UNITED WE FIGHT for the financial stability of everyone in Jackson County. Your support helps low-income households avoid homelessness, protect them from domestic violence, and assist them with accessing health care, food and other basic need supports. Programs such as Legal Services for Very Low Income Individuals and Families through Legal Services of South Central Michigan helps us fight for those who don’t have the resources to fight for themselves. Connie’s story is an example of someone who was able to maintain stability in their life until disaster struck.
Connie is disabled, she works part time from home and depends on assistance to survive. Last year she survived a house fire. She was able to escape without injury, but her home was a total loss. She remained living on her property temporarily in a mobile home, and she intended to rebuild in rural Jackson County. Connie ran into difficulty when she was not able to settle her homeowner’s insurance claim quickly enough to maintain her mortgage payment. Connie was in a desperate situation. She lost everything with no resources to fall back on. She called 2-1-1, and she was connected to LSSCM. They accepted her case and began negotiating with the insurance company. Connie received a foreclosure notice from her mortgage lender and was at risk of losing her property, even though she was due to receive thousands of dollars of insurance proceeds. Her lawyer advised her about mortgage foreclosure and property insurance, began negotiations with the Client’s insurance company and mortgage lender, and connected the Client with resources to allow her to settle her insurance claim. LSSCM ultimately negotiated a settlement with the mortgage lender that stopped the foreclosure process and allowed her to fully pay-off her mortgage loan with insurance proceeds. Connie was also able to keep a portion of her insurance proceeds to rebuild her home. She now owns her property without any remaining mortgage debt.
Within the last six months, over 300 individuals from all corners of Jackson County felt the impact of this United Way supported program. Nearly all of them had successful outcomes. Your support matters and is improving the lives of those who are struggling in our community.
Thank you