Community Clean-Up

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta cleaned up another unoccupied home in the Pittsburgh neighborhood. Folks came out to clear trash from an eyesore area with residents on Hugo Street. 

The trash in the yards had been identified by the residents of the street as a priority issue for them. While there are city codes that prohibit trash and overgrown lawns that depress communities those codes are rarely enforced when it comes to bank/investor owned homes in low income communities. Sadly those codes are regularly enforced on the working poor and no one else.

With less then a dozen volunteers working for a little over an hour we were able to clean the whole street, filling about 12 large bags of trash and clearing tons of disregarded lumber, fencing , and mattresses.

AFSC was on hand to provide clean-up materials. 

Celebrating A Year Of Housing Justice Work In Atlanta

A week ago the Atlanta Friends Meeting House played host to Occupy Our Homes Atlanta's holiday party. It was a space to celebrate and reflect on the all of our work. Occupy Our Homes Atlanta has brought has managed to bring the Occupy movement into some of the hardest hit communities in Atlanta and built real momentum through tangible victories for those in housing crisis.

At the party several residents shared their transformative experience with folks and we were all treated to a beautiful film screening of a short look at some of the work we've engaged in over the year put together by Rob Call.



It was a time for me personally reflect on the role Quakers have played supporting the movement in Atlanta. Not only has American Friends Service Committee provided tangible support in countless ways, but the Atlanta Friends Meeting House has provided space when needed and many of it's members have made considerable contributions to the work.

I'm proud to know that the AFSC and the larger Quaker community in Atlanta has lived up to it's legacy of quietly nurturing the grassroots that grow resistance to systems of violence and oppression in a way that lifts up those most impacted.

A big thanks to the Atlanta Friends Meeting House for hosting, and Erik Voss for all the beautiful pictures which you can see here.

Help Deliver a Message to Bank Of America

A couple of weeks ago, Joself penned a heartfelt letter to an executive at the bank, pleading with them not to take his home. He sent the letter off, and has yet to hear a response back from the bank. We think he deserves a reply. Can you help us make sure they get the message? We’ve included the letter at the bottom of this post, but you can also download a version for easier printing by clicking here. You can choose to do one or all of the options below!

1.) Print a copy of this letter and deliver it to your local Bank of America branch. Get a group of friends together, or go by yourself. Speak to a teller, or if you can, ask to speak to a branch manager. Tell them you’re concerned about the way they are treating Mr. Freeman, and that you want to make sure this letter gets to where it’s supposed to go. 

2.) Like Bank of America’s Facebook page (we know, it hurts, but you can unlike it later). https://www.facebook.com/BankofAmerica

Copy and paste the letter on their wall, or post it on your own timeline and tag Bank of America in the post. Post it in the comments of their posts. Let’s blow up their Facebook page with the letter. 

3.) Email the letter to the following addresses at Bank of America:

brian.t.moynihan@bankofamerica.com

janay.carswell@bankofamerica.com 

ron.d.sturzenegger@bankofamerica.com 

tj.crawford@bankofamerica.com 

diane.wagner@bankofamerica.com 

nicole.nastacie@bankofamerica.com 

britney.w.sheehan@bankofamerica.com 

colleen.haggerty@bankofamerica.com 

pressroom@bankofamerica.com 

dan.b.frahm@bankofamerica.com 

jumana.bauwens@bankofamerica.com 

rick.simon@bankofamerica.com 

patrick.donaldson@bankofamerica.com 

scott.silvestri@bankofamerica.com 

4.) Fax a copy of the letter to 1-866-449-4515. In the cover letter, explain your concern and that you want Bank of America to work out a deal that keeps Joself in his home.

With your help, we can get Bank of America’s attention and help JoSelf stay in his home for the new year and many years to come.

Mr. Brian Gertz
Specialty Servicing Advocate
Office of the CEO & President
Bank of America Home Loans
CA6-919-01-41
475 Crosspoint Parkway
Getzville, NY 14068

Bank of America account ending: 6422

Dear Mr. Gertz,

For many reasons, I ask that you abandon your quest to remove me from my home. This is very difficult for me. You are so persistent, I’m beginning to believe that you have discovered oil on this property. What’s up?!

