The Mansion shampoo, body wash, and conditioner project began yesterday when the Mansion aides discovered the residents were almost out of all three of those essential products. Some had to borrow these things from other residents; others were doing without.

Residents are responsible for the toiletries they use, but since many of them can’t afford to buy expensive shampoo and lotions, especially at the end of the month, the aides asked me for help.

I got one cartload yesterday at the Dollar General and Walgreen’s pharmacy.  I got about $125 worth That turned out to be just the start, a response to an emergency.

Mansion Aide Tania Woodward decided to seek a more permanent solution. She messaged me this morning to say she and the other aides had come up with one.

The residents were pleased with the new items, but there wasn’t enough for everyone to own. For psychological and health reasons, that was critical.

She had decided to set up new washbins and baskets for every resident, but that would require purchasing 20 more bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash for each resident. I went sailing back to the Dollar General and Walgreens and bought another $300 worth of shampoo, body wash, and conditioner.

 

The Dollar General prices are lower than anyone else I know of, but they don’t have a full range of products, and almost everything I need costs more than a dollar.

I brought the new supplies to Tania about an hour after she made the request, and she was stunned and grateful. I am deeply into a fast response. And that was such a good idea, it deserves instant support. I may have to go back again to fill every one of those baskets with the right lotions, and I will go as many times as is necessary.

I’m committed to doing this correctly, especially during Christmas week.

These things are essential to the residents’ pride, dignity, and cleanliness. No one in our country ought to struggle to keep themselves clean. These people have worked hard all of their lives and deserve this peace of mind.

It’s a wonderful gift to me to be able to give these good people some comfort and peace of mind.

Of all the things they have to worry about, the shampoo will not be one of them, at least for the next six months or so. Tania is distributing these things today, and she told me a number of the residents cried, they were so happy and relieved.

This is important and profoundly satisfying work. I am grateful to be able to do it with the support of the Army Of Good.

I think I have donations enough to cover all the things I will need to finish this project, but if anyone out there is inclined to donate to this cause and keep the Mansion Fund ready for emergencies like this, feel free: via Paypal, [email protected] or Venmo, Jon-Katz-13, or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816,

Maria and I are returning from our one-day Christmas Eve retreat Saturday morning. We’ve offered to go by the Mansion Saturday afternoon with Zinnia to visit the residents who have no families nearby or no families at all to visit them.

I met with several of these Christmas “orphans,” and we both feel it’s the place we ought to be on Christmas Day.

Several residents have asked me to purchase items for them: one bathrobe, X-large, one sweatshirt, gray, a baby doll to hold. I’ve found and ordered all three.

This, I think, is what Christmas was meant to be about, not just bargains on Amazon and Wal-Mart.

Thanks again to all of you for making it possible for me to do this work.