We thank the following Donors--

Open your hearts and give a little something this holiday season.

The recipients will feel good and you’ll feel GREAT!

<Click here to see all the Pictures>

 

 

General Petraeus Receives AMERICAN PATRIOT AWARD 09

PRNewswire-USNewswire--  Nearly 630 people gathered to honor the National Defense University Foundation's 2009 American Patriot Award recipients: General David Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Men and Women of CENTCOM. The event, one of Washington, D.C.'s most prestigious galas, was held in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Program participants for the 2009 American Patriot Award Gala included honoree General David Petraeus, USA, General Ann Dunwoody, USA, and Gen. John Galvin, USA. Grammy nominated jazz saxophonist Ski Johnson and Pam Ritter Shilling (Out Reach Program Manager for the National Defense University Foundation) performed live and they both rocked the house. Pam had a standing ovation after she sung. Leon Harris, Anchor of ABC 7/WJLA-TV, emceed the event.

Five military heroes accepted the American Patriot Award on behalf of their services, along with General David Petraeus, USA. The five heroes included: CSM Rocky Shapla, USA; CDR Stephen Hall, USN; GYSGT Josue Magana, USMC; Tech. Sgt. Timothy R. Evans, USAF; LCDR Holly Harrison, USCG.

Notable guests included White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; LTG Dennis Via, USA, Director, C4 Systems (J6) Joint Chiefs of Staff; and, National Defense University President VADM Ann E. Rondeau, USN; Members of Congress, the Administration, and Diplomatic Community; and past and present Armed Forces Service Heroes. The Gala was attended by more than 600 guests.

More than 40 "patriots" from all five branches of the military service attended this year's celebration, through the "Sponsor a Patriot" program. Many of these young patriots recently returned from Iraq, Afghanistan or other overseas deployments. Some are recovering from injury sustained while deployed; others are actively serving their country on military installations and in communities across America

Beyond honoring the recipients, the Gala supports National Defense University (NDU) and its crucial mission of educating national security leaders. Students of NDU are the next generation of ambassadors, national and international military commanders and civilian defense industry leaders -- patriots who have committed their lives to furthering the security of our nation and the world.

"Paying tribute to General Petraeus and the service men and women who put their lives at risk every day to safeguard our national security is the focus of this year's National Defense University Foundation's American Patriot Award," said Walter Stadtler, Ambassador (Ret), President and CEO, National Defense University Foundation. "These unsung heroes are the ultimate patriots and are most deserving of this award."

Previous recipients of the American Patriot Award include: The Honorable Henry A. Kissinger; General Colin Powell; The Honorable Caspar Weinberger; former President George H.W. Bush; The Men and Women of our Nation's Defense Team; The Honorable Bob Dole; The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye; The Honorable Ted Stevens; The Honorable John Glenn; The Honorable John Warner; and The Honorable Ike Skelton.

IBM is the Patriot Sponsor for this year's Gala. Eagle Sponsors include: C4 Enterprises, LLC; Lockheed Martin Corporation; and, Raytheon Company. Liberty Sponsors include: Agility Defense & Government Services; The Boeing Company; Caterpillar Inc.; EADS North America, Inc.; G4S Wackenhut and WSI; L-3 Communications Corporation; Northrop Grumman Corporation; William D. Smythe Family Foundation; and TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

The National Defense University Foundation, Inc. was established in 1982 to support and enhance the mission and goals of the National Defense University through promoting excellence and innovation in education by nurturing high standards of scholarship, leadership and professionalism.

The National Defense University is the country's preeminent institution for military, diplomatic and civilian national security education, research and outreach. It is the only university providing a common educational experience for all the various professional communities engaged in national security. The main campus is located at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. <Click here to see all the Pictures>

 

 

Palm Beach Polo Club International: Pre-season Kick Off Match

By Karen Brooks

HUSH Society Magazine meets with the legendary polo columnist, Alex Webbe, at the International Polo Club Palm Beach during the pre-season kick-off match. It was exciting to finally have an opportunity to meet Alex particularly after chatting over the phone so frequently; it actually felt like we’ve known each other for years. It was a great to get away from the brisk DC weather and head down to sunny Wellington, Florida to hear the rumbling of the horses’ hooves and the whack of the ball as it meets the wooden mallet during the polo match.

