Thanks for supporting the Bishop Maginn High School Gift Cards program, the families tell me they can’t imagine what they would have done or might do if the gift cards had not come just when they needed them to buy food and groceries.

This vulnerable group – refugee students and their families are out of money and out of food and are now out of work.

We are supporting a relatively small group – about 40-50 families in different states of need – critical, urgent and never heard from before.

As you know, I believe in keeping our work on a small scale and focused, we can’t afford to feed more people than that. But we are feeding them.

NOTE: If you purchase a gift card, please be sure to activate the card of Price Chopper asks you to (they might send an e-mail). Two or three of the families were unable to use their cards in the market because they were not activated. If necessary, you will receive an e-mail requesting the activation, everyone is not asked to do this. We don’t want you wasting your money. This has only happened with two cards. Some cards need activation, some don’t.  We think the donor forgot. Thanks.)

The gift cards can’t go directly to the school, because it is closed. And gift cards can’t be sent to post office boxes, so the cards need to be sent to me, and I will send them to school officials to distribute:

My home address is Jon Katz, 2502 State Route 22, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

We are making a profound difference to these kids and their families, most of their parents are now out of work from their mostly minimum wage jobs cleaning hotel rooms and office buildings.

I need to also make sure people appreciate the impact the 21 laptops we purchased have made to the Bishop Maginn students now at home without computers to participate in the school’s mobile classroom.

I’m sorry I can’t offer you photographs, but under the circumstances, I can’t go into their homes, for their sake and mine.

Now, every student who needs a computer has one, they can connect with their friends and teachers and resume learning. We have already arranged for free Internet access for several months, something brand new to some of these families. This is essential for the students.

It looks like the schools will remain closed at least up until May, and most likely until the late summer or September.  I hope to keep the gift card program going until then. People who have never asked for help are pleading for help buying food.

Sue Silverstein, the Bishop Maginn art and theology teacher, is organizing the gift card distribution. She knows the families and their needs well.

These are people who already lost everything they had at least once. The coronavirus crisis has dealt them an awful blow they will be trying to overcome for a long time.

Thanks so much. You can buy a gift card here in any amount. If you do, please make sure to activate it if asked (you may not be asked) and send the card to me Jon Katz, 2502 State Route 22, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

The above photograph shows the gift cards that I received here at the farm today. If you are uncomfortable purchasing the cards online, you can send a donation to me and I will take care of it. You can donate via Paypal, [email protected], or to my home address (above) or to my Post Office Box, Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

You can buy a gift card here.

You can donate to the refugee support fund at the same addresses. Thank you a million times. It feels good to do good.