START Now!

START Now! was created in the aftermath of the United States housing and foreclosure crisis. Its origins trace to an April 2009 loan-modification event organized by financial-services executive Chris Meek at the Yerwood Center in Stamford, Connecticut. The event brought together five banks and several agencies to assist homeowners facing mortgage distress. The organization reports that 36 families obtained mortgage modifications and avoided foreclosure as a result. The public response to that event prompted Meek to establish START Now! as a nonprofit in May 2009. The organization’s early identity was shaped by its event-based approach: rather than acting as a lender or housing owner, it convened banks, public agencies, nonprofit counselors, charities, and legal or mediation resources so that households could seek assistance in one place. Additional loan-modification events followed in May 2009 at the Yerwood Center, in August 2009 at the Connecticut State Capitol, in April 2010 at FSW, Inc. in Bridgeport, in October 2010 at the Yerwood Center, and in November 2010 at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. The program involved major national banks including HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and CitiMortgage, along with regional institutions such as Webster Bank, People’s United Bank, and NewAlliance Bank. Housing and community organizations also participated, including the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the Urban League of Southwestern Connecticut, Money Management International, Catholic Charities, the Housing Development Fund, the Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut, and mediation specialists from the Fairfield Judicial District. Over time, START Now! broadened its work from foreclosure intervention to employment and workforce preparation. Its job-readiness workshops addressed practical barriers to employment by helping participants write resumes and cover letters, apply for jobs online, and practice interviews using video-recorded mock sessions. The organization also collaborated with Norwalk Community College on a Green Jobs Fair, adding a workforce-development component focused on environmentally related employment. The organization’s documented mission has been to help individuals and families become self-sufficient by providing education, support, and access to opportunities available through society and local institutions. Its model depends heavily on partnerships: banks contribute mortgage-related assistance, community organizations provide counseling and referrals, educational institutions offer venues or collaboration, and public or civic bodies help connect the program to affected residents. The available historical record states that START Now! had helped more than 250 people and banks avoid foreclosure and that its programming had continued to grow. However, the supplied sources provide little information about activities after the early 2010s, current leadership, financial condition, or present legal and operational status. Those aspects remain unconfirmed.

• 2010

  Expansion to Bridgeport and Danbury

  [1]START Now!en.wikipedia.org

  START Now! held events at FSW, Inc. in Bridgeport in April and at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury in November, in addition to another Yerwood Center event in October.

• 2009

  First loan-modification event

  [1]START Now!en.wikipedia.org

  Chris Meek organized a foreclosure-assistance and loan-modification event at the Yerwood Center in Stamford, Connecticut. The event brought together five banks and several agencies, and the organization reports that 36 families obtained mortgage modifications.

• 2009

  START Now! established

  [1]START Now!en.wikipedia.org

  Following public demand for additional assistance, Chris Meek founded START Now! as a nonprofit organization in May 2009.

• 2009

  Connecticut State Capitol event

  [1]START Now!en.wikipedia.org

  The organization held a further loan-modification event at the Connecticut State Capitol in August 2009.

• Expansion into job-readiness programming

  [1]START Now!en.wikipedia.org

  The organization added workshops covering resumes, cover letters, online applications, and mock interviews, broadening its work beyond mortgage and foreclosure assistance.

A community-based nonprofit that connects financially vulnerable households and job seekers with practical education, institutional assistance, and opportunities for greater self-sufficiency.

• Housing and financial assistance · 2009

  Loan Modification Events

  Public assistance sessions designed to connect homeowners facing mortgage distress with lenders, housing counselors, financial-management organizations, and other support agencies. The events aimed to help participants modify mortgage terms, avoid foreclosure, and retain their homes. Participating institutions included national and regional banks as well as Connecticut housing and community organizations.

• Employment and workforce development

  Job Readiness Workshops

  Workshops intended to improve participants’ ability to seek and secure employment. Instruction covered resume and cover-letter preparation, online job applications, interview practice, and videotaped mock interviews. The offering reflects START Now!’s broader objective of helping participants develop practical skills for economic self-sufficiency.

• Career and community event

  Green Jobs Fair

  A workforce-oriented event organized with Norwalk Community College. It connected the organization’s job-readiness mission with employment opportunities and information related to green jobs.

• 2009Foreclosure Assistance and Loan Modification Program

  Connecticut, United States

  A series of public events brought distressed homeowners together with mortgage lenders, housing agencies, nonprofit counselors, charities, and mediation resources. The initiative began at the Yerwood Center in Stamford and later expanded to additional Connecticut venues.

  Outcome. The organization reported that the first event helped 36 families modify their mortgages and avoid foreclosure, and that the broader program ultimately helped more than 250 people and banks avoid foreclosure.

  Source
• Job Readiness Initiative

  Connecticut, United States

  A set of workshops focused on employment preparation, including written application materials, online applications, interview skills, and recorded mock interviews.

  Source

1. 1START Now!en.wikipedia.org
2. 2START Now! official websitestartnowct.org