The Audi team seized the U.S. Open Polo Championship defeating Las Monjitas 9 – 8 in overtime at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The players, guests and John Walsh – Palm Beach Polo Club International President of Club Operations were in high spirits in celebration of the win. The International Polo Club Palm Beach is the unsurpassed polo facility in the United States and this tournament has been played in the US since 1904. The club has nine meticulously manicured polo fields that host the most competitive polo tournaments in the country. John said “the season starts January 3^rd and you haven’t seen anything yet.” The post match entertainment was equally electrifying with wonderful people, great conversations, and delectable food.   

This combination of an exquisite venue, mind-blowing polo action, great entertainment and picture perfect weather is completely what attracts individuals to the Palm Beach International Polo Club.  <Click here to see all the Pictures>

 

 

Female Solidarity- A Woman Who Fights For Other Women

By Karen Brooks

HUSH Society Magazine received a hot tip from Loubna Z. Starnes, about a remarkable woman, Aicha Ech Channa, being honored for the advancement of civil rights for single, Moroccan mothers with children. She is achieving phenomenal accomplishments and her organization, The Associeation Solidarite Feminine (Female Solidarity Association), assists unmarried and single parent, young women to obtain the services, support and career skill-sets needed to ensure their own livelihoods. 

A celebratory event was held at the luxurious home of His Excellency Aziz Mekouar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States.  Upon arrival I was graciously greeted by His Excellency, Lady Maria Felice (His Excellency’s wife) and Mrs. Faiza Mehdi (Cultural Attaché to the Embassy of Morocco). Lady Felice personally introduced me to Madame Aïcha Ech Channa where I was engulfed by her warmth and abundant presence. It was an amazing feeling and was very apparent that her success in part, is due to her compassionate demeanor that soars through you while in her company. Although we had some obvious language challenges, our communications were perfectly understood and resulted in smiles, congratulatory discussions and lots of laughter. The wonderful Aïcha Ech Channa, has helped individuals for over 40 years and was honored tonight with the prestigious 2009 Opus Humanitarian Award. What a fantastic and distinguished event, celebrated among people from all walks of life. <Click here to see all the Pictures>

 

 

HUSH Attends Fight For Children Fight Night- Incredible

The Washington Hilton was the place to be on Thursday night for Fight For Children’s Fight Night Event. Hundreds of who’s who of entertainers, corporations, and athletes were in the house. Joseph E. Robert Jr., Mayor Fenty, Roy Jones, Smokin Joe Frazier, Skip Johnson, Kenneth Baby Face Edmonds, A. Scott Bolden, Justin K Wine, Al Checchi, Emmanuel S Bailey, Brian Silver, Kwame R. Brown, Allison Tucker, Vincent Gray, Jermaine Dupri, Michael A. Brown, Lon G. Walls, Jason Van Buren, Duane C. McKnight, Vincent B Orange Sr., and Mike Ponticelli to name a few. The attendees who are Fans, were given the opportunity to meet their favorite celebrity while raising money for a good cause — Fight For Children. And the event went off without a glitch once again.

Brian Silver executive of Hush Society Magazine was extremely impressed. “I can’t say enough about this event put on by Joseph E. Roberts Jr., this is my first event and will not be my last. The atmosphere was incredible and the attendees were having so much fun that everyone was in a joyous, giving mood. — We were also truly impressed with Al Checchi who did not care the price, just wanted to give back to the children of our fallen Military soldiers, he bid on a flag and won the bid at $60,000 --Amazing! <Click here to see all the Pictures>

 

 

HUSH 1st Annual Halloween Masquerade Gala

Washington's Best and Brightest Gather for a Charmed Evening of Merriment
by Juli Robertson
An enchanted gathering of the influential and the beautiful occurred at Washington DC’s HUSH Society Galleria. The Mount Pleasant area home of Carlos Allen was the venue for the charity event, which was staged to perfection for the enjoyment of all its guests. Elegance reigned at the HUSH Society’s Black Tie Masquerade Ball on Saturday night while guests enjoyed a sumptuous buffet, and delicious cup cakes that were donated by JP Kake Corner. The hot music was provided by Johnnie Steele and the exhibit of fabulous works of art by Kenneth Nyakabwa. Estella Couture LLC donated a beautiful dress to auction for the MVP program (Most Valuable Pupil).