My son, Burundi-Soweto, is 14 and made his school’s basketball team… now, how do I ask him to leave to go to another school? How do you move from a house, with a garage and storage, into an apartment? What do you do with the lawn equipment and thousands of tools for home maintenance? How do you justify your actions when you know that this process is illegal?

I’m too old to move. I don’t have the energy and I’m scheduled for knee replacement surgery. I must have shelter, so I can’t think of a better place than where I am. This is the first time I’ve had neighbors in the true sense of the word. Don’t ask me to leave! My son and I are happy with our neighborhood! Put yourself in my place.

Think about it?

Respectfully submitted,

JoSelf Freeman
395 Highway 279
Fayetteville, Ga 30214
(404) 210-5472

Thoughts On My Occupy Atlanta Arrest

I'm on trial this week, and likely to take the stand today to testify about my October 25th arrest in the park. I've been reflecting a lot about my choice to stay in the park that night, and my reasons for joining the Occupy movement last year. Below are some of my thoughts:

There’s more than on reason I chose to remain in the park after 11pm October 25^th last year.

First the obvious, I don’t believe the freedom of speech has a curfew, and our freedom to assemble applies at 12pm and 12am.

Both of these rights clearly trump a fairly recent Atlanta municipal code targeted at keeping the growing number of our cities homeless out of sight.

To be clear, the reason I joined the Occupy Movement was not too simply invoke my constitutional rights.

It is the unprecedented, historic wealth inequity that brought me and thousands into the movement.

Never has there been a stronger need to dramatize the injustice of our false economic crisis, never has there been so few who control and own so much and the symptoms are clear; from the explosion in the homeless population, lack of good jobs, plummeting wages for regular people while CEO compensation is at an all-time high, schools defunded, and more Georgians locked up than ever.

Occupy presented an opportunity to highlight, in a very visible way, our cities, our countries economic injustice which sees 1% of the population controlling an overwhelming amount of our resources.

I was called to the park because I believe we are not in a crisis of economic resource, but rather a crisis of economic priority. We are not broke, there is no fiscal cliff, it’s a moral one. There’s plenty to go around.

I was in the park because I believe we need a shift, a revolution of values. The sparks of the Occupy movement were very intentionally put out by heavy handed police tactics, infiltration of the movement on every level, targeted arrests and surveillance of individuals seen as leaders, and the eviction of our freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Occupy Atlanta Trials

This week I've been in court everyday from 9am-7pm every day along with over 80 other defendants in the Occupy Atlanta trials. It looks like some of us will be in court through Friday evening.

It's been eventful. On day one, during our first lunch break, about 50 of us marched to the mayors office demanding that he answer the subpoena to appear in court, which he ended up refusing to. Mayor Reed instead sent his lawyer and had the subpoena quashed on the grounds that his role in the charges against us was irrelevant/The irony is that Reed clearly had everything to do with the charges, and that he took a very hands on  approach with occupy Atlanta.

I personally, along with Joe Beasley, was pulled into Mayor Reed's mobile command unit during the part occupation where it was made clear the Mayor Reed was not as concerned with the issues that brought on park occupations all over the country(wealth inequity, corporate greed) as he was his image. Mayor Reed wanted the visible demonstration to go away.

Whether it's evicting a movement that aims to challenge historic wealth inequity, or pushing our cities homeless into the darkest corners of the city, Mayor Reed seems bent on making the symptoms of poverty invisible instead of dealing with them.

On day one we also had a number of defendants make plea bargains for a variety of life circumstances. All the folks that plead out were basically let of with community service and almost no one got a fine.

Today around a dozen folks were dismissed for lack of evidence. It seems that the APD failed to document any of the arrests correctly, which can likely lead to every arrest being dismissed. We'll see. Looks like this trial will go on through Friday.

American Friends Service Committee was proud to provide headquarter space for Occupy Atlanta during the park occupation. We also provided a series of nonviolence workshops for the movement.

