Teresa Thompson remembers how she first met Saunny Scott.

Thompson was managing a drop-in center for the homeless in East Lawrence, where Saunny sat on the board. Thompson was struck by Saunny’s selflessness, her giving spirit, her concern for the less fortunate — and has remained her friend ever since.

So when she read in the Journal-World last month that Saunny was close to losing her own home, Thompson, who is disabled and lacks resources herself, reached out to offer her support. Recently, she helped set up a bank account where people could donate to Saunny’s cause.

“She’s been instrumental in helping quite a few people in this community,” Thompson said of Saunny, whose work on behalf of the homeless helped lead to the creation of the Lawrence Community Shelter. “She just cares about everybody.”

Saunny, 76, has received an outpouring of support since the article ran Dec. 31. Her dentist fixed a tooth, free of charge, after seeing her picture in the paper and noticing one was missing. Her daughter’s hairdresser refused to take Saunny’s money for a recent haircut. Nonprofits have offered their services.

“It’s made me feel a sense of support, of community caring,” Saunny said. “A few times, I’ve opened my front door and there’s a bag of groceries out there.”

Saunny has adopted four children with disabilities during the course of her life. One ultimately died, two live on their own, and the fourth, her youngest daughter, still lives with her. The home’s main floor is fully accessible for people with disabilities, allowing Bea, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, to get around.

Saunny says that while all the help is “making the day-to-day easier, the big thing is the mortgage.” Saunny is still waiting to hear back about whether she will be able to refinance the home she has lived in since 1986.

Christine Kosirog read Saunny’s story in the paper last month, too. Even though she had never met her fellow Lawrencian, she reached out to offer support anyway. She found out that the only thing preventing supporters from getting an account started in Saunny’s name was $100. So, along with some fellow members of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, she pooled together enough cash to open the account.

“She’s done so much for the community,” Kosirog said of Saunny. “We just wanted to do what we could to give people in the city an opportunity to help her.”