The event was held as a benefit for the Society’s Most Valuable Pupil Program. Carlos Allen, Brian Silver , Sharmila Viswasam, Richard Glover, Karen Brooks and Oliva Evans the event organizers, stated that the program is an outgrowth of the Society's philanthropic endeavors: staging elegant, profitable events for the purpose of assisting young people in the community to achieve positive outcomes in their lives.

Johnny Steele provided the music on the main floor while special guest DJ Robert L Shields Esq. spun Hip Hop, Progressive Jazz, funk, R & B and soul hits on the ground level under a wonderful tent donated by Mediaeval Miscellanea Tents.     <Click here to see all the Pictures>

 

 

London mayor shows chivalry not dead in bike rescue

LONDON (Reuters Life!) – London Mayor Boris Johnson rescued a woman attacked by a group of girls wielding a metal bar after answering her plea for help during an evening bicycle ride, a spokeswoman for his office said Wednesday.

Documentary filmmaker Franny Armstrong was confronted by a group of young teenage girls as she was walking in North London Monday night, media reported.

"I was texting on my phone so didn't notice the girls until they pushed me against the car," the Guardian newspaper quoted Armstrong as saying. "I saw that one of them had an iron bar in her hand. It was more than a meter long."

"Then along came a cyclist. And I thought, 'Good, he's a big bloke,' and shouted, 'Can you help me please?," The Guardian reported.

"I said, 'That's the mayor of London!' and they ran off," Armstrong told the Guardian. "They must have thought they were going to get in trouble. One dropped the bar, so Boris picked it up and cycled after them."

Johnson, a Conservative who read classics at Oxford, has been a journalist, author and a member of parliament. He is a passionate cyclist and was elected mayor in 2008.

After the incident Johnson escorted Armstrong home.

She said that although she had voted for his Labor opponent Ken Livingstone in last year's election, Johnson might be the tougher of the two if you ever found yourself in trouble down a dark alleyway.

"He was my knight on a shining bicycle."

(Reporting by Catherine Bosley; Editing by Paul Casciato)

 

 

A Write to Revolution

By Sharmila Viswasam, Hush Society Magazine

 “A write to Revolution” is a fight against Illiteracy in Urban America and the African Diaspora. Art Creates life Institute of Leadership and Cultural Development (www.artcreateslife.org) is an international nonprofit organization committed to developing global citizens who then become weapons of mass reconstruction by training them to use art as a vehicle to understand and confront issues that plague humanity. Their vision is to create leaders who value, protect, and support life through service.  ACL was founded by Executive Director, Tracie S. Jenkins in the summer of 2002.

            The Washington Plaza Hotel hosted the “A Write to Revolution” kickoff party. Some of the special guest that attended was Oscar- Nominated Actress Taraji P. Henson,  Lamman Rucker, John Forte, and ABC/WJLA Anchor Cynne Simpson.  The ceremony raised awareness of the goals of this great foundation and to help children in urban areas get the help they need to become future stars through mentorship and reading programs.

The Art Creates Life Institute of Leadership and Cultural Development invites you to positively impact the lives of children and families both in the U.S. and the African Diaspora who have been struck by devastating issues that have swept away the hopes and dreams of millions. Their goal is to help these communities reignite their belief in the perseverance of the human spirit, by sharing the untold stories of survivors whose contribution to humanity have been left behind; no history, no footprints, no context for future generations.

Through their work, ACL attempts to capture these stories and the faces behind them, the small miracles that occur through chance meetings, the roar of hope that echoes through the heroic acts of common people, children who dream dreams of better days and quiet nights. The students discover purpose, compassion, commitment, and leadership through service on their lifelong journeys to a dream. Hush Society Magazine was honored to be at this event to show support and looking forward to working with Art creates Life in the near future. <<Click here to view more pictures of this event>>

 

Latin Beauty Queen Gives Back to Community

Real Life Miss Congeniality

Maryland resident Consuelo Dee is Ms. MD Belleza Latina and she is in pursuit of the National- Ms. Belleza Latina Pageant in spring 2010. We caught up with Consuelo Dee and we were excited to learn all the great things she is doing in the community, like her passion to work with Breast Cancer Patients.

