I am happy to report that the many people who love and care about Jean’s Place – I am one of them, and so is Maria – got on their phones today and ordered take-out all morning for breakfast and lunch.

On another troubling day, this was a shooting star for me, a reminder that people are good and will fight for what they love and need, even in a crisis. I’ve been smiling all day.

Kelly, one of Jean’s co-owner along with her brother Kevin, said “if it’s like this every day, we are golden. We can make it.” The calls started coming in early (Kelly said she woke up at 1 a.m.) and didn’t stop until lunch.

I need to thank the blog readers – there were more than I thought – who called Jean’s as well as people in the community who have been gathering at the diner for many years.

(Local people: Thanks. You can order food for Jean’s by calling 518 686 – 3258. Their muffins are wonderful and enormous, I don’t know if they ship them or not, but if I moved, I would order them  regularly.)

Kelly, Kevin, and their daughter Kelsie (above and below) serve a lot of love, community and caring along with their very good food. And the community is returning the favor. I hope it keeps up, I think it just might, even if the shutdown goes on for a long time.

The bond between this diner and the people who live in their town is a stirring thing to see, you will never see it at a franchise restaurant or McDonald’s.

Jean’s was stunned yesterday by New York State Governor Cuomo’s shutting down of all the restaurants and bars in the state yesterday to slow the coronavirus, permitting take-out and delivery only.

Jean’s had to lay off their wonderful attack waitresses for the first time in more than 25 years.

But they own the property, and the three of them are all family – Kelsie is the prodigal daughter of Kelly. They have a fighting chance, and they will fight for sure.

Kelsie is also one of my favorite people – tough, smart, funny, and dedicated to the people who come into Jean’s every day.

(Kevin, Kelly, Kelsie) The family.

Kelsie and I have a connection.

Maria says it’s because we get each other. We each say what’s on our minds and don’t care what people think about it, and we both listen to one another.

When I called to place our lunch order today, Kelsie – a charismatic and upbeat person – sounded sad and near tears. She didn’t even say it was Jean’s when she answered the phone, and sobbing wasn’t exactly a great formula for sales.

“Hey, what is this?” I asked, “it sounds like I’m calling a funeral home. Perk up and sound like you don’t want to hang yourself!” She just laughed and said she would. I guess that’s what Maria meant.

When we got to Jean’s, Kelsie seemed more like herself, although you could see that she had been crying. This is not a business for these people; it’s a work of the heart.

Kelsie put on a green crown and smiled for my camera.

It was genuine. But I could see the pain in her eyes.

This good news was a great lift, a bright spot in a darkening world. A lot of people love Jean’s place, and we all know that gift cards won’t cut it in terms of survival, not in a small and poor rural town.

One might wonder who cares about a small family diner in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. But there it is. Community is precious, and it still exists in the Corporate Nation.

What matters is people ordering the food they love to cook and serve every day. I will be one of those, breakfast one day, lunch the next. If they stick with Jean’s, they can make it. What a great victory that would be when this is over.

If people keep doing that in Hoosick Falls, Jean’s Place can make it, I could feel it when I talked to Kelly and Kevin. They were devastated yesterday, they were hopeful today, although all three are still in shock.

So I will keep on writing about this very special place, and once again, I see the power of the blog, although I am sure many people in Hoosick Falls flocked to help as soon as they heard about it. Once again I offer thanks to good people.

There is a lot of pain and suffering around, but my gut tells me this is one we can win. I hope they will cater to a  special lunch at the Mansion shortly. People can order muffins or takeout (I think they’ll ship them) by calling 518 686 3258.

They have the right to take away a lot of things from us in order to fight this awful virus. They do not have the right to take away Jean’s.