BonaResponds Blog

BonaResponds Mantras/Guiding thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:40:00 +0000

An unopened fortune cookie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What guides your thinking? I got thinking this morning about that question upon seeing a fortune cookie picture on facebook. The fortune (which was posted by Make-a-Wish of Western New York) said:

"Look for someone's strength instead of weakness".

So, here is a list of items (call them mantras, sayings, thoughts, or views) that guide my thinking and planning for BonaResponds on an almost daily basis.

Everyone has something to offer.
It is better to go and not be needed than to not go and be needed.
Better not perfect.
The intended job is often the least important thing we do.
Walking in others' shoes not enough, we need to see things through their eyes.
People handle stress in various ways: some get busy, some get lost, and some overwhelmed.
Ignoring a problem is not always laziness, it can be a means of coping as well.
Even the best cars need help around some roadblocks. The same with people.
Bumpy patches of road can be followed by many miles of smooth sailing.
Prepare for the unexpected, but act before all is certain.
Bureaucracy kills (spirit and sometimes people).
We can't do everything, but we can do something.
There are always a million reasons not to help, help anyway.
A small job to society is often an enormous help to those helped.
Much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.
Many hands make light(er) work.
All voluntary activities must be "win-win".
What type of group would we be if we only helped when it was convenient?
At the end of the day, it is all economics. But the measuring stick is not merely dollars and cents, but utility and well being.
Make a positive difference
Some people are especially tough to please. There is probably a reason.
Showing up is not enough, but it beats the alternative.
Have a positive value added (EVA in finance, WAR in baseball, plus in hockey).
Don't forget opportunity costs. The cost of one job, is another.
Life is filled with randomness. Your position at the top or at the bottom is in part random.
Little things matter. Ripples (both positive and negative) can start with a little splash.
People are good. Conditions and circumstances can hide this but the truth eventually shines through.
Take care of the big things and the small things will take care of themselves. Money is a small thing.
Helping some, is better than helping none.
We are all neighbors in universe space.
Sometimes all it takes is a smile and a kind word.
Everyone is a role model.
No one is perfect.

BonaResponds' moment (3 min audio interview) on WGWE

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:47:00 +0000

The audio of this week's BonaResponds' Moment on WGWE! This week Greg, Ashish, and Nick speak with Jesse

BR News of the week--Finals week!

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:16:00 +0000

BR News of the week--short one this week with finals (I used to like finals much better as a student than I do now as a professor!)

Wow that week went fast!

Quick recap:

1. We are working this Sunday. Come out and help. Since only one day (not Saturday as well) we will leave at 10:30 on Sunday from Murphy. Also look for BR work days during Senior week. Several graduating students have asked for a final work day before they go.

Also Next weekend is Graduation. We will work a bit after graduation on Sunday and probably a short day on Saturday as well.

2. Margaret Mahar Service Scholarship

Congratulations to Greg on winning the first ever Margaret Mahar Service Scholarship. (he also won this week's feats of Strength for which he is pictured here)

Greg has been our most active volunteer this year, is a great leader, and truly “gets it”. Helping others is not about signing some form for a class or other requirement, it is helping because you can. Because it is the right thing to do. Here is an excerpt from the blog article on his award:

“I received so much from the time I have spent volunteering BonaResponds. It has taught me that I do have the ability to change the world...one ramp at a time or one hurricane help day at a time.

It has been so rewarding to see the gratitude on the Sandy victims faces when we take a little time to help clean our after the storm or help them to start to rebuild. I have spent time almost every weekend this school year volunteering with BonaResponds”

the entire article is here:

http://bonaresponds.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-margaret-mahar-scholarship-winner-is.html

3. The New Trailer/Truck body is here! All the volunteers who have seen it (true a limited sample) are thrilled and are convinced it will make our work much easier/better organized.

The next steps include painting it (brown), building a ramp and steps to allow us to get into it, and building shelves inside. Also moving the larger tools (lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc) and supplies from our existing storage.

Thanks to Ed for the generous donation!!

4. Several WarmSnugglyBlankets have gone out this week. That is both sad and joyous. I wish there were no need for blankets as cancer had been eliminated.

Please keep ten year old Bella in your prayers. She has had a rough week. (PrayforBella.com)

5. GREAT news from Wesley in Haiti! HaitiScholarships winners in Leogane Haiti and others at the CJM school planted hundreds of trees to combat the deforestation that is common in Haiti. Here is an album of pictures of the event. (Don't forget to "Like" HaitiScholarships!)

6. Collections were slow this week :( I will attribute it to final projects etc. I hope it picks up! Shoes, school supplies, winter coats, and books.