She has also worked with Jerry’s Kids, St. Jude’s Church, and countless Walk-A-Thons, which is a definite direct result, of her mother’s nurturing and life as a care-giver in her place of origin, of El Salvador.

 Consuelo Dee went on to spend a great part of her pre-teen and teenage years vigorously learning American History, and Language skills in school. Her hard work paid off as she became a translator for the US Court System, and was very instrumental in assisting the judicial system in many cases. Consuelo Dee’s personality, communication, dedication, and strong work ethic while working in the Judges Chambers was recognized by  different organizations, specifically The Department of Social Services which was in need of a bilingual professional to help their officers. Consuelo Dee graciously accepted the position and saw this as an opportunity to help families, particularly Hispanic families in need. Although she was instrumental in providing a lot of help to families, Consuelo Dee was even more saddened by the many stories of neglect and abuse that she witnessed while working for Social Services. It was these stories that urged Consuelo Dee to become more involved in Philanthropic work. She became very sad and emotional seeing kids that were abused, that she made it her passion to bring a positive out look into people lives. Consuelo Dee began working in different areas of social work to help out as much as she positively could. One area in particular became dear to Consuelo and that was to help increase the awareness of Breast Cancer within the Hispanic Community. She began to pursue a career with the Breast Cancer Center providing education, awareness, and assistance to Men and Women utilizing her bilingual skills to help Doctors effectively communicate with Hispanic patients.

Consuelo Dee feels she now has the privilege and responsibility of being a positive role model for present and future beauty queens, and she feels teaching others how to be comfortable in their own bodies and being able to show love for who they truly are, is important. As her own journey progresses, she will continue to succeed in everything she does, and she hopes that one day she will be able to make a difference in the lives of our youth across the world. Consuelo Dee feel’s that pageants are more than just poise and beauty; it’s a way for all-- to Help Us Support Humanity- (HUSH)!

 

 

Gabrielle's Angels Raise $4 Million at the Angels Ball 09 in NYC

Gabrielle’s Angels (www.gabriellesangels.org) held a great event at Cipriani Wall Street in NYC raising over $4 Million Dollars. Denise Rich the Co-Founder of the organization put together a marvelous star studded line up of: Natalie Cole, Sherri Shepherd, Blake Lively, Robin Thicke, Paula Patton, Satr Jones, Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford, Buzz Aldrin, Swizz Beatz and more.

The mission of Gabrielle’s Angel’s Foundation is to dedicate all its efforts to help find a cure for Cancer.

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research was created in 1996 by Denise Rich and her daughters and son in-law, Daniella Rich, Ilona Rich Schachter and Philip Aouad in memory of Rich’s daughter, Gabrielle Rich Aouad. Gabrielle lost her long and valiant struggle with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) at the young age of 27.

It was Gabrielle’s wish that a foundation be created to help spare others the suffering she endured. Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research funds basic and clinical medical research in both conventional and integrative disciplines which focus on prevention, treatment and quality of life issues of leukemia, lymphoma and related cancers. To date the foundation has awarded nearly $11 million in medical Research Awards making Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation one of the largest non-governmental sources of grant support to blood cancer researchers at the nation’s leading institutions.  <<Click here to view more pictures of this event>>

 

 

“Beneath the Veil” Play

 By Sharmila Viswasam, Hush Society Magazine

Hush Society and Michelle Katz, MSN teamed up with “Beneath the Veil” production team to honor the brave women of the Middle East. The Play focused on women of the Middle Eastern Culture and what they went through and still go though to obtain their freedom and their right to speak up.  Most of these women in these cultures are faced with public executions, allegations of human rights violations like massacres and torture, and are forced to beg because they are prevented from working.

The Play “Beneath the Vail” was performed at The John F.  Kennedy Center In Washington, DC The play was written my Mary Apick and Ginger Perkins and directed and produced by Mary Apick. Vocal performance was by Shani Rigsbee and music was performed by Behfar Bahadoran and Steve Bloom. The Performance is dedicated to Neda Agha Soltan and all the other heroes who continue to risk their lives for freedom and democracy all around the world.  The play was written in honor of Tahirih, Zahra Kazemi, and Melody. Tahirih was an Iranian poet who was imprisoned and eventually executed as a heretic in 1852. She is best known for deliberately entering a gathering of religious Muslim men without a veil as a symbolic act of defiance. Zahra Kazemi was a Canadian journalist who was tortured, raped and ultimately killed in Tehran for taking photographs of the exterior of Evin Prison in 2003. Melody was a sweet young woman who died in vain.

