Search Results for: Madeline

Thanks for your support for our efforts to boost the morale of the Manson aides and residents, next week will mark the first month of their lock-up, and they love the lunches and desserts.

Today, Clark’s Pizzeria sent over 50 subs and salad to the Mansion for lunch for the aides and the residents (I always order enough for the aides), and Jean’s Place brought five pies for dessert – chocolate cream, raspberry, strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, and apple. The residents loved it very much.

Friday, Jean’s Place is preparing a Mac N’Cheese lunch for the residents along with pies and cupcakes. I thank Julie Harlin, the Mansion Activities Director, and Melissa Ortiz, one of the world’s great aides, for taking this selfie and sending it to me.

The subs were a hit. I hear the Mac N’Cheese lunch is much anticipated. Institutional food is healthy, but not so much fun. We are also sending movies, art desktop easels, and paint.

Next Wednesday, Jean’s Place will cater another Lasagna lunch at the Mansion; the first Lasagna lunch was a huge hit.

Julie also said the Pen Pal program is a hit; the residents are getting more and more mail each day and loving the letters and messages. She said there are two new men at the Mansion that would like to get letters: their names are Dale and Gary. She said Peggie would love some letters, and so would Madeline.

The other residents who would love to get your e-mails (send them to [email protected]) or send letters and cards to The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816) are Ellen, Matt, Gerry, Joanne, Madeline, Brother Peter, Helen, Georgianna, Georgiann, Barbara, Alanna, Linda, Nancy, Annette, Becky, Jean, Roberta (Bert), Ben, John, Jim, Claudia, Ruth. Tim is not at the Mansion now.

If you can and wish to support the Mansion work, you can donate via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

I miss the residents and feel somewhat helpless, although not nearly as helpless as they feel, It could be a while before I see them again. But with your help, we are making a real difference from a distance, giving them tools for their creativity, lunches, and dinners to look forward to.

I will stay with them through this ordeal.

Thanks.

You can’t stop a good therapy dog from bringing some light and comfort to a darkened world.

I miss the Mansion residents, you don’t always realize how important something is until you can’t see them. Once or twice a week, I drive to the Mansion (when the guv says it’s okay) and stand with Zinnia outside the window. We wave and blow kisses to one another.

We are not allowed inside the building or within sis feet of the residents and the aides. So far, so good, everyone in the Mansion is healthy. But a lot of the aides are wearing out. People are working  all kinds of long shifts.

One thing I can do for them apart from the masks is getting some leggo sets for their kids, who love them and need them right now.

Those poor people have been unable to go outside or receive visitors or see their families for weeks, and they miss Zinnia a lot. Today, I saw Kelly, one of the Mansion aides, coming outside to pick up the mail.

She loves Zinnia. I lowered the rear window on the opposite side of the car and Kelly, masked and keeping her distance, leaned forward to say hello to Zinnia without touching her. Zinnia and Kelly always get down on the floor and love each other, this was a touching thing to see.

Zinnia was puzzled by this, she loves to lick Kelly on the nose. It was therapy work in the age of corona, but the residents loved seeing her and waved to both of us out the window.

Zinnia reached out to her, I think she was happy to do this work.

Julia Harlin, the Mansion Activities Director, messaged me to say thanks for setting up another lunch this Wednesday (subs of all kinds), I’m also asking Jean’s Place to make lunch for the residents on Friday. They will make some pies for dessert.

The means are huge morale boosters, they light up their days and break up the routines. And institutional food is not always exciting. Our lunches and dinners are pretty wild. The dinners cost between $200 and $250 each. I’m doing one or two a week.

I’m also sending pizzas to the aides for lunch and dinner – it usually takes two pizzas, one Pepperoni, one vegetable. Jean’s Place sends the most amazing pies. They cost about $75 for five or six. This isn’t something we can do every day, but once or twice a week.

The residents really look forward to the meals, so do the aides.

I get enough food for everyone.

Julia got the speakers, Ipad and art supplies we sent – six easels with paint – and enough markers and brushes to last a while. Lots of painting going on.

“What a blessing you all have been to everyone,” she wrote. I have been getting lots and lots of letters and e-mails from your blog readers and the residents love them, Julie.”

Thanks to all of you for this. We are doing everything we can to brighten up the residents’ long and sometimes empty days. They always fear being isolated, now they really are.

