Good morning, an important day for me. First, I have to figure out how to help the Mansion residents, many of whom are scattered in different places as the  Mansion works to repair roof  and flooding damage.

Most of the residents were evacuated hurriedly from the Mansion a couple of day ago when some of the floors flooded.

I’m also going to Albany this morning to meet with Alex Borgess, a student at the Albany Academy, who wants to work with me to raise some scholarship money for a young refugee student who has applied to the school.

Alex has made it his school senior project to help make the school more diverse, and he proposes to raise $5,000 to $6,000 to make up the difference between what the school can offer and this gifted refugee student and her family can afford.

Alex has already raised a considerable amount and we will talk about ways to use my blog, perhaps a gofundme page, and the families at the school and people outside this community to raise some money.

Hopefully, the school will offer the bulk of the scholarship support.

My job has been to find the refugee students and help them apply. And to help raise money if needed.

I have the student, the school wants this to happen, it’s up to Alex and me to do the rest. The families in the school also want to help.

This can happen, I am sure of it, it is the new direction for me when it comes to helping the refugees, along with supporting the RISSE Amazon Wish List, which has two new items up today. So I look forward to meeting with Alex at lunch today, I’ll  report back.

This afternoon, I hope to visit as many of the displaced residents as I can find, and then Maria and I will host a Bingo game at the Mansion, for the three or four residents who have remained there. Hopefully, everyone will get back home to the Mansion over the next few days.

Thanks for the donations which came in last night, support for the Mansion residents will be appreciated, I’m trying to figure out how best to help. I know we will be needed.

(Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected]) And thank you.