The Play gives a view inside a male dominated world that dictates how women think to what they wear and say. It was very powerful to see how men treat woman and this play opens your eye to that. Hush Society Magazine had a wonderful time to learn about this and stand for the rights of these women in the Middle Eastern culture.  <<Click here to view more pictures of this event>>

 

 

T.I. wins at the BET awards; Ice Cube wins BET's Icon award

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., Associated Press Writer

 ATLANTA T.I. didn't need to attend the BET Hip-Hop Awards to win two trophies on Saturday.

 The rapper T.I., won the best collaboration award with Rhianna for the song "Live Your Life" and the album of the year award for "Paper Trail." His fiancee Tameka "Tiny" Cottle accepted his awards at the ceremony in Atlanta and read a letter by the rapper, who began serving a yearlong sentence in late May.

 "Although I'm not there with you all, I'm there in spirit," Cottle quoted the rapper as writing. "My road to redemption is almost over. ... Thanks for the support."

Jay-Z was honored as the "MVP of the Year," while Drake took home "Rookie of the Year," and Ice Cube received the "I Am Hip-Hop" icon award.

 Ice Cube said he was humbled by the award, and he believes his career as filmmaker could earn him more honors in the future. He helped launch the gangsta rap genre with the group NWA, and he starred in "Barbershop" and "Friday," which he also co-wrote.

"When you get recognized by your peers for a life of work, you got to be humbled," the rap veteran said. "I'm honored by this. I have 20 more years of work left in me. I hope (BET) is ready to give out two of these awards."

 Rapper Busta Rhymes presented the award for "DJ of the Year" to DJ AM, the celebrity spinner who died of an accidental drug overdose in August.

 Kanye West, meanwhile, couldn't hijack the stage, because the rapper was a no-show. West had been expected to attend the fourth annual awards show. He fell under scrutiny for interrupting Taylor Swift's award-winning moment at last month's MTV Video Music Awards.

 Jay-Z took the stage with Young Jeezy to perform "Real as It Gets" and rap group Goodie Mob performed its 1995 song "Cell Therapy."

Click here to see the all access back stage pictures>>>

 

 

 

 

3 Americans share 2009 Nobel Prize in physics

By Matt Moore and Karl Ritter, Associated Press Writers

STOCKHOLM  Three scientists who created the technology behind digital photography and helped link the world through fiber-optic networks shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics

Charles K. Kao was cited for his breakthrough involving the transmission of light in fiber optics while Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith were honored for inventing an imaging semiconductor circuit known as the CCD sensor.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said all three have American citizenship. Kao also holds British citizenship while Boyle is also Canadian.

The award's 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) purse will be split between the three with Kao taking half and Boyle and Smith each getting a fourth. The three also receive a diploma and an invitation to the prize ceremonies in Stockholm on Dec. 10.

Kao, who was born in Shanghai and is a British citizen, was cited for his 1966 discovery that showed how to transmit light over long distances via fiber-optic cables, which became the backbone of modern communication networks that carry phone calls and high-speed Internet data around the world.

"With a fiber of purest glass it would be possible to transmit light signals over 100 kilometers (62.14 miles), compared to only 20 meters (65.62 feet) for the fibers available in the 1960s," the citation said.

Boyle and Smith worked together to invent the charged-coupled device, or CCD, the eye of the digital camera found in everything from the cheapest point-and-shoot to high-speed, delicate surgical instruments.

In its citation, the Academy said that Boyle and Smith "invented the first successful imaging technology using a digital sensor, a CCD."

It said that technology builds on Albert Einstein's discovery of the photoelectric effect, for which he was awarded the Nobel physics prize in 1921.

The two men, working at Bell Labs in New Jersey, designed an image sensor that could transform light into a large number of image points, or pixels, in a short time.

"It revolutionized photography, as light could now be captured electronically instead of on film," the Academy said.

"Without the CCD, the development of digital cameras would have taken a slower course. Without CCD we would not have seen the astonishing images of space taken by the Hubble space telescope, or the images of the red desert on our neighboring planet Mars," it said.

