Ruth came to me the other day and apologized. What for?, I asked. Because I’m going to ask you for something, she said.

What, I asked? A bathrobe, she said. I don’t have a bathrobe, and I get cold sometimes. I’ll be happy to get you a bathrobe, I answered. You don’t have to be sorry for asking.

I know you don’t have a lot of money right now, I said. Let me help you. She said okay, but I will pay you back. I said, thanks, but it’s not necessary. She said okay, and so I ordered this big and fuzzy bathrobe which came today and I brought it to her, and the smile on her face lifted me right up.

The bathrobe cost $55.99. As some of you have noticed, I’m asking for less money, and spending less money in these phase, we are supporting the Mansion residents in small but meaningful ways.

I’ve altered the refugee work, my focus there now in on helping gifted refugee students get scholarships to the best schools in the area. I believe that is the best use of funds right now, one that has dramatic impact on single lives.

I am committed to supporting Sakler Moo through his four years at the Albany Academy if it is at all possible. I think it is. I have much of the money for next year – about two-thirds –  already in a special bank account waiting for next September. The rest has been pledged, but not yet received.

For right now, I’m concentrating on the Mansion work.

As we locate refugee students with special academic records, I’ll let you know and ask for some help, although I am only working with schools that offer full scholarships. I don’t want to be asking for thousands of dollars unless the circumstances are truly extraordinary.

And I don’t want to be fund-raising every day. I do wish to do whatever I can to help WBTN, a venerable community radio station in Bennington, Vt. survive.  I am supporting their Amazon Wish Lists, currently sold out by the Army Of Good.

And of course, offering my time free for the radio show, which debuts tomorrow at 1 p.m. WBTNAM.org. You can livestream the broadcast, or call in, 866 406-9286.

In the Mansion, we deal with small and necessary things – a robe for Ruth, a Carhartt winter jacket so Wayne can go outside in his wheelchair. She loved the softness of it, but more importantly, it will keep her warm when she baths or showers on cold days and nights.

Right now, the Mansion fund is about $500, I’d like to get it up a bit. A number of the residents needed nightclothes and sweatshirts for the winter.

If you wish to contribute, you can send a payment to Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected].

In the new blog, donations sent to “The Army Of Good” (bottom of each blog posts) will automatically be funneled to the Mansion and refugee account, which is separate.

If you have a preference for the money, please write on the check or Paypal payment, “Mansion,” or “Refugees.”