Testimonials
Connie S.
The memories in Connie’s house go back three generations. Her home, built in the 1920s, has hosted family for holidays and birthday celebrations.
“It’s a small house,” Connie said. “But we like to pack in here.”
Working several jobs to make ends meet, Connie had things under control. She was studying at Indiana State University to get her bachelor’s in art therapy. She volunteered at a local nursing home. Life was good.
Allen B.
Allen B lives in the last house on a remote dead-end road in southern Indiana. He grew up in this home. In 2001, his mother had already passed away and his father moved into a retirement community. Allen bought the home from his father and moved in with his two high-school aged boys.
Tim J.
It’s a scene that’s been playing out across the United States for years. Local grocery chains and independent supermarkets are closing their doors as a few retailers dominate. Subsequently, store employees lose their jobs in the wake.
Susan P.
For Susan P., her home is her everything. Over the years, friends have helped her with renovations and she has put in a significant amount of work to make her house a home. Money was always tight and her mom has helped her with some loans to improve the house.
Maria T.
Maria T. and her fiancé enjoyed life to the fullest. For a period of about five years they took in as many festivals, concerts, excursions and opportunities to entertain friends as possible. The freedom of the open road on a motorcycle repeatedly called their names.
Tragically, Maria found her fiancé dead in his bed in the spring of 2017. The discovery was traumatic for Maria and the experience haunted her. To add insult to injury, she found herself with no place to live and no legal claim to any of his assets. Luckily, she found shelter with a friend for about three months.
Gabe C.
Gabe C. was a hardworking man, pulling long hours as a commercial truck driver. He took great pride in his work and providing for his family of four.
However, at the age of 41, all that came to a grinding halt. In December 2018 he went into cardiac arrest. He was hospitalized for 23 days and in a coma for 13 of them. He was able to spend Christmas at home before having a pacemaker put in, followed by a heart pump, which helps keep him alive until he gets a heart transplant.
Joseph M.
In January 2013, Joseph M. was involved in a tree-cutting accident. The injuries he sustained were so significant that he was unable to work. Medical bills piled up from the accident, and without a steady income, he struggled to pay his mortgage.
Joseph applied for Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund mortgage payment assistance at the Home Ownership Center of Greater Cincinnati, Inc., an agency that helps southeastern Indiana homeowners. He was approved for Hardest Hit Fund assistance in August 2013, and was able to keep his home.
Renee W-J.
Have you ever had your dreams crumble in your hands? Renee W-J. knows that feeling all too well.
As a hardworking mother of three, Renee had finally closed in on her dreams. She had her family, a good education, a good job and a house that was recently constructed for her in Merrillville, IN.
However, her dreams suddenly came crashing down as she lost all three of her job contracts due to spending cuts. Renee was faced with no income and the possibility of losing her family’s home.
Jacqueline S.
Jacqueline S., an Army veteran, has lived in her three-bedroom, ranch-style home for nearly 30 years. It’s where she raised her children and it continues to be the center for countless family memories. So you can imagine how she felt when she lost her job as a unit secretary and faced the uncertainty of how she would continue making her mortgage payments.
Although she worked a seasonal job and received unemployment, Jacqueline struggled to find full-time employment. However, her faith and determination allowed her to continue living in her home despite serious financial trouble that lasted several years.
One day, as Jacqueline was on her knees praying, she received a phone call from a friend who told her about Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund (HHF). Jacqueline called the HHF Help Line, and was connected with the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, an Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network partner, to help her through the application process.
Mark H.
Mark H. had everything that anyone could ever want: a family, children, a house and his own construction business. Things seemed to be perfect for Mark, but then everything fell apart.
Mark was divorced during 2011, and in 2012 he lost his business. After reopening his business, he was tragically crushed in a forklift accident. The doctors told him that he would never walk again. Then, in 2015, he suffered a near-fatal heart attack.
Christine S.
Christine was a hardworking wife who enjoyed helping people as a financial counselor at a local hospital in Columbus, IN. She moved up through the ranks, working with ER and hospice patients. However, that all changed one day when she lost her job.
After job hunting for more than a year, disaster struck. Christine was hospitalized due to severe diabetic episodes.
Julianne M.
Have you ever felt like you did everything right, but it all felt apart anyway? Julianne M. can relate. Julianne had a secure job at a hospital, and was married with two children. She paid her dues and everything seemed perfect. But it all came crashing down when she received the worst gift anyone could receive for Christmas.