Community organizations and some of the region's largest mortgage lenders are holding a two-day event in Merrillville that will offer free counseling on how to prevent foreclosure or mitigate its effects.

The event will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza, 800 E. 81st Ave.

Representatives from locally based lenders and national banks including Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America are expected to attend.

The Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance, NAACP chapters in East Chicago, Gary and Hammond, and the Northwest Indiana Bankers Community Council are sponsoring the event.

People can gain advice from counselors who are certified through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development whether they are in the foreclosure process, behind on mortgage payments, suffering from reduced income, or are landlords of an apartment building with up to four units.

Attendees are asked to bring income information, monthly household expenses, a copy of the last mortgage statement, correspondence from their mortgage company, mortgage company's telephone number and address, a written explanation of difficulty, last filed income tax return and the last two months of bank statements.

The event isn't just for people who are in the foreclosure process, said Chip Greenberg, a mortgage banker at Academy Mortgage in Merrillville and a representative with the Lake County Housing Taskforce. Greenberg said a lot of people are struggling with mortgage payments but are too proud to talk with anyone and seek much-needed help.

For more information about the event, call the Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance at (219) 931-9300. More information on how homeowners can avoid foreclosure can be found on Freddie Mac's Web site at freddiemac.com.