Last Friday, Joan won the last Bingo game, and she chose as her prize a black boa that someone from the Army Of Good had sent as a Bingo Prize. Joan loved the Boat, and assumed several regular prizes.

She asked me after a few minutes what she had won the Boat for and I said “for winning Bingo and being wonderful!” and she beamed and smiled and accepted this  honor. Joan loves attention and recognition, she doesn’t crave the details.

This Fall, I’m thinking about a change in my good works. I want to narrow my focus. I want to keep it on the Mansion residents of course, but narrow my interest in the refugees to the one or two (or three?) refugee children in the Albany Public Schools who are especially deserving of scholarships.

One, Sakler Moo, is already enrolled in the Albany Academy, we are helping support his school tuition. Next week I’m meeting with school officials to talk about how we might get one or two more gifted refugee children into the school.

This has opened my eyes to the impact of changing some lives in the most profound way. Helping Sakler pay his tuition was one of the more rewarding chapters in my life. I want to do it again.

I think I can do more for two or three than i can for 15 or 20.

Ali tells me that the soccer team is being sought by a number of sponsors with deep pockets who wish to support the team, and they deserve no less. I would not stand in their way.

I’ve been thinking these past few weeks that the best use of my time and somewhat limited resources might be better applied to located some especially worthy and promising children, and really changing one or two lives, with the help of the Army Of Good.

I’ve always been an impact person.

I’ve heard from  a principal in the Albany School District who would like to work with me on this project. She could help me find the right candidates.

I think I can do good with this kind of focus, and the soccer team is much loved and popular, as is Ali. I think it would be helpful to the Army Of Good as well to focus it’s  resources in this way now.

What can be more satisfying than to change the lives of these children?

I don’t want to burn out or wear out, nor do I wish to burn out or wear out the people supporting me.

The soccer team is really off and running, Ali has done a wonderful job, and I am proud of my sponsorship. They will have everything they need.

But I need to make good choices for me and this work. So this is what I’m thinking about when it comes to considering the best use of my time and somewhat limited resources.

I want this to remain a small, not a big operation. And to strike when it really counts and can make a difference.

Anyway, this is just a thought, I’ll share the process with you as it evolves.

In the meantime, if you’d like to help Joan and the Mansion residents, you can send a donation to Jon Katz. P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected]. Please mark your payment to “The Mansion.” Thanks.