Published: October 12, 2008 01:23 am            

CARES: You can go home again

Lockport CARES volunteers work on shelter for homeless

LOCKPORT — By Bill Wolcott

wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com

Marie Nunnari spent her formative years at the house of 192 Genesee Street 50 years ago. On Saturday, she was helping to reform the house into an emergency shelter for the homeless.

Although her family moved when she was 5, Marie remembers the neighboring hairdresser and photographer, the fur store across the street, the bee man who sold honey and the grocery store on the corner. Her grandfather lived on the next block and there were several return visits to the

neighborhood.

On Friday and Saturday the bees from Lockport CARES were busy getting the 19th Century house back to working order. There are 20 different churches and 15 service agencies involved in Lockport CARES and more than 20 volunteers showed up Friday. Nunnari was pulling out nails in the kitchen Saturday.

“It’s phenomenal. I love it. It’s awesome,” said Nunnari who now lives on VanBuren Street. “I’ve been waiting for years to come back to see what it was like.”

The house was donated by an anonymous donor and work began about a month ago, according to Jim Haid of St. John the Baptist. Now, the hard-core work is under way. “We’ve had a good turnout and a lot of things got done,” Haid said.

“We’re almost done with the destruction,” said Major John Wheeler of the Salvation Army. “Now, it’s on with construction.”

Workers feel that the house, which may have been built in the 1880s, is structurally sound. The goal is to have it ready for occupancy in December.

“I think they’ll do it,” Nunnari said. “They’ve done a lot of work so far.”

Volunteers fro Heinrich Chevrolet ripped out shrubbery near the porch Friday to make way for a wheelchair ramp. That’s a Boy Scout Eagle project. A volunteer plumber is on schedule to shut off the water to the kitchen. The house needs electrical work.

Beth (White) Haid, Jim Haid’s bride, brought her 12-year-old daughter to work. Grace White joined Ben Haid, 13, in outdoor cleanup. Ben goes to Kenmore Middle School.

A lawyer, Beth wanted to remind churches to join and encourage volunteers. “I just want to get this thing on the road,” said Beth. “We’re excited about it.”

Gordon Langdon, 73, of the Town of Lockport was wearing a mask to ward off the dust from the plaster on Friday. He worked in the kitchen on Saturday.

“I think this is a great idea,” the member of the First English Lutheran Church said. “It’s something that’s really needed, an emergency homeless shelter like this.”

While work weekends are planned, Haid said that CARES will accommodate other groups who may be able to work are the house during the week.

“Jim and I have been talking about how do we deal with people who have no place to live,” Wheeler said. “We agreed we needed some sort of shelter in Lockport. People don’t want to go to Niagara Falls or Buffalo. They want to stay here where they live. It’s several organizations getting together. Personally, I feel it’s something I just need to do.”

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

439-9222, ext. 6246.

        

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