Hello my name is Sharon. I live in Forest Park, Ohio with my husband, Mark, and our wonderful dogs, Chazz and Chancellor.

My husband and I have been living in our home for 5 years, our first home, and we love it. In 2005 my husband was terminated from his job at, things were still okay, I had begun working a new job and was making enough money to even save a little. Mark already had a blood disorder called Sickle Cell Anemia, and was in and out of the hospital getting red cell exchanges to bring his blood level up to where he could function normally, he still gets them every six weeks or so, but cannot have a visit at the doctors office until the billed is paid. Then he was diagnosed with a birth defect causing a valve to leak in his heart, (CHF) congestive heart failure, which led to more hospital stays and doctors visits

With all this going on, I was taking a lot of time away from work, going to the hospital to care for my husband, I lost my job in July of 2008, all we had was his social security check. In September of 2008 I started a new job, making ½ of what I was originally making.  It just got so difficult that we could not keep up, and that is when we fell behind.

We can’t even get health care anymore with the insurance that we have through my new job, the deductibles are so high, that Mark cannot see any of his doctors until we pay pass due bills.

I happen to change the channel early this morning just in time to catch this story.  This would be a great opportunity for me and my family to get caught up for a change, and try to stay caught up. Thank you so much for reading our story, we know that this is a wonderful and thoughtful thing you are doing, and keeping it in the tri-state area is very exciting.

Even if our story is not chosen, “May God Bless you”, and whomever your organization is led to bless.

First, let me say that this is a wonderful idea and I look forward to reading others stories as well in the hopes of healing and answering my own questions as to Why this is happening to my family. Our life was turned upside down when my husband came home and told me he was laid off of a local agency. That was 18 months ago. I felt a brief wave of panic, but used the logic that I have always comforted our friends with, who had been facing a layoff, by saying, “your educated, your experienced and your very good at what you do, so you will ALWAYS be able to find another job”.

How wrong I was.

Its been 18 months and after 168 resumes, there has been only one response – a business in the construction field who is willing to hire him, but there is no pay until the firm brings in more work to make payroll, not ideal, but he took the “job” to see if he can help them – we have not seen a check yet.

Then we told ourselves, that because the children are young, we could work anywhere and should not be so close-minded. If we have to move from Cincinnati, if we have to work for less money, or a less ideal job, then that¹s what we will have to do, these are unusual times. But N O T H I N G. As a freelance graphic designer and mom I have also decided to throw my hat into the employment ring and both my husband and I have scoured the US. Resumes posted on Monster, Career Builders, US Government, networking with LinkedIn and Facebook, reading the newspaper job ad, paying a $250.00 fee for a special job line company, talking to specialized recruiting groups and getting advice to enhance our resume have all failed to produce any outcomes. We cannot even get hired by Krogers or Wal-Mart. The humanity in applying for a job is gone. No one calls you, you have no human name to contact, only a cold computer, that rarely is even automated to send you a “Thanks But NO Thanks” letter. There are so many WHYS…Why are we not right, Why do you not show any interest, we are great people who care, are hardworking, loyal and talented, Why is this happening? Why have we failed!?

My husband and I have just turned 40 and have three wonderful little girls, ages 5, 3 and 2, and two dogs. It is their spirit that keeps us fighting on the days when we want to roll over and cry. We realize that as long as WE stay together as a family, a roof is only a roof – but is it?

There are the little things that mean a lot to us. We love our community, there are great schools, it’s safe for our children and we have invested time in getting involved with the local township committees to help keep our neighborhood strong. We live on a road, and our neighbors are 80 years old and light up when my energetic daughter comes over to talk with them practically everyday. She calls them “grandma and grandpa” and shares a comforting conversation when mom and dad are too busy trying to make ends meet. They are life’s blessing to us. I question will their spirits break, and who will watch over them when and if we are forced to move. My own mother has end stage cancer and is now at home. I try my best to help my father care for her, but it pains me that I can not do more after all mom has done over the course of my life, but I also need to work at saving my own family.

It’s a lonely feeling when you know we are all ALONE in this. I listen to the media who optimistically tell us all to “talk to your creditors, talk to your bank – they WANT to work with you”. Here is the rest of our story – we had near perfect credit – 720, we were never late on our mortgage payment or any credit card payments for that fact. When my husband was laid off, we called everyone to let them know of the situation and if they could help lessen our financial burden until things turned around. Their across the board comment, “well sir I see you are up to date on all your payments, when you start having problems, call us”…in other words, “do not pay us, we will ruin your credit score, then we can talk”. So we had to do just that…next call response, “sir, we see your account is past due, and can not talk about your issue until you have made it current…OR…you do not have a job so we can not help you.” Where is the HUMANITY I ask – even credit counselor sing the same song. We are not bad reckless people, we are a family whose primary provider lost a job.

