I went to the Mansion Wednesday to see Kelly for the first time since our fund-raising campaign to get her out of the tent she has been living in for weeks because she couldn’t afford the down payment on a new apartment or double-wide trailer.

She is a certified nurse’s aide at the Mansion.

She gave me a great hug and said she was no longer worried about what people might think of her for needing help. She is relieved and happy. (I shudder to think of her in the tent this week, with all of the rain and storms and heat and humidity.)

In America, no one who works this hard and does such good work should ever have to live in a tent with her daughter and grandson. And certified nurse’s aides should not make less than McDonald’s cashiers.

Kelly is not asking for anything more, she just wanted to get out of her tent. I have been badgering her to determine any other needs.

I haven’t seen Kelly smile in weeks, she had a big wide grin yesterday.

She is getting ready to move.

“I just am happy to get to sleep in a bed soon,” she wrote me in a message. “Everything that everyone has done for me is completely enough,I can never say thanks enough…”

I told her she needed to brace herself for a little more help. Kelly does not like to ask for help, but I happen to know she needs some.

So far, we have enough money donated by the Army Of Good to pay the $1,600 deposit and two months rent required for her to rent a double-wide trailer.

A bunch of checks  arrived this morning at our Post Office Box, I have not yet had a chance to count them,  I told Kelly we will have some money to help her get some other things she will need – a microwave, a toaster oven, perhaps some kitchen ware.

Any check arriving through Thursday will go automatically to Kelly and her needs. Any check marked for “Kelly” after that will also, of course, go to her.

I got a $300 Visa gift card for her last night, and a Wal-Mart gift card (I don’t know for how much.) And I expect some more donations arriving tomorrow. We have enough money to help her thanks for your astonishing generosity.

If anyone wants to send more money for Kelly to get things for her new trailer, you can send them to Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected].

But we have enough money to get her out of the tent and into  a new, clean, safe and dry place. This feels so good to me, and I am so grateful to you.

I’ve decided to get Kelly a 32 ” wide screen TV out of my own personal funds.

With a seven-year-old grandson living with her, this is not a luxury.

It’s just something I want to do. As I’ve said before, I don’t like only asking for money, i want to contribute also, and I do. I am certain we will have enough money to cover any other urgent needs Kelly has.

Thank you, Army Of Good.  You are better than good, you are great.