M&T Eviction Leaves Another Vacant Home in Pittsburgh Community

Yesterday M&T bank representatives, police and a local organization raided a home in the Pittsburgh area of Atlanta. On December 6, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and members of the Pittsburgh community decided to give the vacant house to a family that needed a place to call home. OOHA Immediately contacted the bank to ask them to donate the house to a non-profit organization for a tax write-off. Calls and emails to the bank were never returned.

Atlanta, which has been shredded by the foreclosure epidemic, is now home to a growing population of displaced citizens. Instead of putting some of these homes into use, their actions showed that M & T Bank, along with the Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association (PCIA), want to keep these homes empty. M&T Bank, in Buffalo, New York, spent the money to fly down a bank representative. Accompanied by countless APD squad cars, the fire department, and the PCIA., he arrived at the house with no notice, and issued a criminal trespass warning. As volunteers loaded the family’s valuables into the OOHA bus, Renika, a resident of the house, was arrested for refusing to leave. Her partner, Michelene, and two members of OOHA were later arrested for criminal trespass. Renika and Michelene’s two children were picked up by an assigned guardian.

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta has set out to address issues within the housing crisis that led to massive foreclosures and plunging home values that stripped communities of homes and wealth. Pittsburgh is among thousands of neighborhoods that have been the preying grounds for banks, investors and even community organizations to distribute wealth and capital between themselves, while ignoring the needs of those that have true investment in the community. There is no reason for the City of Atlanta to loan police officers to M&T Bank for forced evictions when there are 7 vacant homes for every shelterless person. 

One cruel irony is that the cost of the plane tickets to fly the M&T executives, the overwhelming police presence, the private contractors, and the PCIA CEO, was likely more than enough to buy the house outright.

It's truly sad the PCIA, which presents it's self as an organization that lifts up the community, clearly worked closely with the bank and law enforcement to execute the eviction. The PCIA CEO who came hand in hand into Renika and Michelene's home came off as insincere being that he waited till a media spotlight was on the house before any assistance was offered to the family.

What happened yesterday at 1043 Windsor is more evidence that our city and country's economic priorities have driven over a moral cliff. When an out of state Bank's right to toss out a family and board up a house commands thousands of dollars of city and community resources and the overwhelming number of displaced people on Atlanta's streets goes unaddressed it's safe to say we're not in a crisis of resources; rather a crisis of priority.

The American Friends Service Committee believes housing is a human right, and that there are more then enough resources to ensure a roof over everyone's head. We're not broke, in fact there's never been so many resources in the world.

There's a better way, and it starts with looking at our local and national budgets not as a random shopping list, but a list of moral priorities. Do we spend more on systems of violence and oppression, or should we invest more in housing, education, and healthcare? Do we provide more resources to protect the banks, or do we invest energy into protecting struggling human being with beating hearts?

That better way is worth fighting for, it's worth making personal sacrifice. Yesterday I decided to take off my AFSC hat and join with others in an act of civil disobedience and refuse to leave the home. That decision landing me with a 14 hour shift at the Fulton County jail(something none of the bankers who crashed our economy have experienced) and a criminal trespass charge. It's a decision that was personal, it's something I'm deeply proud of, and It's something I will gladly do again. 

Tim Franzen

American Friends Service Commitee

Dear Bank Of America

After fighting to stay in his home for over a year, JoSelf Freeman reached out to Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and American Friends Service committee for help. With JoSelf leading the charge we organized several demonstrations in front of the bank, we started an online petition, and hundreds of people across the country called and emailed the bank asking them to make a deal to keep JoSelf in his home.

Bank of America claimed that they would work on a modification for JoSelf, them turned around and offered him a cash for keys deal to get him of his home.

JoSelf just sent the following letter to Bank of America's Special Servicing Advocate Brian Gertz and hasn't yet received a reply:


Dear Mr. Gertz,

For many reasons, I ask that you abandon your quest to remove me from my home. This is very difficult for me. You are so persistent, I'm beginning to believe that you have discovered oil on this property.What's up?!

