From The Republican
by Fred Contrada
Friday, August 13, 2010
Katie D. Lusnia, of Easthampton, was soaking up the atmosphere at the homeless shelter known as the Grove Street Inn. The couch where she and her mother sat was comfortable, the wall behind them hung with photographs donated by local artists. Sunshine poured in through the window.
“It feels like a home,” she concluded.
The 10-year-old had arrived with her mother, Deborah B. Lusnia, and a check for $426, which she handed over to the shelter’s director, Danielle C. DeBerry. The money included the $401 in proceeds from a talent show she put on last year as a fourth grader at the Pepin School in Easthampton. An aunt in Texas, impressed by Katie’s philanthropic spirit, threw in another $25.
“So now it’s a little higher, Lusnia told DeBerry.
With 21 beds and a waiting list that hovers around 30, Grove Street is in high demand among the homeless during the summer months. The pressure eases a bit when the Interfaith Cot Shelter on Center Street opens for the season, which lasts from Nov. 1 to May 1.
Run by ServiceNet, Inc., the shelter depends on Community Development Block Grant money and the United Way for much of its funding, but donations are an essential component, according to DeBerry.