting it there.

FWG meeting
Yes- we will meet the next day at 9am at Spring Garden Bakery. Cause we’re nuts like that.

Foreclosure Working Group – February 23, 2012

Facilitator: Marnie
Notes: Bobbi

ForcloseBot 2000

ForcloseBot 2000

Meeting was focused on planning for March 14 event: Save Our Community: Fight Foreclosure!

Logistics

  • We need to find 5 people at GA on Sunday who will dedicate their time to see this event happen. Their commitment only has to last for three weeks
  • Encourage people to take this issue to the other groups they are a part of and to increase excitement/buy-in
  • We need to be reminding people that this event will “turn the tide on organizing around foreclosure in Greensboro” (Marnie, Feb. 23, 2012, personal communication).
  • Kevin and Bobbie will bottomline recruitment of support volunteers
  • One of the goals for the premiere is to connect people to the help that they need
  • Christina and Tom will bottomline the interactive Foreclosure Storycore project
  • Mitch and Cindy are bottomlining/working on the other resources for the 14th
  • Julie is bottomlining work on fraud detection

Kicktstarter

  • Dave is bottomlining getting a link on the front page of the website
  • We need to send the link to as many of our contacts as possible and encourage them to forward it as well

Press Release

  • Nathan has sent us the draft of the first press release. We have until 8:00 AM on Friday to provide any feedback
  • The information on the press releases will increase weekly
  • If you have information to include on a press release, including new relationships with groups (such as possibly the IRC), contact Nathan.

MoveOn support

  • Our trailer has been approved by MoveOn National, but will only be sent out several days beforehand
  • Nathan will try to convince MoveOn that we should be vetting the emails several times before the premiere

IRC March

  • Mitch is bottomlining
  • Todd will recruit more people to help Mitch organize the logistics
  • Flyers

    • Mo will get them translated
    • People are taking the flyers wherever they go
    • Copies will be available at Glenwood Coffee & Books as well as F4DC office. Contact Dave R. for copies
    • People should flyer everywhere and talk to everyone that they can about the event & issue
    • Kevin and Bobbie will bottomline mailing flyers to addresses listed in Foreclosures Notices in the newspaper
    • Nathan is going to contact Huffington Post

    Next week’s meeting: Bobbie is facilitating, Todd is notetaking