Your messages mean a lot. We have revived our Pen Pal program, people in the Army Of Good can choose a Pen Pal and email them through Julie – [email protected].

You can e-mail letters or send cards and photos and paper messages to The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Please don’t expect messages or acknowledgments right now, the staff is exhausted and nearly overwhelmed.

The residents who wish to be messaged are Ellen, Matt, Gerry, Sylvie, Joanne, Madeline, Brother Peter, Helen, Georgianna, Georgiann, Barbara, Alanna, Nancy, Annette, Peggie, Becky, Jean, Robert (Bert), Tim, Ben, John, Jim, Claudia, and Ruth.

They love animal pictures and stories and tales of your own life and town. Thanks.

I’ve found about 250 masks in various places online, they are coming slowly, but they are getting here. If any of you know how to make masks for the aides, they would be grateful – 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

If you wish to support the Mansion work, you can send a donation to me, via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

And take care of yourselves, you have never been needed more than right now.

The Price Chopper Gift Card program to feel the hungry students and families of Bishop Maginn High School is in its 12th day, and I have received gift cards in the mail or from UPS every single day since it began.

Your generosity is nothing short of amazing. People – students and adults –  are eating three meals a day because of you.

We have raised more than $3,000 for the students and their families, many blindsided by the coronavirus crisis and the closing of the school, at least until May, and quite possibly beyond.

Many of the parents have fled genocide and years in refugee camps, many are doctors, lawyers, nurses, business people who come here and find jobs cleaning hotel rooms, businesses or hospitals.

Some of the students were already hungry, lining up in school classrooms for the oatmeal and other meals the teachers were buying for them with their own money. Private schools don’t qualify for federal food stamps or other nutrition programs.

And urban teachers in Catholic High Schools don’t earn very much.

Many of these parents have suddenly been laid off and are struggling to feed their families, Sue Silverstein, the Bishop Maginn teacher who is distributing the gift cards, says she has never seen so many people ask for help.

There are about 12 families on Sue’s list labeled “critical,” 20 or so labeled “urgent,”(they are newcomers to poverty)  the rest from people who never needed help before, they probably number another 20.

None of them are hungry thanks to you. (We also purchased 21 Chome laptops so every Bishop Maginn student can have a computer to access the school’s mobile classroom. Thanks for that too.)

The need for our work has doubled and tripled, and I think the gift card program may be the most important one we have taken on, I am committed to keeping it going, and am writing about the gift cards every day.

You can contribute in any amount, but the school is closed, and gift cards won’t be delivered to post office boxes, only to street addresses, so I agreed to have them come here to Bedlam Farm and I sent them overnight to Sue. If you purchase a gift card, please send it to my address:  Jon Katz, 2502 State Route 22, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

I expect some of you may be experiencing your own worries, please don’t feel any pressure. Gift cards in any amount are welcome and precious to these families, they think the Army Of Good is a miracle.

And you are.

If any of you don’t like to buy things online or navigate alien websites, I’ll be happy to buy the cards for you. You can donate via Paypal, [email protected], or you can send a check to Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Just mark the money “Gift Cards,” And thank you, the need is very great and we are making all the difference.

Note: we are reviving the Mansion Pen Pal program, you may be aware that the Mansion, a Medicaid Assisted Care Facility, is under a state-mandated lockdown. The residents can’t go out for walks, go on outings, receive visitors, or see their families.

If anyone is willing to be a Pen Pal, you can send your messages via e-mail – [email protected], or by letter or card to The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Julie will get your e-mails and letters to your Pen Pal.

Please don’t expect any acknowledgments or even any responses.  Just choose the person you wish to be a Pen Pal and send any kind of message.

Things are pretty hectic at the Mansion, so don’t wait for instructions, please. I am searching online for masks to send them – 250 are on the way and some people are making masks (thanks) and I am purchasing special pizza lunches and dinners for the aides, and special desserts and meals catered by Jean’s Place.

You can contribute to these meals and other Mansion work during this time via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. And thanks.

The Mansion residents interested in finding a Pen Pal are Ellen, Matt, Gerry, Sylvie, Joanne, Madeline, Brother Peter, Helen, Georgianna, Georgiann, Barbara, Alanna, Linda, Nancy, Annette, Peggie, Becky, Jean, Roberta (Bert); Tim, Ben, John, Jim, Claudia, Ruth.

I can’t thank you all enough, but I’ll keep trying.

It’s easier to please people than I sometimes think, and also sometimes cheaper.

