Daily News

Webber & Grinnell Employees Assist Area Homeless

NORTHAMPTON — For three weeks in November, employees of Webber & Grinnell Insurance Agency served meals to Friends of the Homeless clients and others in the community who would otherwise go hungry.

“During this time of thanks, we felt it important as a local business to give back to those less fortunate,” said Mat Geffin, vice president.

Friends of the Homeless served more than 156,000 meals last year, he noted, and people suffering from mental illness or substance-abuse problems are highly visible on area streets and in parks, and of this homeless population, about 20% of are referred to as being chronically homeless. A profound economic transformation that has eliminated manufacturing jobs, coupled with a decline in the availability of low-cost housing, has contributed to the problem.