Foreclosed Bay Area residents head to D.C.

ANTIOCH, CA (KGO) -- Forty-five people rolled out of the parking lot of the Most Holy Rosary Church on a nationwide tour headed for Washington D.C.. They want the federal government to help others avoid the fate of foreclosure and they are hoping to take their case to President Obama.

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On a wing and a prayer - they left on Friday. Each person on board an expert you could say on the foreclosure crisis.

Albert Hernandez of Brentwood is leaving behind his wife and two children.

"I'm almost in foreclosure, my mortgage payment is too high, my wife is still working and it's just really hard for me to keep my house right now," said Hernandez.

The 'Recovery Express' as it's called, is the work of the Christian group 'People Improving Communities Through Organizing,' or PICO.

The recovery riders are heading for Washington, picking up signatures on their petition along the way at stops in Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey, and ideally handing them off next week to the president.

"We believe in miracles and we want to tell President Obama and the members of Congress that the community is coming. We want you to help us now, we want answers," said Rosario Frisse, event organizer

The petitions demand approval of the Mortgage Relief Bill that passed the House on Thursday night and an end to lending practices that hurt people in Antioch, especially the poor and people of color.

"Some banks will not lend here, regardless of a clients stellar credit, and income," said Claudia Morales, former mortgage broker.

This is an emotional journey for those going and those left behind. But riders on the 'Recovery Express' believe it's the best way to express themselves in the middle of this crisis.

As the 'Recovery Express' heads east it hopes to not only be picking up signatures, but also others who are interested in going to D.C.. By the time they get to Washington D.C. they have to hope have a caravan of 10 to 12 - maybe even 20 buses.

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