I need to pause and offer thanks and gratitude to the people out there who came through over the past few weeks to help the refugee students and their families and the Mansion residents through these very remarkable times.

I’m so close to it that it’s hard sometimes for me to capture in words the good you are doing to people in the greatest need of their already difficult lives. It’s a strange time for me, I hate to ask anxious people for money, yet I know how important this work has been to the abandoned.

Sue Silverstein said it well in a message to me this morning:

I have been concerned in a selfish way about how the coronavirus would impact the Army Of Good, we are not a wealthy crowd. I know many of you are also worried and hurting and frightened.

We are all feeling stress and fear, I am in awe of the people who rise above that to help others. You can help in this work at anytime if you can:  via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion/Refugee Fund,  P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

I’ll be asking for support more often than before, only because there is less money out there, a lot of suffering, and things take longer. Please don’t make any sacrifices that are harmful to you.

Many of you have had your lives and income disrupted or diminished. Many of you are worried about mortgages and money.

It is a profound thing for me to see you continue to sacrifice for this work, and for people who are helpless and in need.

I would not and will not blame anyone for curtaining or halting their contributions to our work. The number and size of the donations did diminish, quite understandably. But there was enough. Everyone is hurting in one way or another.

It just took a bit longer.

I was deeply touched by the flow of $5 and $10 and $20 bills that came to me from just about every state in the union, mostly, I am sure, from people worried about their own finances.

Thank you. I was also surprised and grateful for the larger contributions which made it possible to do all of what we were being asked to do.

A number of angels – I don’t know how else to describe them – came out of nowhere – to help me purchase 20 laptops, a dozen charger cables, and hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars in grocery gift cards for the refugees and their families.

They just asked what I needed and sent it to me.

None of you want your names used, but you know who you are. A thousand blessings to you.

Yesterday I purchased an Ipad ($278) so the Mansion residents can share movies and videos in their rooms and six desktop easels so they can paint, and plug into a new in-house video network.

I’m arranging several lunches and dinners to be catered by Jean’s Place over the next few weeks to offer some surprise and stimulation for the residents, who can’t go outside or receive visitors.

And today, I got a message from an anonymous reader who lifted me up this morning:

“Thank you for the amazing work you continue to do everything day in spite of the challenges. Your blog gives me hope every day. I had to lay off all my employees today, 12 people, with families. It breaks my heart. Please stay healthy and be safe.”

Whoever you are, thanks for that beautiful note.

I’m learning that the people laid off are heartbroken, but so are many of the people who have to take their employee’s jobs and pay away from them. That hurts too.

Our work gives people hope as well as comfort. That is why it’s so important.

I’ll keep going on my end for as long as I can and continue to be supported. I think our work is more important and timely than ever.

I will be thoughtful and discriminating about what I ask for and will stay close to our faith: small acts of great kindness. But I can’t walk away from these people now.

I won’t hesitate to ask for help, nor will I ever fail to understand that everyone is under pressure now and can’t always help. I see you.

And I will try to keep the grocery gift card program going, it is needed more and more each week. A reminder that if you buy grocery gift cards, they need to be sent at my home address (they can’t go to post office boxes or the school right now.) I’m Jon Katz at 2502 State Route 22, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

And if you ever wonder if the work we do here is important, please take a minute to read a message I got today from Anne in Montana. It says it all:

” Jon, Once again your blog is spreading light. I am a government worker, still in the office but preparing to work at least part-time from home shortly. I keep thinking I have my balance and then something happens or I just get worn down with all the abnormal preparation and management that has taken over daily life.

And then I go to your blog and see the wonderful ways that you and others–and all of us who march in the AOG, through you–are facilitating the doing of real, necessary good for those who most need it, whether it is following a key story (Jean’s Place) or feeding and educating hungry folks (Bishop Maginn) or providing warmth to needy souls (Mansion) and calling out “everyday heroes” like your postal worker.

Seeing those blog posts re-sets my balance and I can keep going with a smile on my face. Not only are you doing wonderful things for those in need, but you are spreading light to the rest of us as you do it, through your writing. That is exactly what is most critical and needed right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are your own rainbow.

Best to you and Maria (and Zinnia and all the other critters–love those photos!) for all you are doing to spread light when we most need it.”

“Thank You!“