I’m excited to offer the first peek at the Army Of Good’s first project for Sue Silverstein and the refugee children at their new home, Bishop Gibbons High School in Schenectady, New York, the new Amazon Bishop Gibbons Art Program Wish List.

People often complain the list is gone before they can buy anything; the Sneek Peek is designed to answer that problem. Everybody gets a shot at doing some good.

Sue Silverstein just posted it today. It’s scheduled to go up next week.

I’ll post it almost every day from here out. I must remind myself we have a few weeks to sell it all out if necessary.

I admit to being a bit nervous.

This is our first significant program since the post-Ukraine/Inflation era, and it may take longer than usual to sell out. Sue always kids me; she says I’m always nervous when a new wish list goes up, and this is true.

This time, I’m a little more nervous than usual. It’s rough out there.

The Army of Good has supported nearly 50 wish lists since the first one five or six years ago; we’ve never failed to clean them out in short order.

I asked Sue to say something about her new art program. She e-mailed me back right away (Sue and I are a pretty great team):

“I am so excited to be teaching art at Nd-Bg! The space is amazing. The past few years have been difficult for so many of us. Art allows us to express those emotions that are difficult to put into words. Creating art can take our minds to a place where we can reach a new level of understanding. The space will allow so many things to be happening simultaneously. Students can work at their own pace, work on service projects, and explore new media! – this help will make that possible.”

I hope to keep our record intact. I believe we will.

Sue’s lists are always restrained, with about 30 art supply items, many in multiple numbers.

This is not a high-priced list; everybody has a price range, from $6 to $27, which is the most expensive item  Student Grade Illustration Board. If she asks for something, she needs it and will use it and spin straw into gold.

I’ve already bought a can of Krylon KO1306 Workable Fixative Spray Clear, whatever that is.

Sue hates to ask for anything.

The wish lists are revolutionizing the non-profit world, and we were pioneers.

You get to buy what you want and spend what you want – no middle persons –  and it is delivered directly to the school—no administrative costs.

The blog’s role is to support the wish list, not create or run it.

(Make sure you push the ND-BGibbons address default button on Amazon Checkout if prompted. Otherwise, the things you purchase may come to your home. BG’s address is the default address, but check to ensure.)

I don’t choose the items or set the prices.

My fantasy is that Bishop Gibbon’s lobby and her classrooms are soon full of the art supplies Sue desperately needs to launch her ambitious art program for refugee and minority children. They dominate the student population at Bishop Gibbons.

And there are no long lines of people lining up to help them these days.

These remarkable teachers and children are brave, compassionate, forgiving, and hard-working. In addition to the children we know, we will soon meet refugee children from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

They have come here with nothing. A lot of heroic teachers are working to make them whole and their lives bright.

School starts in September; Sue is already working daily to get her art suite up and running. She has eight rooms in the basement to work with.

I hope we can give her the tools to get this program off and running.

Like Bishop Maginn, Bishop Gibbons is also a poor school with mostly poor students. They can’t fund a creative program like this by themselves.

Sue now has a fantastic art facility to support that will boost her students’ will, creativity, community, and morale, many of whom have suffered great cruelty, loss, and terror.

Sue’s art has helped bring many of them back to life and is full of hope. Creativity can do that to people. Do what you can; don’t hurt yourself financially.

You can check out the wish list and buy something right now, right here.

There are plenty of chances.