Next Tuesday, I’m going to visit Saad in his new apartment. We’re bringing groceries and some clothes. And we’re going to have a talk with him.

I wrote about meeting him two days ago. The Army of Good is responding.

A lot of people have messaged me hundreds of dollars in donations for him via Paypal, and I have pledges of more coming through the mail to my post office box, P.O. Box 25, Cambridge, N.Y.,  12816. I have good use for all of these contributions regarding Saad and more.

I’m keeping them in a special account to keep track of them and so we can plan a long -term program to help Saad. Last week, we gave him $400 so he could rent an apartment in a senior housing project, the first place of his since fleeing Baghdad several years ago. He was nearly in tears, he was so relieved.

His story is a heartbreaker. He is in his 60’s, has heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, and small wonder. He worked for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad during and after the outbreak of our invasion there.

After the war, he started a successful business which was seized by the government there to support its civil war with the Islamic State. He lost his business and was target by religious extremists and had to flee the country immediately and leave his wife and eight children behind.

He was able to gain entry into the United States, but due to current immigration restrictions, the family has not.

Saad was in a UN. refugee camp in Los Angeles and then was brought to America in the final days of the Obama administration.

He lived in a crowded one-room apartment with other Iraqi refugees for more than a year, until the apartment was sold for development. He had nowhere to go – no job, no family, no friends. Because of his health, no employer will hire him, even if he could do the work.

He came to Albany because he heard it was more affordable than LA and there was a sizeable refugee community there.

He has been living in a one-room apartment with one other man, and that apartment has been sold for development. Sometimes, the refugee workers at RISSE, the refugee and immigrant support center, found him shaking with cold and hunger outside of their office buildings on winter mornings.

Under our new  immigration laws, families are not permitted to come here unless the head of household has a job and income larger enough to support them all. Even then, few people are being admitted now. A Catch-22.

So my plans for Raad.

First, to stay small and move slowly. The Army Of Good is not rich, and neither am I.

As a steward of other people’s money and am tight-fisted and careful about it. But this is perfect opportunity for us to help a deserving and very needy man – and friend of our country – in a thoughtful and proportionate way.

I’m putting him in touch with an immigration lawyer so he can see if there is any legal way to bring his family here. The lawyer is also exploring whether the state can add to the small subsidy Saad is receiving.

Saad was not precise on  how much money he has left after rent – we heard it was very little, we’ll find out.

Then, Ali (Amjad Abdullah) and I will purchase several hundred dollars worth of groceries, enough to last at least a month and bring them to Saad’s apartment. We will replace the groceries as often as needed.

Saad may need a small amount of help obtaining the medications he is supposed to be taking – eight pills a day. It seems he cannot afford them all.

We will make sure Saad receives intensive English language speaking and writing training, perhaps even tutoring under the new program Ali and I are trying to set up.

We  will check to see what clothes he might need, and also whether or not to get him a cell phone so he can begin to manage some of his own affairs and communicate with his family and build a life in Albany.

We’ll check on lamps, towels, clothes, soap, etc. I don’t  yet know how much money has been raised to help Saad, his story has definitely touched a nerve.

Saad drove in Iraq and he has a New York State driver’s license. One day, it would be a great leap for him to have a car and drive.

I’ll report back regularly on what I am doing,  how much it costs, and will take photographs to show you what you have done. I am mindful of the many limits on resources, and the many people in need. We’ll take problems and people one at a time. We’ll do the best that we can for as long as we can.

This is important work to me, just what I had in mind when I started. More than anything, I wanted to humanize the refugees and immigrants who are now being demonized. They are no danger to use. There are 55.5 million refugees in the world today, according to the United Stations.

Getting Saad his apartment was a huge step for him, and for us. He’s on a good path now.

As a nation, we have slammed the door on almost all of them and turned our backs on one of the great humanitarian crises of modern times. We are now a heartless nation. I could not live with my own soul if I did not try to help some of them. That’s why we started the Army of Good – people like Saad, good people caught in other people’s storms.

Your help is most welcome. You can contribute by sending a check to the Gus Fund, c/o Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 23826, or via Paypal, [email protected]. Every penny will go precisely where it’s supposed to go, you’ll get to see it.

i’m not sure how much we will need for this, or how much we will end up having. I’ll know these things soon. We can’t take over Saad’s new life, but we can help get him started on it.

Thanks so much. With your help, we will help Saad get back on his feet. He has always taken care of himself and his family and is mortified to be in need. At the moment, he has nothing but us.

He wanted me to thank all of you for the support he received to get his first  place to live in America.  He is a good man and a sweet man. So thanks.