It’s not easy being a hero. In fact, for Rockwall resident Marilyn Mock, it’s been a life-changing endeavor.  Ever since she saved Tracy Orr from losing her home at auction in November, subsequently founding the Foreclosure Angel Foundation, and appearing on dozens of national talk shows and news broadcasts, Mock says her life has taken a 360-degree turn.

    “I just did a radio program out of Washington state this morning, I’ve heard from 20/20, Inside Edition called, I’ve had reality show requests, and I’ll be featured in the July issue of Woman’s Day Magazine,” she said.  “And I was on Oprah as one of her ‘hometown heroes’ so the national attention has been overwhelming.”

    Attention, she says, she never imagined or wanted.

  “I just didn’t think my buying Tracy’s house back for her was that big of a deal; anyone would have done the same thing – it takes so little to save somebody,” she said.  “What really struck me was receiving all these letters from people facing similar circumstances, and that’s when I knew I had to help them, too.”

    Initially, she sought out government officials for assistance.

   “I showed some of the letters to various local officials in government, and w/o naming names, they made it very clear they were not interested,” she said.  “In fact, one well-known national politician who ran for President, looked me in the eye promising help, and still hasn’t done a thing... and I’ve had offers from attorneys to do pro-bono work, but they were really only interested in benefiting from the initial publicity… that part has been deeply disappointing.”

     But despite setbacks, she has set out to make her foundation a safety net for people losing their home to foreclosure. 

     “Starting the foundation was a huge endeavor,” she said. “The paper work, figuring out the necessary procedures, getting volunteers, sorting through applications, organizing people interested in opening up branches nationwide - it’s been unbelievable.”

     Now that it’s established, it’s all about growth and demand.

     “I’ve gone through 2000 applications requesting assistance and have over 800 more to review. I look at all the legitimate pleas with intent to help as many as I can,” she said.           

     “At this point, I have about 500 volunteers nationally, I’ve received about $50,000 in donations, and I’ve saved five homes.”

    And while a lot of the expenses so far have been paid out-of-pocket, she says she has no intention of pocketing a penny.

    “Except for covering the basics like envelopes and stamps, this is a total charity,” she said.  “It’s not going to be one of those deals where I’m running a charity and getting a salary – no, way.  This is about giving back, and if it takes shaving my head to help these people, that’s what I’ll do.”

    But she needs more support.

   “I just thought I’d get more big-time donors helping these poor people,” she said.  “When you have a homeless person write to you about another individual who needs more help then they do, that’s what puts it all into perspective, and that’s what keeps me going.”

    For more information, visit www.foreclosureangelfoundation.com.