Tales from TCRM: Neighbors Helping Neighbors

By Galen Morehead and Mary Haupt —

An individual recently approached Tioga County Rural Ministry for help making her mortgage payments. She was already three months behind and now owed more than $3,000.

Thanks to the generosity of our Tioga County neighbors, TCRM is frequently able to assist individuals through our emergency financial assistance program. Still, there are times when requests for assistance, such as help paying a mortgage, fall outside the scope of TCRM’s services. 

Fortunately, in situations such as these, TCRM can usually refer people to services available at other agencies.

The woman who asked TCRM for help with her overdue mortgage payments was referred to a program operated by Catholic Charities of Chemung / Schuyler that is specifically designed to assist people in similar situations. Although operated by the Catholic Charities office in Elmira, the program is also available to residents of Tioga County.

The Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Services program offers extensive housing counseling services specifically designed for individuals dealing with mortgage delinquency. It offers budget counseling, negotiations with mortgage companies to make payment arrangements, and access to financial resources aimed at helping individuals bring their overdue payments up to date. 

TCRM is committed to partnering with other agencies to ensure comprehensive support for all individuals seeking assistance through our programs.

For further information regarding the mortgage-assistance program, contact Catholic Charities in Elmira at (607) 734-9784.

(From time to time, Tioga County Rural Ministry will present readers of The Owego Pennysaver with stories about the ways TCRM, through the generosity of our caring community, has been able to help our neighbors in need. We hope these stories will help readers better understand the struggles so many of our neighbors are facing, while giving our generous donors an insight into how their donations make a difference in their neighbors’ lives.)