My son, Burundi-Soweto, is 14 and made his school basket ball team...now, how do I ask him to leave to go to another school? How do you move from a house, with a garage and storage, into an apartment? What do with the lawn equipment and thousands of tools for home maintenance? How do you justify your actions when you know that this process is illegal.

I'm to old to move. I don't have the energy and I'm scheduled for a knee replacement surgery. I must have shelter, so I can't think of a better place then where I am. This is the first time I've had neighbors in the true sense of the word.  Don't ask me to leave! My son and I are happy with my Neighborhood. Put yourself in my place.

Think about it.

Respectfully submitted,

JoSelf Freeman

To sign JoSelf's petition Click here

Reclaiming Our Homes, Reclaiming Our Future!

One year ago today the Occupy Our Homes movement launched, signaling a fundamental shift in how homeowners responded to banks trying to take their homes.

As the new housing justice movement enters it's second year, with scores of homes saved and dozens of ongoing fights happening as you read this, Occupy Our Homes is celebrating the courage of every individual and family in housing crisis who has stood up and told the banks, “I’m not leaving.” 

American Friends Service Committee has been there every step of the way, exploring ways to provide resources and capacity to help Occupy Our Homes Atlanta build real power in some of the hardest hit communities. 

Last year on December 6th Atlantans severely disrupted three foreclosure auctions and began two home occupations.

This year Occupy Our Homes Atlanta recalled the actions of last year and pushed the envelope with bold creative actions.

The day started with a victory press conference we will be holding a press conference to announce the victory of the Pittman family. One year after they started their fight which brought together hundreds across the city, shut down multiple Chase Bank branches on multiple occasions, and included numerous acts of civil disobedience, the Pittman's have now wrested control of their home from Chase, just in time for the holidays. They faced eviction as recently as two weeks ago, now the home will be safe for generations to come. 

Directly after the press conference a group of us piled into a bus and paid a visist to Bank of America for a flash demonstration in solidarity with JoSelf Freeman, who's facing eviction.

Later in the day, people will gathered in Pittman Park to march to a vacant bank owned home and liberate it. A same sex couple, Michelene Meusa and Reneka Wheeler, that has spent months bouncing between shelters with their two children will be enforcing their moral right to housing by moving into and repairing a vacant one in a neighborhood where more homes sit empty than occupied. This is an act of civil disobedience that has support from surrounding residents, churches, and community leaders.

Banks and other financial institutions have wrongly foreclosed and evicted millions and millions of people from their homes after crashing our economy, neighborhoods in South Atlanta have been the hardest hit. For every homeless person in Atlanta there are seven empty homes, we believe that's a crime.

Today on this December 6th, housing justice actions have taken place around the country as part of Occupy Our Homes' second anniversary day of action. From Minneapolis to Atlanta, Baltimore to Los Angeles, Denver to San Francisco and in cities and towns large and small, communities are committing to reclaiming our homes and our futures from the grips of Wall Street greed. People around the country are standing up and saying:

“I’m not leaving because this is my home, not the bank’s.”

“I’m not leaving because Wall Street broke the economy, not me.”

“I’m not leaving because the bank can’t prove they have a right to foreclose.”

“I’m not leaving because housing is a human right.”

Please take the time to sign and share Reneka and Michelene's online petition.

Tim Franzen

American Friends Service Committee

Special Alert: We Are Not Broke!

Great news, readers: despite reports that the cupboard has gone bare and we simply lack the money to ensure a sound education, good jobs, a robust infrastructure, and a solid safety net for this generation and those to come, it turns out the money has been right here all along.

Hidden behind that big jar marked "Pentagon" and the supersized box of corporate tax breaks, we have all the resources we need to thrive as a nation — if we all pay our fair share and make sound choices that bring us real security in our homes and communities.

For years the idea has been cultivated that federal spending on everything but the military has been out of control, and we are coming down to our last crumbs of federal resources. Some of those pushing this narrative have insisted we must slash all but the military budget if we are to avoid dire collapse in our economic system.

Most recently, a number of groups have been pushing for a so-called “grand bargain” that would trade some concessions on taxes for fundamental changes that would cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and other programs that fund community needs while exempting the Pentagon’s bloated budget from the conversation. There’s something very fishy in this narrative.

