FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2009

CONTACT:  
Kirstin Alvanitakis
717-783-1116
         

FIRST LADY JUDGE RENDELL OPENS ‘GET HELP NOW, PENNSYLVANIA’ INITIATIVE
CONSUMERS FACING ECONOMIC CRISES MAY ACCESS LEGAL, FINANCIAL EXPERTS

PHILADELPHIA – Pennsylvania consumers facing a financial or legal crisis as a result of the economic downturn now have a new place to turn for help, First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell said today.

Under the “Get Help Now, Pennsylvania” initiative, volunteer attorneys, banking and mortgage professionals, and financial analysts will work on help desks in many of the county bar association offices twice a week.

“We hear a lot about families struggling to stay in their homes, while managing mountains of credit card debt and late fees for past-due bills,” said First Lady Rendell, who was joined today at Drexel University's Law School by leaders and volunteers in Pennsylvania’s legal and financial communities. “I hope that as word spreads about ‘Get Help Now, Pennsylvania,’ thousands of these families will take advantage of this free service and will find a measure of economic relief.”

Starting today, volunteers will provide help to consumers on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m. Consumers may learn more about Get Help Now and its 22 participating locations by visiting www.pa.gov or calling the Pennsylvania Bar Association, toll-free, at 1-888-799-4557.

The community service initiative concludes on Sept. 11 with a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

“When the Governor and I were asked by President and Mrs. Obama to lead a community service initiative, it was clear to us that we needed to address the economic pain our families are currently enduring,”  added First Lady Rendell.

Like other Americans, many Pennsylvanians are struggling financially. Nearly 115,000 Pennsylvania homeowners were delinquent with their mortgages in the first quarter of 2009. In 2008, there were 42,949 foreclosures across the state – an increase of 127 percent from 2007. As foreclosures continue to rise, so do credit card debt and bankruptcies.

Get Help Now, Pennsylvania is a collaborative effort of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers, the Mortgage Bankers Association of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Pennsylvania Financial Services Association, the Office of the First Lady and Pennsylvania Department of Banking.

###

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses.  To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.