My friend Ali (Amjad Abdalla Abdullah) is out of the hospital, he is recovering from a nearly fatal car crash on an Interstate highway near Albany last week, his car was struck and rolled over twice. He was in the hospital for six days and has some stitches in his leg and is having some tests for concussion.

He says he is in some pain but doing well.

Ali says he misses his kids at RISSE (the refugee and immigrant support center in Albany) and is coming back to work Monday, perhaps sooner than he was supposed to come back to work. Ali and I have talked almost every day, and I am so grateful to count this loving and dedicated man as a friend.

He is truly an angel to me.

He is a teacher (and driver) at RISSE and he loves these refugee children, and they love him. He is also coaching their first soccer team. His devotion to these young people is inspiring, and I am going to Albany money to welcome him back and spend some time with him.

If the kids have problems at home, the parents often call Ali for help. He helps.

While Ali was in the hospital, a dozen kids came to see him, many of them in tears. Ali and I are going to sit down and make up a list of ways me and the Army Of Good can help him. We have already purchased 20 tickets to the Great Escape and Adventure Park in Lake George in July, bought some soccer shirts, and donated 90 art and creativity kits.

We are exploring art classes for some of the young artists in the group, and I will let you know about the other things Ali and the kids need.

He is a wonderful man, and RISSE is a wonderful organization, it is a gift to me to be able to support them. These are good people who have suffered enough, several of the children told me last week that me and the blog “came from heaven.” I am so grateful to be able to show them the true heart and soul of America.

They always ask about the good people who help them, and I say that people want to do good, given the chance, it keeps their hearts from turning to stone.

Ali always tells them “America is better than this,” that this is a good country with open hearts and souls, and we will hopefully show them that is true. He is planning some visits to the farm soon, and wants to get the soccer team focused. We are also thinking about an art show for the kids who want to make art.

If any of you wish to write Ali and welcome him back to work, I think that would be a great gift to  him, a great lift of the spirits and a message to the children that they are not alone. It was terrifying of them to think of losing Ali, and they came close. You can write him c/o Ali Muhammed, c/o RISSE, 715 Morris Street, Albany, N.Y., 12208.

(Note: Please don’t send donations or contributions directly to Ali at RISSE, it causes all kinds of bureaucratic and bookkeeping problems. We are planning to set up a page or site where donations can be funneled directly to Ali and the refugee kids, that will happen soon.)

All of the contributions and donations will go directly to the children. And they need a lot of things.

Thanks so much for coming along on this new and remarkable trip. Life is full of crisis and mystery, but listening and doing good are better than arguing and wringing hands.