We have drained our 401K and we have gotten the foreclosure notice. I cry alone often so the family still sees me as the optimistic fighter. My husband has broken down and apologized for being a bad husband and provider – which is not true. Our humble house IS important for us and our young children. It has our memories of nine years. Its our first home and one that we put a lot of blood sweat and tears into repairing and making it ours. It’s our security, stability and most of all it is simply O U R H O M E not just a building of brick and mortar. I want smiles and laughter to return to this home and to move forward out of this nightmare.

ANGELS – big and small, near and far, if anyone knows of employment positions in the business / office management, account executive please let us know. My husband is a truly wonderful man, a great husband and father. I do not want him to feel the pain of losing our home, when he done everything to save it and us.

We pray for everyone out there sharing our hardship.

My husband was in the Military 7 1/2 years ago and was injured in basic training. He was 2 weeks away from graduating and ready to serve our country when he fell in a foxhole and hurt his right leg with a hernia facia defect and was shipped home. We were told that he had 90 days to get medical treatment then all benefits would stop, however they stopped the day he was sent home. At the time our daughter was only 6 months old. For the past 7 1/2 yrs now we have been fighting with the VA for disability finally @ 2 yrs ago they granted him 10% he gets 123.00/month for a family of 5 this is little help. We had an attorney and been to Louisville to appeal all decisions that have been made and still nothing has come out of it all. We started seeing Doctors outside the VA and found out that the back pain he has was not from him limping from leg pain it was from L4 L5 spinal compression damage that the Dr. believes happened at the same time of original injury. Nobody wants to do surgery. He has to take 10 pills a day and now has mental health issues due to all this. He is 30 yrs old and is suppose to walk with a cane and deal with the pain. We have 3 small children 2,3,and 8 and struggling to keep our house. We purchased our house 3 yrs ago. I was not working at the time I had just lost my job due to cut backs and I was 7 months pregnant so I stayed at home with our other 2 children when the house was bought. We signed on the house for pmts of 1275.00, which was fine. Then we went a whole yr and went to make a pmt and our pmts went up to 1800.00. We contacted the mortgage company and they said it was due to our escrow acct being figured incorrectly at signing so we owe back taxes and that’s what needed to be done to get the acct back to the 1275.00. We have done this for a while until my husbands sister decided in April to just pack up and leave with no warning and wants nothing to do with the house, which she had went in on with us. We have no place to go with 3 small children and my 8 yr old who was diagnosed recently with severe sensory integration ADHD and autism is very stressed about it also she cries weekly asking if we are going to lose our house she doesn’t want to move and change schools. We assure her that it will be ok, we are trying to find help to keep the house and that she is too little to stress about this. We are working with an attorney to get the escrow worked out. He states that legally they can’t do this. They let it go for a whole year before it was caught. Its not the home owners problem. He also stated that he could get the payments to what we had signed at and we can make that work with my income. I work Full time for a local hospital. My husband has filed 3 times for disability and been denied even though he has been unable to work since July of 2007 and a Dr. letter stating he is unable to work. We feel like we are losing every challenge that has comes our way! We have 90 days to work something out with the mortgage company. They stated 8000.00 to pay back pay and attorney cost. I just don’t make that kind of money and we have been selling everything we own to try to save enough money to keep the roof over our family’s heads. I am sure there are things I am forgetting but I am very emotional right now and going to say this is why I contacted Shauna. I hope there is something or someone out there that can help us. We had always been the generous people when we could help others and now we need guidance. With the strength and courage of GOD we will make it through this very difficult time!! Thank You.

A month ago I was living on the streets desperately trying to get out of my financial crisis. Having lost my job, my car and my home, I had nowhere to turn. I posted an ad on Craig’s List begging for some kind of help from anyone who was willing.

One person replied just when I lost all hope and deleted my ad. Her name is Jennifer. In her email, she told me that she too has lost her job, been through the same things as I have and she offered me a warm place to stay at no cost.

She owns a house in Middletown, Ohio and on one side is where she lives and the other is a rental that has sat vacant for a couple months. She put a lot of money into rehabbing it for a prospective new tenant but she’s been unable to find anyone so she allows me to stay there while I try to get back on my feet.

She has given me a roof over my head, a bed that she carried over so I wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor, clean sheets and a warm blanket. She fixes me food to eat that SHE buys because I have no money and she encourages me when I’m feeling down and things look bad.

