Community "Turning Things Around" For Homestead Burglary Victims

Having two burglaries happen so close together was a devastating blow to the owners of the Homestead Grocery & Deli, but the support they have received from the community has been remarkable.

“It had been unbelievable,” said co-owner Janet Melchionda on Wednesday. “We have without a doubt the nicest, nicest customers.”

Co-owner Ralph Melchionda told Amherst Patch on Wednesday that people have been going out of their way to show their support for his family and the Homestead. The local business was recently and had almost $7,000 taken from the store.

This included hundreds of dollars for a local charity taken in the first break-in, but the second one on Saturday night hit them the hardest.

The second burglary had the Melchionda’s considering to sell the business, which they have owned for three years. Their concerns were met with an outpouring of support from loyal customers and friends who do not want to see them leave.

Ralph Melchionda has been overwhelmed by these acts of kindness, which have been as varied as they are numerous.

For example, one of his vendors is donated over $1,000 in products for tonight’s cash mob; his web designer, Acrodesign, paid for his August bill and yearly renewal charge this week; cards filled with support have also been appearing each day.

An older gentleman even stopped by to give Melchionda an extra $30 on top of his purchase as he was being interviewed on Wednesday.

“Things like this are pretty neat,” he said. “It is motivating and turning things around.”

Kristin McCool is a loyal Homestead customer and, after seeing the owners post their concerns on their Facebook page, she decided to take action. She has arranged

A cash mob has customers flood a specific business and pledge to spend a certain amount of money. The suggested amount for tonight’s Homestead Cash Mob (432 Boston Post Road, Amherst) is $20.

Kristin McCool is the organizer of the cash mob and is pleasantly surprised at the huge amount of support that has risen for the Homestead after these crimes. She has been a loyal customer for years, and loves how the store goes the extra mile and gets to know each customer that walks through the door.

"They deserve recognition and I hope this gives them the boost they need," said McCool.

Amherst Police will help direct traffic, and some customers have even volunteered to work tonight to accommodate the rush that will come with the cash mob tonight. Many of these customers have had touching experiences with the family-owned business.

Jennifer D'Auteuil told Amherst Patch that the Homestead was a lifesaver when her that prevented him from entering public places. She said Janet and Ralph would go out of their way to accommodate them.

“They took care of special orders for us and allowed me to remove merchandise outside the store so that Drew could see it and decide what he would like,” she said. “There wasn't much that Drew was allowed to do. Having the Homestead within walking distance and owned and managed by these two considerate and caring people will never be forgotten by us.”

“The Homestead was my salvation as an annex to my kitchen pantry,” said May Balsama, Executive Director of Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce in an email. “Always greeted with a smile – always the neighborhood’s ‘country store’.”

The stories go on and on. Ralph Melchionda told Amherst Patch one story about a customer that had come in Tuesday night, and told him that a short conversation about following dreams had inspired him to become a musician. He told the Homestead co-owner to not give up his dream of running a successful retail business.

“Sometimes when you talk to people, you don’t know what will have an impact,” said Melchionda.

Other local businesses have even reached out with advice and support for the Melchionda during this difficult time.

“I’m used to taking care of people, and not very used to being taken care of,” said Ralph Melchionda. “It is incredible how the people of the town have turned this around for us and I give them all the credit.”

Amherst Police are currently investigating the burglaries and said they have “good leads” on the cases. Until the criminals are caught, the Melchionda family are comforted by the great lengths their customers have taken to comfort them.

“I want them to know how much we appreciate it and how nice they are,” said Janet Melchionda. She added that, much like the main character in the classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life, their community has showed them a second chance.