Thanks so much for supporting the Army Of Good dining room project. We raised enough money to buy 25 tablecloths for the Mansion dining rooms, and there was enough money left over for me to buy napkins as well for every seat at the tables.

The centerpieces I want to buy will cost $389 for 12. They are made of silk cloth of different colors and styles (see below with vases and won’t need washing or other maintenance beyond dusting.

As I’ve written before, the residents spent more time around these tables than anywhere else. They meet and talk to one another, interact, and find stimulation and community.

Between meals, they can gather, do puzzles, read and play games. They are the heart of the Mansion.

(Auntie Em’s Blue Tablecloth napkins. 40 are on the way.)

These tables are VERY important, and I am happy to help restore and re-imagine them with the support of the Army Of Good. This isn’t a huge amount of money, but it does a huge amount of good.

I have about $200 left in the Mansion Fund, so I’ll ask for some more help buying these centerpieces so that there will be some money left over for art supplies, shoes, and flannel sheets and blankets if needed. There is always a need for toiletries also. I want to be prepared. We are looking for small acts of great kindness, not big ones.

Small donations make this work, as well as large ones. Small donations add up; there are a lot of you out there.

The centerpieces come with vases, and I will order several different colors and styles so that they can be moved around for a change in scenery.

If you can and wish to help with the centerpieces, you can send a donation to Jon Katz, Mansion Fund via Paypal, [email protected], or Venmo, Jon-Katz@Jon-Katz-13. You can also send a check to Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

I so appreciate your support of the Mansion work. The residents and aides have been through a kind of Assisted Care Hell during the pandemic; it took a Herculean effort on the part of the staff to keep everyone as healthy and safe as possible.

The residents had to eat alone for more than a year.

Now they are still bouncing back, staff and residents alike, they can get together, make friends, and enjoy stimulating activities, and we hope to give them as bright and cheerful an environment as possible.

They love knowing that we care, and so do I. The hardest part of living in assisted care, I think, is the feeling that the world has forgotten them. We will never forget them.

What matters isn’t how much money we spend. What matters is showing up. These are people who cannot speak for themselves. It is a gift to speak on their behalf.

Thanks so much for your support. With the centerpieces, our work in the dining rooms is complete, at least for now. This should last a good long while and make dining soothing and pleasant.