Wednesday, Ali and I hope to give Lisa something to smile about, she has hard a hard time since her husband was killed in a roadside bomb in Afghanistan by religious extremists. Her sons Mudasir and Baseer spent most of their lives in a refugee camp, Lisa said it was her husband who made them laugh and smile.

None of them have yet been to Wal-Mart, and Mudasir and Baseer have never had new clothes or new toys. I asked the Army Of Good for help in raising $500 for the trip, and as usual, they came through. I have the $500.

If I get more, I will either spent it on necessities for Lisa and the boys, or just give it to her outright, she has gone without for a long time and she is honest and hard working. We have helped her find a new and clean apartment in September, in the meantime we hope to let the boys choose the clothes they want and the toys they want.

I think they have all known enough extreme deprivation.  This will be fun. I can’t wait to see what they will choose.

Thanks for much for your help, if anyone wishes to contribute to this excursion, you can do so by sending a contribution to the Gus Fund, c/o Jon Katz. P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. ,or via Paypal, [email protected].

Until I began working with the Mansion residents and the refugees and immigrants, I hardly ever set foot into a Wal-Mart store. Now I know them inside and out. Life is fascinating almost every day.

Thanks for your help with Lisa and her family. We are working hard to give her and her sons and open field, as Lincoln used to say all Americans deserved. I love these photos of Lisa and her sons. She even smiled a bit. I confess I was making faces at her, and Mudasir was conspiring with me. We bonded.