Shelter for homeless families may close

[wicket]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/05/12/shelter_for_homeless_families_may_close/

The director of an Orange shelter for homeless families says the facility might have to close, a move he says will make it harder for troubled families in eastern Franklin and northern Worcester counties to get help.

Mark Keller, director of shelter and housing for the ServiceNet social service agency, says the state is not placing as many families in the Orange Inn as it should be. He said the facility, which can accommodate up to six families, now has several vacancies.

"We are getting reports from families that there are perceived attempts to keep them out of shelters," Keller said Thursday. "Families are being turned away, and we know they're out there needing a place to stay and we have the space."

Shelters receive money from the state based on the number of families staying there. If a shelter is empty, the agency operating it doesn't get enough money to keep it open, Keller said.

[rodeodance]

1. and so it begins

[Erika]

2. Yep n/t

[Liberty Belle]

3. Workhouses for the poor will be next, I supposed.

Read Dickens to find out where we're headed.

[wicket]

4. "Please sir, may I have some more?"

n/t