Of all she has and still does for me, she never complains that her mortgage is slipping into default. She tries to find new employment herself and offers me rides wherever I need to go at any time, day or night but I still see the disappointment in her eyes because she is also starting to lose everything. She’s really trying very hard and if I were in a position to help her financially, I would.

I struggle every day in hopes of finding a job so that every single penny I earn, I can give to her to assist her. She is the most giving person I have ever met and her kindness makes me feel so sorry for the way I use to be in my past. She has 2 children to care for as well and she worries about if I’ve had anything to eat today or not. Am I warm enough at night. Am I smiling today because no matter how bad things seem, I’m still here trying. This is what she does without asking for anything in return.

I’m sure you’ll get many stories about many great people out there who are struggling with their home payments but I felt that I MUST write and tell you about hers. She does not know I’m writing this and I’m not sure if she’d want me to bring attention to her or not but I know she deserves some good in her life, more than what I can give to her at the moment. I can’t say enough what a good and loving person she is.

Jennifer has shown me how we should all be living and giving, especially at this time of our economy and need. I’m begging your foundation, PLEASE consider her for assistance with her mortgage. Not because if she loses her house, I lose my roof, I can go back to the streets but she deserves so much and I want her to have some kind of relief even if she wont admit that she’s worried.

God gives each of us many gifts in our life and most of them we tend to ignore or waste. God brought Jennifer to me just when I was giving up and he showed me that there ARE great people out there. I believe in her and I believe in your foundation. I know you can help her and if you don’t, I believe God will find another way for her.

My name is Sean. Thank you.

Me and my family are in desperate need of help.  We are ready to lose our home.  I am no longer able to work due to health reasons and now my husband has left me and our children for another woman and I found out very recently that he wasn’t paying the mortgage like he said he was and now our home is up for Sheriff’s sale on November 5, 2009.  I don’t know where to turn or what to do.  I cry daily over everything that has happened to me and my children. I am afraid now that we are on the verge of being homeless and I don’t know what to do.  My doctor is in the process of filing for disability for me, however that is not going to come soon enough to help me try and save our home.  My husband, which we are still married said he was going to try and save our home, but I don’t know how he is going to do this with me unable to work and him now living with the person that he left his family for. If there is any help out there could you please let me know or if there is anyway that you could help me and my family I could not thank you enough!  I am terrified that I am going to be homeless in less than a month.  My name is Kathy.

In today’s economy, it doesn’t take long to find someone stricken with the financial heartache caused by illness, layoff, downsizing, company closure or other circumstances surrounding a job change.  As we all know, the stress from this alone can be life changing and altering, but for some, this is just a piece to their financial hardship, as they endure even more extenuating circumstances.

Founder Shauna Vogt, realized this all too well when her husband went into work one morning only to be notified that his position was being eliminated and  soon found himself  joining the ranks of the fellow unemployed.  “We found comfort in the fact that we have an extended professional network, an amazing family, and friends that were steadfast in their support.”  Shauna started running as an outlet.  She suddenly realized how terrible it must feel to not only be dealing with the emotions behind a job loss but also to be dealing with a sick child/spouse, debt, foreclosure, lack insurance, etc.  Shauna soon realized how fortunate she was and decided to take action for the community.

Shauna partnered with Anne Toerner, Co-Founder & fellow HR Professional. Both Anne & Shauna collectively have twenty five years of Human Resources experience and have had the unique opportunity of sitting on both sides of the infamous ‘Reduction in Force’ table. “We are not sure which side of the table is worse but do know this…there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those who have experienced the duffle bag shuffle in search of greener pastures.” Shauna & Anne relate on all levels of the consequences behind a job change and/or layoff.  Due to their passion to develop the human sprit and a desire to help others, together decided to coordinate a 5k Walk/Run benefiting others in the communities impacted by financial circumstances outside their control.  After a multitude of discussions, several cups of coffee and many meetings, “Angels on the Run” was created.

The First Annual Angels on the Run 5k will take place Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 9:30am at Miami Whitewater Park in Harrison, OH.  The event is open to all ages and all fitness levels with a common goal to raise money for struggling families in the community. All proceeds will be channeled through Foreclosure Angel which in turn, will benefit a family in the Tri-State area.  Foreclosure Angel, founded in November 2008, has been featured on Oprah, 20/20, CNN, Fox News and other media outlets due to the outpouring of generosity of those that want to help a neighbor, a friend, or someone in their community to save their home from foreclosure.  To learn more about Foreclosure Angel, please visit www.foreclosureangelfoundation.com.

Both Shauna and Anne believe positive actions can be contagious, and one act of kindness has the ability to bring back hope.  With hope we can work towards building back our communities just one step at a time.

Shauna Vogt, Founder & Anne Toerner, Co-Founder

Angels on the Run