Like a hard sell from a used car dealership, the numbers on this high pressure sales job just don’t add up. Don’t be fooled: the consequences of such a “grand bargain” are far worse than those of sequestration.
To be clear, there would be no “fiscal cliff” if some in Congress had not sought to force cuts to non-military discretionary programs through a series of manufactured crises over the past two years. Rather than pursuing sensible, reality-based budgeting by allowing misguided tax cuts for the wealthiest to expire and reversing the massive increases in military spending that largely fueled the current federal debt, those calling for cuts have focused on the parts of the budget that have grown least.

It makes no sense for Congress to spend over half of the dollars it has discretion to allocate on a military budget that has already doubled since 1998 — without even counting the $1.38 trillion in additional funds allocated to wage wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — even as millions of families struggle to find work, and to feed and house their families.

Pentagon contractors have raised an anguished outcry over potential impacts of the “sequester” on the military budget — yet these "dangerous" cuts of roughly 10 percent over 9 years would only return military spending levels to the dark ages of 2007, a time when the U.S. was waging two wars and military spending levels far outpaced those of the Cold War. And what about all those jobs at risk? Many of the military contractors most vocal about the likelihood of massive job cuts if military budgets are cut have actually cut more jobs in recent boom years than in lean ones. A battery of studies have shown that military spending is a particularly poor job creator, and most other areas of federal spending create much higher levels of employment.

Our current levels of military spending far exceed rational bounds. The U.S. accounts for roughly half — more than $700 billion — of all global military spending — and many of the other big spenders are our allies. We’re like a family hoarding a massive personal arsenal of weapons completely extraneous to any real threats we face – and when hard times come, we decide to spend less on food, medicine, heat, and home repairs so we can fill our neglected pantry with rocket launchers and grenades.

Instead, let’s make a choice to thrive once more, by moving our money to health care, clean energy or education, where any spending will support twice as many jobs and more fundamental security for our families and communities. One of the most effective ways to spend public dollars is on services to those who need them, like meals for children in poverty, cancer screenings, and unemployment stipends. Both our physical infrastructure — roads, bridges, buses, trains — and our communal infrastructure — hospitals, libraries, schools — deserve more funding, not just to keep them safe and functioning, but also to connect workers to jobs and neighbors to neighbors.

It’s also time to act on the other side of the federal budget equation — raising revenues from those who’ve benefited the most from unfairness in our tax code. If all corporations just paid the 35 percent federal tax they are supposed to, we’d have an extra $219 billion in the public treasury annually to cover the cost of fixing roads, hiring teachers, and helping families heat their homes.

Readers, we’re not broke. We remain a nation of abundance and opportunity if we make smart budgeting decisions. Real security for this nation comes in the form of jobs, schools, housing, and healthcare – not outdated weapons and extras the Pentagon hasn’t even asked for. The Obama Administration and Congress must get to work filling our pantry with the things we truly need to ensure a better future for all.

Arnie Alpert is the New Hampshire program coordinator and Robin Aura Kanegis is the director of the Office of Public Policy for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker peace and social justice organization with programs in 35 cities and 14 countries.

Former APD Officer Speaks Out Against Use Of Police Force In Evictions

As the housing crisis continues to put more and more people on the street we've seen a wave of brave housing justice organizers around the country that have demanded that banks be held accountable for their illegal mass felony fraud.

People are standing up to the financial institutions that have been using our homes as ATM's. Housing justice groups in Atlanta, DC, Minneapolis, LA, Oakland, Colorado, Portland, Nashville, St Louis, and other cities have stood with residents who are resisting foreclosures, evictions, and taking back bank owned properties.

Banks are only able to enforce these evictions by using local law enforcement officers on the tax payers dime. It's a sad irony that these banks have milked our economy for 16 trillion dollars and now we're forced to pick up the tab for the eviction process.