Boyle, in a phone call to the academy, said he is reminded of his work with Smith "when I go around these days and see everybody using our little digital cameras, everywhere. Although they don't use exactly our CCD, it started it all."

He added that the biggest achievement resulting from his work was when images of Mars were transmitted back to Earth using digital cameras.

"We saw for the first time the surface of Mars," Boyle said. "It wouldn't have been possible without our invention."

The academy said digital image sensors are usually involved when photo, video or television are used for medical applications, such as taking images inside the body.

"It can reveal fine details in very distant and in extremely small objects," the academy said.

The physics award is the second of the 2009 Nobel Prizes to be announced.

On Monday, three American scientists shared the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering a key mechanism in the genetic operations of cells, an insight that has inspired new lines of research into cancer.

Elizabeth H. Blackburn, who also has Australian citizenship, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak were cited for their work in solving the mystery of how chromosomes, the rod-like structures that carry DNA, protect themselves from degrading when cells divide

 

 

Firms are getting billions, but homeowners still in trouble

By Chris Adams, McClatchy

WASHINGTON � The federal government is engaged in a massive mortgage modification program that's on track to send billions in tax dollars to many of the very companies that judges or regulators have cited in recent years for abusive mortgage practices.

The firms, called mortgage servicers, have been cited for badgering, manipulating or lying to their customers; sticking them with bogus fees, or improperly foreclosing on them.

Mortgage servicers are the middlemen between homeowners and the investors that hold their mortgages, collecting homeowners' checks and disbursing payments for the mortgages, property tax and insurance. They're a necessary player for any modification.

The reliance on such companies points to an ironic paradox for federal regulators: Cleaning up the nation's financial crisis often rewards the firms that helped create the mess. Those Wall Street banks and mortgage servicing companies argue that they're best positioned to repair the damage they've helped cause. In the case of the mortgage program, the firms getting the taxpayers' money are, after all, the firms that control the troubled mortgages.

To make matters worse, the Government Accountability Office, Congress' watchdog, has said that the Treasury Department hasn't done enough to oversee the companies participating in what's known as the Home Affordable Modification Program, which emerged from the bank bailout bill Congress passed last fall.

The modification program has been slow to get off the ground. Since it began this spring, only 12 percent of a potential 3 million delinquent mortgages have begun the process of being reworked, or put into "a trial modification," according to Treasury Department data through August, the most recent available.

"We've consistently been behind this problem," said Mark Pearce , North Carolina's chief deputy commissioner of banks, who works with a state-level group of attorneys general from across the country. "Two years ago, maybe some were caught by surprise. But we still haven't gotten to a point where the servicers have demonstrated an ability to handle the problem."

Housing advocates say homeowners still face "reluctant lenders," said Irwin Trauss , an attorney who represents low-income homeowners for Philadelphia Legal Assistance. He recently testified at a hearing of the Congressional Oversight Panel , the watchdog that monitors the Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program, better known as TARP, or the bank bailout bill.

Trauss said that Bank of America , at least through July, told homeowners that they couldn't participate in the program when they should've been allowed to do so, and he alleges that Saxon Mortgage forced one of his clients into bankruptcy without providing a valid reason for turning down her modification request. Trauss' comments were echoed by other housing advocates, who've found mortgage servicers slow to respond and confused about modification rules.

"Servicers look for reasons to avoid making the modifications when they are most needed, rather than for opportunities to make them," Trauss said.

Saxon Mortgage said it couldn't comment on Trauss' testimony because it wasn't provided with specific details of the account in question. Bank of America said there could've been instances in which improperly trained employees were confused about the modification rules, but the vast majority of customers have been given proper information.

Although it's early in the Treasury Department's program, housing advocates say the servicer industry for years has resisted helping customers with modifications. Donna and Ronnie Fruia , of Troutman, N.C. , learned firsthand how difficult it can be.

The couple was in the midst of a series of health crises, and three members of the family and the couple's son, Donna's mother and Ronnie were in the hospital.

It was then that Donna got an urgent call that somebody from her mortgage company, CitiFinancial, had just showed up in her husband's hospital room, where he was recovering from a stroke.

"They said, 'Some guy's in there aggravating him,'" she said.

"At the time, I couldn't even really talk that good," Ronnie said. "But he wanted me to sign a bunch of papers."