I’m fleshing out my small acts of kindness campaign for the Mansion residents, but also for the Mansion aides. Everyone is going stir-crazy in there, no visitors, family members, friends, volunteers or therapy dogs permitted. No walks or outings.

It’s a creative challenge to help from a distance. I’m under house arrest, I am now not allowed to go anywhere.

It will be a while before they open up the Mansion to outsiders.

I might be able to sneak Zinnia in there to say hello at mealtimes, I’m waiting for permission (I can’t go with her, but she’ll love anywhere there’s food and god knows they’ll sneak stuff to her, as they always do. And the aides know her, they just have to keep her away from the cat food.)

The residents are getting restless and anxious, the aides are tired and overwhelmed. How are we helping?

First off, I’ve found 150 masks and they are coming over the next two weeks. Maria made one for each aide. They are a hit. They are washing and re-washing the masks, many are coming apart. If any of you make masks, please send them to The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816..

We are starting up the Pen Pal program again. You can e-mail messages to [email protected] or mail cards and photos and letters to The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

The residents will respond if they can.

The residents who wish to participate are Ellen, Matt, Gerry, Sylvie, Joanne, Madeline, Brother Peter, Helen, Georgianna, Georgiann, Barbara, Alanna, Linda, Nancy, Annette, Peggie, Becky, Jean, Roberta (Bert), Tim, Ben, John, Claudia, Ruth.

Sue Silverstein and her art class are joining this program, e-mailing scores of messages to their new Pen Pals. These messages from the outside world are more important than ever.

I find it’s easy to improve the lives of the residents and aides with food.

Jean’s Place is bringing meals and desserts to the Mansion several times a week, the residents are loving this and looking forward to it. The cupcake and pie and cookie delivery on Friday was a huge sensation.

The folks at Jean’s welcome the work. I am excited to be bringing different elements of our work together.

Every evening, I order two medium pizza’s from Clark’s Pizzeria on Main Street in Cambridge, they are open for take-out. One is a Pepperoni Pizza, the other is a vegetable pizza. This breaks up the evening and spares them institutional food, which is healthy but not always exciting.

I’m proposing a special Pizza Lunch for the residents on Tuesday or Wednesday (it costs $250 for 43 people, residents, and aides)

The pizzas are delivered to the Mansion front door, I co-ordinate it with the aides so they know to watch out for the delivery van.

I hope to order pizzas every evening for the night crew, and sometimes for the aides at lunchtime.

We sold out a  Wish List last week sending art supplies and an Ipad to the Mansion for Julia, the Activities Director.

I’m trying to figure out how to get local newspapers brought there every day, I’m reluctant to commit to subscriptions, I’m not sure why.

I think that brings us up to date. Thanks for your support. If you wish to contribute, you can do so via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Thanks so much.

Julie Harlin, the Mansion Activities Director, told me today that one of the best things we could do for the Mansion residents during the coronavirus lockdown is to write letters and e-mails and send photos and cards.

She says she would love to see a Pen Pal club where blog readers could each “adopt” a resident and write them regularly. If you wish, you can write by e-mail: [email protected] will see that they get it.

Or by mail: The Mansion address is The Mansion, 22 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

Written letters are also welcome, as are photographs and animal pictures.

The residents will answer if and when they can.

The names of the residents who wish to participate are Ellen, Matt, Gerry, Sylvie, Joanne, Madeline, Brother Peter, Helen, Georgianna, Georgiann, Barbara, Alanna, Linda, Nancy, Annette, Peggie, Becky, Jean, Roberta (Bert), Tim, John,  Claudia, Ruth.

I’m going to start bringing some daily papers over every couple of days. Puzzles and books have been delivered.

The residents have been in lockdown for weeks and that will probably remain in effect for weeks to come. The aides say they are getting stir crazy, as are they.

The photo above is of Ellen, a resident, and Tia, a Mansion aide.

The Pen Pal idea is a good and timely one. In normal times, the residents feel forgotten. In these times, they are also lonely and anxious. Outside messages really help.

I was excited to learn that the students at Bishop Maginn are easy to join the Pen Pal club and are already sending messages to Julie for the residents. These are great kids. I love to see these two groups coming together in this way.

Thanks for your support of our Mansion work. If you can and wish to contribute, you can do so via Paypal, [email protected], or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O.Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

And thanks so much for clearing out the new Mansion Amazon Wish List so quickly.