In "Bleak House" (Feb. 12), staff writer Joe Tarr spends a night at Grace Episcopal, Madison's homeless shelter for men. "No one expects a homeless shelter to be a cheery or an uplifting place," he reports. "But many homeless people and their allies say the shelter at Grace Episcopal, run by Porchlight Inc., is unacceptably bleak." "It will keep you alive," says volunteer Donna Asif, "but it may also take away your dignity and break your spirit. It's not a place of rest or hope, but of insult and injury. And it doesn't have to be that way." Tarr's article prompted Epic Systems to donate money for the renovation of the men's shelter. Renovations were completed in November 2010.
See the complete feature here.