The Fruias had been trying to get a mortgage modification from CitiFinancial. The company, however, was pushing the Fruias to accept a modification that wouldn't have cut their interest rate, they said.

Only after the episode in the hospital room and the involvement of state regulators did CitiFinancial cut the mortgage's interest rate from 11.5 percent to 5 percent, lowering their monthly payment from $985 to $602 . The process took from the start of the year until July.

"They were the perfect candidate for someone with a subprime rate getting a modification," said Henrietta Thompson , who as housing coordinator for United Family Services , a United Way -funded organization in Charlotte , helped the Fruias. "I know if the banking commissioner hadn't gotten involved, it wouldn't have happened."

While CitiFinancial, a unit of Citigroup Inc.  one of the largest recipients of TARP bailout funds said it couldn't talk about specific customers, it's "pleased" that the case was resolved.

"We have strict guidelines concerning the behavior of our representatives, and the incident you described would not be acceptable under our policies, even if well-intentioned," said Mark Rodgers , a spokesman.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that the mortgage service companies would have trouble executing wide-scale mortgage modifications. They generally aren't set up for the complicated business of reworking loans.

In 2007, an assistant attorney general in Iowa , Patrick Madigan , analyzed the looming mortgage meltdown and found that mortgage service companies have a "highly automated process, spending as little time as possible on an individual loan and preferably no time actually talking to the customer."

"Loan modifications, by contrast, are a time-intensive process that requires a great deal of individualized attention," he wrote. "In some situations, it may be easier and cheaper for a servicer to simply foreclose on a borrower than to try to fix the underlying problem."

Service companies had high turnover and employees who saw their jobs as akin to that of collection agents. Some were known to hang up on callers if they started to get tough questions, Madigan wrote. He urged mortgage service companies to hire far more staff and boost training.

That year, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller convened a group of state officials ( Iowa's Madigan helped coordinate the effort), who then contacted the nation's 20 largest servicers of risky subprime mortgages.

By September 2008 , however, as the economy went into freefall, the mortgage industry's efforts had been "profoundly disappointing."

"Too many homeowners face foreclosure without receiving any meaningful assistance by their mortgage servicer, a reality that is growing worse rather than better," said a report from the State Foreclosure Prevention Working Group .

By this year, more federal and private efforts were under way to modify millions of troubled mortgages, and customer service was beginning to improve. Companies, though, were still having trouble getting the jobs done.

"It is difficult for homeowners to initiate productive discussions with lenders because many servicers lack the capacity to deal with a large volume of modifications," the Congressional Oversight Panel reported. "Servicers are generally understaffed for handling a large volume of consumer loan workouts."

The panel found that it's "unlikely" that mortgage servicers will be able to do all they're being asked to do: "Servicers are simply in the wrong line of business for doing modifications en masse," it said.

Madigan, the assistant Iowa attorney general, said in an interview that, "The mortgage industry has responded to this crisis with a series of half steps based on a notion that a turnaround in the housing market was just around the corner."

Under the Treasury Department's mortgage modification program, three parties can participate: the company that owns the loan, the company that services the loan, and the homeowner. All get a portion of the more than $20 billion that the federal government currently estimates it could spend to keep homes out of foreclosure.

While the Treasury said it's necessary to take in as many mortgage service companies as possible, the GAO found that the department wasn't doing enough to monitor the process.

In a July report, the GAO said that the department had "significant gaps in its oversight structure," and was short-staffed in the office monitoring the modification program. As of July eight months into the program the Treasury had filled fewer than half the positions in a key modification office. (Many of those jobs have since been filled, the department said.)

Beyond that, the government had conducted "readiness reviews" of only seven of 27 mortgage servicers the GAO examined; no more were planned. The reviews only included interviews with senior executives and the information gathered wasn't verified.

"Treasury cannot identify, assess and address risks associated with servicers that lack the capacity to fulfill all program requirements," the GAO said.

Treasury said it's beefing up its review procedures and also said it recognizes many of the problems and has been working to correct them. "Clearly, we're not there yet," said Seth Wheeler , one of the Treasury officials who oversees the modification effort. "Clearly there's still inconsistent application of the program, even though we have made progress."

Several companies in the Treasury program have been cited by judges or regulators for having engaged in improper behavior with their customers.

