Metropolitan Mortgage Offers Relief to Employees

First Metropolitan Mortgage, a division of Empire Equity Group, has established a relief fund and contribute $ 25,000 to help their employees and their families who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The company has encouraged its 1,000 employees to contribute more to the fund. The company hopes to raise a significant amount to the fund.

"I was very moved by the offer to help our colleagues who have suffered losses from Katrina and the floods," said Bruce Morosco, national production manager of the reverse mortgage division of 1st Metropolitan.

Unfortunately, the first Metropolitan 21 families were among the thousands of people affected by the hurricane and its aftermath that destroyed homes, businesses, claimed many lives and makes it difficult to contact relatives in other areas. The company has established a system of exchange of messages to give families a method of contact with loved ones and also offers wireless modem cards for some of its employees who can use their laptops.

"We are deeply saddened by the pain and anguish these and other families have suffered as a result of this powerful hurricane and subsequent consequences," said Daniel H. Jacobs, chief executive of 1st Metropolitan. "With this fund, you are able to show the connection between all of us in the first Metropolitan and our commitment to help each other in times of need. I know we will raise a significant amount of money to help our fellow workers through this tragic event. "

MetroBranches Three hurricane on the road were damaged by the storm. To ease the burden of these MetroBranches, first Metropolitan offers these branch managers and their staff are able to move to Charlotte, North Carolina, and work outside the corporate office with free licenses throughout the country. First Metropolitan will also help establish a new base of customers quickly, providing direct wireless in areas not devastated by Katrina. The national mortgage broker has contacted regulators of neighboring states affected branch to see if temporarily honor licenses from Louisiana.

"We want to help them get back on track with both their immediate needs and long term," said Jacobs.

Together with earlier efforts and research into the possibilities of accommodation in Charlotte and around the state, first Metropolitan has been in contact with federal bank regulators to find out how employees can access their funds from local community banks that were destroyed assets were frozen and later.

1 st management in the Metropolitan, said it will offer the unused funds to the relief effort in general from families devastated by the event.