(I’m concerned that the school will have shut down soon, the Covid-19 infections are rising rapidly in New York. The Wish List is moving rapidly, thanks, I hope we can get these gifts to these children soon, so they can have them for Christmas. Thank you.)

I am proud and excited to announce the second annual Bishop Maginn High School Refugee Christmas Wish List,  a  way for every child in the Bishop Maginn refugee community to have the present they asked for and want for Christmas.

Sue Silverstein, the school’s art and theology teacher, spent many hours this week meeting with the kids in different grades to find out what they and their siblings wanted for Christmas.

These families have been very hard hit this year due to Covid-19. Many got sick, many lost jobs, many have needed help buying food and toiletries.

The idea is to give them a happy Christmas., a day of hope and joy to end the sometimes dark year.

The list is long for us and has about $1,000 in small and inexpensive presents – dolls, games, toys, puzzles, gift cards –  49 presents in all so that every refugee child in the school gets a gift.

(Note: The Wish List should be set to Bishop Maginn’s address. If you should need the address, it’s Bishop Maginn High  School, 75 Park Avenue, Albany, N.Y., 12202. The phone number is 518 463 2247. The gifts should be sent there.)

The gifts vary – toy car models, gloves, gift baskets of toiletries for young women, a sequin mermaid bag, sketchbooks, unicorn makeup brushes, leggos, sketch pads, etc., paint and make-up kits, arts, and craft supplies.

The refugee kids themselves chose all of these gifts. Christmas is a big deal in these families; we made a huge difference in their Christmases last year. I hope we can do it again this year.

I put the Wish List up early because it is longer than usual. As the coronavirus figures rise, the school may have to close (no tests for positive virus cases at the school so far) if the cases in the area rise much more.

Hopefully, we’ll get the time we need to clean out the list.

If the school does close, we’ll change the shipping address and find a way to get everybody their presents.

I don’t expect this list to disappear as quickly as the others, although that would be great. The toys are inexpensive, and this is right up our alley. I know we will get it done.

We always do.

Thanks for taking the time to read the Refugee Christmas Wish List. I would put it up Sunday, but I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

I’ll post it every day until we clean it out, and thanks.

If there is anyone out there who would like to contribute but doesn’t like to shop online, you can donate to me via Paypal, [email protected], or to me, Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. I’ll be happy to buy some items for you.

This has been a brutal year for these amazing children, as it has for so many of us. I hope we can bring some light in their Christmas. Covid-19 hangs over all of us, but they don’t need to lose their Christmas.