They include Select Portfolio Servicing Inc. , a Utah -based company formerly known as Fairbanks Capital Corp. ; Countrywide Home Loans Inc. , now a unit of Bank of America Corp. ; Carrington Mortgage Services LLC , based in California ; Saxon Mortgage Services Inc. , a unit of Morgan Stanley ; EMC Mortgage Corp. , now a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. ; and Green Tree Servicing, a Minnesota company.

Ocwen Financial Corp. , a Florida -based company that services more than 300,000 mortgages nationwide, could receive more than $200 million in TARP payments.

"Ocwen has screwed up my finances so bad you can't believe it," said Brad Rhoton , whose rental properties in the Houston suburbs are part of a nationwide lawsuit against Ocwen. "It's been the most maddening process you can imagine."

Rhoton's lawsuit charges that Ocwen constantly misapplied Rhoton's mortgage payments and tacked on unnecessary fees and insurance, causing his accounts to fall behind.

So far under the Treasury's modification program, Ocwen has started trial modifications in 8 percent of potential mortgages below the national average and well below some other servicers.

Paul Koches , a company spokesman, said the number is misleadingly low. Ocwen, he said, has set rigorous standards in documenting its modifications and is therefore likely to have a far higher share of its modifications stick than other companies. He said that Ocwen undertook its own loan modification program in 2007 and has beefed up its staff substantially since then.

As for the suits against it, Koches said they represent a fraction of the firm's customer base, and many were copycat lawsuits that tried to paint Ocwen with the same brush as other mortgage servicer firms. He said the company continues to vigorously defend itself against lawsuits.

Over the years, Ocwen has lost other lawsuits and has been slapped down by a federal judge for its conduct.

In one Texas bankruptcy case, for example, a federal judge blasted Ocwen after it tried to pass the cost of a $1,000 sanction onto the customer it was cited for mistreating. When the judge found out, he said, "Ocwen's course of conduct in this proceeding bordered on the outrageous." He fined the company an additional $27,500 .

The case was far from isolated, however. A jury in Galveston, Texas , ordered the company to pay $11.5 million , and one down the coast in Corpus Christi ordered it to pay $3 million for unfairly foreclosing on homeowners (both cases were then settled in the appeals process for undisclosed amounts).

In both cases, the plaintiffs were on the edge financially, and so when Ocwen added extra fees to their accounts. they quickly fell behind.

That was part of their strategy, plaintiffs' attorneys said. One of the key witnesses before both juries was a former Ocwen account officer who said the company trained its sights on customers who had substantial equity in their homes. In those cases, the company had the most to gain if customers lost their homes in foreclosure.

"We didn't treat the people very well, but the money was pretty good," the former account officer, Ron Davis , testified during one of the trials. (Davis couldn't be reached for further comment.)

The motive, he said, was simple: force people into foreclosure as a way to earn higher bonuses.

"We would call the customers and ask them what bridge they were going to live under," Davis testified.

Ocwen lost that lawsuit. A Texas jury found that the company engaged in "fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading" tactics that it called "unconscionable." The case involved an elderly Texas woman the bank tried to evict from her home even after a local judge had ordered it not to. The jury awarded her $11.5 million , which was reduced to $1.8 million , according to Ocwen's Securities and Exchange Commission filings; the case was settled during appeals.

Outside the courts, federal regulators in 2004 approached Ocwen to request that the company enter into a formal supervisory agreement under which it promised to improve its customer service. It required, for example, that Ocwen beef up its ombudsman to take customer complaints; adopt a "borrower-oriented customer service commitment plan"; take reasonable actions to see if homeowners already have hazard insurance before adding it to customers' accounts; and regularly report to federal regulators about outstanding customer complaints.

Koches of Ocwen said the agreement was merely an attempt to formalize many of the steps the company was already taking and that the company and federal regulators wanted avoid the kind of problems other firms had experienced.

Later that year, however, Ocwen took steps to ensure that such regulatory decisions wouldn't come again.

It successfully petitioned to have itself removed from oversight by the Office of Thrift Supervision , thus ending the supervisory agreement hatched just months before, according to Ocwen's regulatory filings. Ocwen said it removed itself from OTS oversight for business reasons unrelated to the supervisory agreement and that it continues to follow the intent of the agreement.

(This article is part of an occasional series on problems in mortgage finance.)