Families from across the political spectrum have wondered over many dinners what exactly it is that the Occupy movement is protesting. Initially, the catchphrase was "corporate greed," and the focus was on "the 99 percent." It all seemed ... intangible, until a family in Atlanta asked for the city's Occupy protesters to help with something very tangible: foreclosure on the home that's been in the family for decades.

The current residents are the third generation to live in the Old Fourth Ward home; the house passed from great-grandmother to grandmother then to the current generation, a family of five.

The 21-year-old daughter of the family said the foreclosure came as a complete surprise. She was taking care of her grandmother, whose health was failing and who was apparently too ill to explain what had happened. The details are unclear, but the Occupy group, referred to now as Occupy Our Homes, cited predatory loans as the root of the problem.

Occupy protesters have set up tents in the front yard. Signs decry the foreclosure crisis and the lenders who the protesters say have caused it.

Occupy Our Homes has been occupying properties in danger of foreclosure around the country. The overriding objective is to block evictions. The group adds (in a fact sheet) that they want to help homeowners in foreclosure be heard and to help with "their needs and wants."

Protesters staked out county courthouses, as well. One speaker called for a foreclosure and eviction moratorium.

The Occupy group also hopes to build momentum for their cause by increasing their numbers. Telling the stories of families like the family in Old Fourth Ward is an effective way to get their message across.

Source: East Atlanta Patch, "Protesters Occupy Home in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood," Emma Harger, Dec. 7, 2011