Today 20 Atlanta Police Department Detective Jacqueline Barber stood in solidarity with the 36 Occupy Homes MN activists who were arrested for peacefully resisting the eviction of the Cruz family last may. Who did the arresting? It was the Minneapolis police department. How much did the bank pay for this service? Zero.

Many of the Occupy Homes MN activists were charged with inciting a riot, which is considered a violent crime in MN. Off the record many of the officers who were given orders to enforce the evictions would prefer not to carry out the order, but forced between carrying out the order and losing their jobs is a tough decision.

It's time to start prioritizing the needs of our neighborhoods over the needs of the very financial institutes that continue to disrespect our communities and hold our economy hostage. Our homes are ATM's.

A community is stronger and healthier when it is controlled by those that live in it, not far removed entities that only seek to build their fortune on the shattered dreams of others.

The brave folks around the country that are putting their bodies on the line for their neighbors are heroes  and should not be persecuted.

The Long Road To Justice For Jacqueline Barber

After joining Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and standing up publicly to GMAC and US Bank against her eviction, Ms. Barber was told by representatives of GMAC to make an offer to buy back her home, which she can afford at current market value.

Following their direction, Jacqueline put in an offer and GMAC sent an appraiser to her home. After saying they would report back about the appraisal, they instead backed away from negotiations, built a wall of silence, and have since pushed strongly ahead in the process to get Ms. Barber evicted.

The stress of facing eviction has already brought Jacqueline's cancer out of remission. Recently, Ms. Barber went to her doctor who told her that she will have to resume aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments if she is unable to relax and stay stress free while undergoing her current treatment.

Not only have US Bank and GMAC blatantly lied to Jacqueline, her supporters, and even members of the media regarding their willingness to negotiate, it seems that they are keen on the idea of pushing a cancer patient into worse condition. Not only is Jacqueline having to fight to save her home, she is now fighting to save her life as well.

To let GMAC and US Bank know we don't take such issues lightly, Jacqueline Barber, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, American Friends Service Committee, and some of Jacqueline's friends made the bold decision to make the journey  to Minneapolis on Sunday to pay them a visit.

The fine folks at Occupy Homes MN greeted us at the airport and hosted a meet and greet dinner. There Jacqueline was introduced to a number of local residents that were fighting for their homes as well.

 Today Jacqueline marched on US Bank and GMAC-RFC with allies from Occupy Homes MN, and the Home Defenders League.  The solidarity in the emerging housing justice movement was amazing and inspiring !The goal was to keep Jacqueline in her home, in good health, and to shine a light on the unjust illegal fraud at the hands of the financial institutions that continue to hold our communities and our economy hostage.


We were able to force  meetings with both US Bank and GMAC and deliver over 20,000 signatures on petition urging US Bank and GMAC to do the right thing and make a deal that would keep Jacqueline and her family in the home. We also delivered pay stubs and bank account statements that prove Jacqueline could afford the home.

Add your name to the petition to keep Jacqueline Barber and her family in the home.

Parkwood Farms Resumes In Defiance of HSBC/Everyhomes

Despite having no guarantee that the eviction process won’t move forward, classes at Parkwood Farms therapy center in Snellville resumed today

 

"We aren't going to be held hostage anymore by these proceedings," said owner Marilyn Peterson.

It was truly beautiful to experience Parkwood Farms in full effect. The eyes of children light up as they stepped out of their parents cars and towards the horses they've all built important bonds with.

The horses even seemed excited, all the volunteers tell me the horses are kind of spoiled at Parkwoods.

Watching the volunteers, the children, parents, and horses interact in became clear to me what folks are fighting for. Parkwood Farms is a truly transformative community. A space where children who struggle with disabilities can find refugee with each other and these amazing animals, a space where parents can share the struggles and triumphs of parenthood, a space where volunteers can give their most precious resource, their time, to something they believe in.

There was a joy of resistance in the air today at Parkwoods, that's the only way I can describe it. Folks were aware that the farm is legally still under threat of eviction and that reopening the Park is an act of civil disobedience, yet the farm was busy all afternoon with children who missed a week of therapy and were eager to spend time with their favorite horse.

