Wendy from Oregon is very much appreciated. She sent me a check for $5 for the Bishop Maginn High School students and the Mansion residents yesterday, along with a message to Maria and I that meant a lot to me.

“Dear Maria,” she wrote. “I love that Jon has invited us to feel good about even a small donation. It allows me to send just $5.00 to his blog each month and know I am appreciated. I never go to Jon’s blog without visiting yours also, and now I sent a small donation to you as well as well and I so very much appreciate what both you and Jon do. Thank you! Blessings, Wendy (from Oregon).”

I am grateful for this message, the small donations I get from all over the country affect me greatly and inspire me. I will be honest, the larger donations are important also, they make so many things possible in this work.

But one of the central ideas – I think it was radical at the time – behind the Army of Good was that a lot of small donations would make big things possible,  without great sacrifice to people with little money, and that has turned out to be  true.

I couldn’t do this work with the larger donations and the smaller ones, they add up to a rich tapestry of empathy and compassion, which are very strong currents in America, no matter what you see on the news.

I will never get over how many people thank me for permitting them to send me money.  These small donations from small towns and villages mostly, in Appalachia, the Mid and South West, and rural areas all over the country.

Good is strong, and so is love. Every day I get envelopes with hand-written letters – $2, $5, $7, $10. They are precious to me, they do matter, they do add up.

Please do not ever feel minimized or excluded from this work. Here lots of people contributing small amounts adds up to great kindness again and again.

Today, a big day in my writing life, I go to pick up my computer at 2 p.m. (thanks, Maria, for the loan) and get a tutoring lesson in Lightroom, my new photo management program. Apple is discontinuing support for Aperture, and so time for a change.

Some people tell me Lightroom is difficult, some say it’s quite simple. I’ll let you know.  And yes, I’m nervous. Photos are a huge part of my work and life.

Thanks again, Wendy for your big heart, it matters a great deal, to me, and to others.

On that note, please check out the new Bishop Maginn High School Wish List. Three laptops there, some microscopes and summer reading books. So far, we have bought the school 9 Acer Chrome laptops. We need 26 laptops, the school has no working microscopes now and no laptops.

The laptop price has just dropped to $203. All contributions to the school are tax-deductible. Thanks for your support. Smooch to you, Wendy.

If you wish to support the refugee or Mansion work, contributions – in any amount – are welcome. You can send them via PayPal, [email protected] or by check to Jon, Mansion/Refugee Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.