Anne Balcer Norton, director of foreclosure prevention at St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center in Baltimore, told The Sun that the center expects to work with 3,000 families this year to avoid foreclosure, up from 800 two years ago.

The point in all this is that you are not alone in your financial struggles. You can contact a qualified bankruptcy attorney to help you formulate a strategy to get out of debt or save your home from foreclosure.

There are other options, but remember that bankruptcy provides protections for some of your assets in order to give you a fresh start.

If you are looking for other options before considering bankruptcy, there is help available here:

• First Call For Help, 24-hour referral to health and human services in Maryland, at 800-492-0618
• Maryland Crisis Hotline for crisis intervention services, 800-422-0009
• One-Stop Career Centers for information on unemployment benefits, job placement, resume writing and other information for job seekers. Find a center near you at www.dllr.state.md.us
• Mortgage foreclosure prevention programs can be found at www.mdhope.org or by calling 877-462-7555.