Yesterday Peterson and a group of supporters traveled to Atlanta to visit the law offices of Shapiro and Swertfeger, a group that represents the mortgage and lending industry and specializes in foreclosures. In fact, they win awards every year for their high level of success in moving foreclosures and evictions forward quickly.

The goal was simple - put a face to the names behind the court case. The group held large copies of photographs of special needs students at the farm, winning medals and caring for the horses, telling their stories to whoever would listen.

"This picture is of the Special Olympics team," she told members of the media outside the law offices of Shapiro and Swertfeger, displaying a picture of her students. "We take a team every year to the state games. We just want to make sure that this company understands that an eviction would put us out of business, and we wouldn't be able to provide these services to all these people."

At this point HSBC and Everyhomes has expressed a willingness to negotiate, something they have never done before. So far there has been nothing but lip service seemed aimed at stopping more bad press and bad will flowing toward their banks. We will see how things develop. We've learned the hard way that until the ink drys a banks word is work nothing.

Today, it was just lovely to see smiling beautiful children riding horses at Parkwood Farms.

Parkwood Farms Confronts Foreclosure Mill Law Firm

Today parents, volunteers, and supporters of Snellville's Parkwood Farms made a surprise visit to the office of Shapiro & Swertferger at 2872 Woodcock Boulevard Atlanta, GA 30341. 

Shapiro & Swertferger are part of a national network of foreclosure mills orchestrated by attorney Gerald M. Shapiro. Mr. Shapiro has lent his name and network to firms in at least 28 states to profit off of the foreclosure crisis by providing services to banks wishing to foreclose and evict.

http://www.logs.com/contact_us/logs_network.pdf

In Georgia foreclosing law firms are often one of the only points of contact between a resident and their bank.

The parents of children who used to receive therapy at Parkwood Farms entered Shapiro & Swertferger's Atlanta office sharing their children's stories to pressure Shapiro & Swertferger into getting HSBC and Everbank to talk. They also gave the law firm employees a look at what their paperwork does to communities, small businesses, and families. 

Upon exiting the building employees of Parkwood Farms made the announcement that they will be re-opening the Farm for children tomorrow at 3pm regardless of whether the threat of eviction was lifted or not. 

All pictures by Crystal Huskey with Snellville Patch

Hundreds Marched Against the Siege of Gaza

Today , November 24th hundreds of people gathered at Woodruff Park and marched to the CNN Center in protest of the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. Movement to End Israeli Apartheid-Georgia (MEIA-G) has called on people of conscience to gather to demand that the US government end all military, financial and political support to Israel until it ends the occupation of Palestine and dismantles its apartheid system.

The 1.7 million people in Gaza are living in an open-air prison, denied many of their most basic rights, including the right to adequate food and clean water, housing, and sanitation, by Israel, a military superpower, enforcing a blockade that the U.N. has deemed to be illegal.

In this most recent assault on the besieged Gaza Strip, Israel has launched over 1600 air strikes killing at least 162 Palestinians. The threat of continued air assaults and ground invasion still remain after Israel killed another Palestinian just hours after an agreed ceasefire.

"Israel's most recent act attacks are a strong reminder that we must engage in and intensify broad-based boycotts, divestment initiatives, and sanction campaigns to expose and sever United States' ties to Israel until it recognizes Palestinians' inalienable right to self-determination," said Aysha Abdullatif.

The global tide of public opinion has turned against the Israeli government as a result of their brutal 2009 bombardment of Gaza, their attack on the international freedom flotillas, and the human rights violation resulting from the siege of Gaza. The tide has yet to reach the United States. The United States continues to give 10 million dollars a day in military aid to the Israeli government, and many of the F16's that drop bombs on Gaza are made in the metro area Lockheed Martin.

It is safe to say that the Israeli governments human rights violations and war crimes are made possibly by our own government. Without our military support Israel might be forced to negotiated a real peace.  

Movement to End Israeli Apartheid-Georgia (MEIA-G) is an Atlanta-based group dedicated to the global campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel until it abides by international law and human rights. MEIA-G mobilized thousands in January 2009 in the streets of Atlanta to protest Israel's massacre against the Palestinians in Gaza.

