Kelsie and I are good pals now, I think we both have some of the same issues with authority and being told what to do.
She is behaving, sensitive to my being an OMAR – old man at risk.
Maria and I ordered hamburgers and sweet potato fries from Jean’s Place for dinner – we really needed to take a drive and get out.
Kelsie was waiting at the door, all masked up and holding our dinner. I handed her the cash and we were off, I had my own mask and we don’t hug anymore, which is too bad. Kelsie and her family – Kelly, and Kevin – are country strong.
They come to work at 1 a.m. and are at Jean’s Place into the early afternoon. They are hanging on thanks to being able to sell take- out and catering to the Mansion, but they can’t survive this way forever.
And they are exhausted. Five people lost their jobs when Jean’s Place had to close.
They are also tough as nails. I wouldn’t underestimate them.
My plan to have them cater lunches to the Mansion has been a great success. It has given the staff release, and serious morale boosts to the residents, meals are a critical part of the day for them, their lives are built around them.
The meals are excellent – Lasagna, sandwiches, Mac N’Cheese, Goulash, pies, and cupcakes. I am thanked a dozen times a day.
Each of these lunches costs about $250 and I don’t have enough money in the Mansion/Refugee Fund to do it more than once a week, and even then, not for too much longer. I want to keep some money in the fund for emergencies – there’s about $1,500 now, and I am also buying some toys for the children of the aides, out of school for a month now, without relief in sight.
I know times are chaotic, but if anyone out there wants to support my lunch program (we’re doing ice cream sundaes once a week also) you can do so by donating via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.
You have all been generous supporting the Mansion’s new disinfectant fogger (coming Thursday) and getting grocery gift cards to the Bishop Maginn High School refugees and their families.
I thank you for all of that. If you can help, great, if not, I understand. Please don’t put yourself at any risk or disadvantage, and thanks.