American Friends Service Committee played an important role in developing the MEIA-G network, and we're excited to work with MEIA-G moving forward.

Voices From Gaza

We are collecting stories from Palestinians whose lives are affected by the current conflict. We will continue to add more voices as our staff and partners in the region are able to collect and share more.

Learn more about AFSC's response to the crisis in Gaza.

November 21, 2012

Amal Sabawi

AFSC staff member, Gaza: “Every night is a nightmare. The deaths of very little children, just months old - just a few years old, are especially shocking. These are miserable times. I try to keep in touch with all the staff each day. Last night there was an airstrike against the neighborhood where my colleague Ibrahim lives. They were evacuated by the Red Cross in the middle of the night. I am worried about Rana with her four small children. Why should children pay such a heavy price?

When war is imposed upon us we have to continue, we have to stand regardless of what is happening around us. We have to tell the truth and be brave. I find it hard to talk, to express my feelings, this is not a time for crying, I know I must find my voice.”

Rana Joda

AFSC staff member, Gaza: “My children have become experts in distinguishing the sounds of the explosions whether the sound emanates from an F16, a rocket, or a missile. Abdullah - my 2-year-old - who still cannot talk properly automatically steers himself to the safe area in our house when he hears an explosion. It is so sad to see this behavior among my four children instead of being surrounded with their happy sounds. I am hopeful for a cease-fire, this shimmer of hope helps me move on another day”.

Mos’ab Abu Dagga

AFSC staff member, 31 years old, Gaza: “It was a tough night, in the wake of a potential ceasefire agreement, with intensive shelling. I have high morale given that I have had similar experiences here upon my return from the Emirates in 1995. My wife though received a special kind of welcome upon her arrival to the Strip for our wedding ten days ago. She has lived abroad all her life and is finding it difficult, but with God’s will we will make it. God will help us through!”.

November 20, 2012

Samar al-Za’aneen

Former Palestinian Youth Program Coach, 19 years old, Gaza:  “I am still alive!, that was my answer to my 22-yeard old brother’s frantic knock on the bathroom door, just after a missile struck nearby, while I was taking a shower. We had to seek refuge at my grandfather’s. Our house, which sits in front of our large vineyard, was in the line of fire. Three missiles struck the vineyard, and we had to flee. Everybody is in danger, and I can no longer understand what is happening. I am the youngest in the household, my mother who is a psycho-social worker, tries to boost my morale, but I have already lost a brother in the past, and now everything seems so trivial to me.  I no longer care about the house, or the oranges, or the vegetables, I just want to be safe with my other brother, mother and father and live in peace”.

Islam Madhoun

AFSC staff member, 27 years old, Gaza: “My eleven-month baby sprints and shivers every time he hears an explosion. My wife tries to put some cotton in his ears to minimize the impact of the sound, but he finds this uncomfortable. I stocked my house with baby supplies as soon as I heard about the Jafari attack on Wednesday, but the question is how long will this last? We are in a state of eternal waiting. We sit all together in one room in the middle of the house to protect ourselves in case of a missile, God forbid. We have no shelters, no bunkers and no safe protected area. It takes Israelis 90 seconds to seek shelter and takes us long hours to dig out the corpses from the rubble. This time there is no distinction between civilians and combatants, we are all targeted… there is no distinction”.

Ibrahem Shatali

AFSC staff member, 32 years old, Gaza: “My father sought refuge in Gaza after being forced to leave Majdal in 1948.  He was only 12 years old when he accompanied his parents to what was thought to be a safer place. Today, we have to go to a funeral at my cousins’ who lost his twins and other members of his family. It is very sad. I live in my family’s home together with my five brothers, their wives, and offspring. You are talking about moving a human mass of 30 children towards the stairway every time an explosion is heard in the vicinity. The Islamic National Bank, targeted this morning is 500 meters away from our home, and 150 meters from the AFSC office. Every day the series of explosions begins at 6:00 pm and escalates until 6:00 am at which time we try to steal some hours of sleep. No one is exempt from this terrifying experience”.