7. Random stuff:

* Thank you to the anonymous donation of material for WarmSnugglyBlanket!

* New deck screws finally arrived! 10 boxes. Very exciting news!

* Some of our larger donors will have their names on the walls of the new building. If you want to have your name on it, let me know ASAP. I think the pledge has to be in before June 1.

* Anyone want to be in charge of mailing out blankets this summer? We will pay postage!

8. We will be doing things all summer. REALLY REALLY REALLY will need volunteers. Students are gone, most faculty members are not involved, so we are counting on you! Yes you! :) come out and help change the world! Whoever you are, you can help! I PROMISE!

THANKS EVERYONE!!!

The Margaret Mahar Scholarship Winner is:

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:17:00 +0000

We want to congratulate Greg Faughnan on being the 2013-2014 Margaret Mahar Scholarship winner. Greg's work this past year has been outstanding. From the first trip to Arcade to work on a horse farm to the many trips to the NYC area after Sandy, to his work on countless wheelchair ramps and street cleanups, Greg has personified what it means to be a BonaResponds leader. Greg, lead on! and Congratulations! :)

Here is a part of his winning essay:

"It is difficult for me to say that I deserve the Margaret Mahar Service Scholarship because I received so much from the time I have spent volunteering BonaResponds. It has taught me that I do have the ability to change the world...one ramp at a time or one hurricane help day at a time.

It has been so rewarding to see the gratitude on the Sandy victims faces when we take a little time to help clean our after the storm or help them to start to rebuild. I have spent time almost every weekend this school year volunteering with BonaResponds when I wasn't doing my MERT chief duties or volunteering as an EMT with Allegany.

I have gained so much from my time with BonaResponds. Of course I have become more proficient in techniques necessary for the wide variety of jobs we do including decking, gutting houses, and using a circular saw (I had never touched a chain saw before BonaResponds and now I feel pretty confident with one).

[BonaResponds] has been so inspirational to me, teaching me how to lead and I can effectively lead a group of volunteers through a job site that may be unsafe and establish clear goals for the team.

Most importantly I have learned what I do matters and that I do have the ability to change the world. Some times it is the little things in life that we take the time to do that are the most important. I hope you will consider me for this scholarship as I intend to continue my work with BonaResponds and hopefully continue to grow, leading other students, alumni and professors to spend some of their precious time to help others and have a positive impact in our community and our world."

BR News of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:35:00 +0000

News

* Last weekend we had a good weekend of work at the SPCA and starting a new ramp near Allegany. Both jobs were really needed!

* The SPCA work this past weekend went well. Major improvement. The back area where the fences had been destroyed by pigs is notw fixed so for the first time in years dogs can use the area for a play area. The SPCA still needs help. If you can stop and volunteer, it would be great! Take a dog for a walk, play with the cats, or help clean the facilities! Can’t do that? How about buying some items from their Amazon Wish List: http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3LCM1LCPAA5VV/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_ws_0FEDrb064C1TX

* Katherine has not been able to be outside since autumn because she could not get back up the stairs to her house. We will be building a ramp for her this weekend. We'd love your help! The ramp will be pretty straight forward: straight shot for the ramp and then installation of new steps on the rear of the house for an emergency exit (Katherine can not go up stairs, but says she is able to get down them in an emergency.) (work will be at 10:30 on Saturday and 11:00 on Sunday from the rear of Murphy on the west side of campus)

* It is with great sadness I report that Michelle passed away this week. She was a Warm SnugglyBlanket recipient and is the mother of Brittany (an MBA student at SBU). Our thoughts and prayers are with Brittany and the whole family.

* Speaking of WarmSnugglyBlankets, we now has a full time “presence” in Harlingen Texas! Jim and Wende are helping to distribute blankets to those with cancer. This week Gail got one. What a trooper! She is undergoing chemo for brain cancer and this week not only was a lector at Church services, she also is planning on doing a walk to raise money to find a cure for cancers in La Feria Texas. Gail, way to go! Pray, Fight, WIN

* To introduce some of our newer followers to BonaResponds so we began a new vlog on Youtube. Here is one episode. When there enjoy some of the other BR videos as well!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSgd2V4liy8

* We also are doing blog articles for those of you who prefer to read:

http://BonaResponds.blogspot.com

* The trailer (truck body) has yet to arrive, so the ramp and landing on that is on hold until we get it. Hopefully very soon.

* Want to make a fast difference in someone’s life? Send a get well card to :

Kori Quinn, 111 Highland Park Ave, Excelsior Springs Missouri 64024 We sent her a blanket this week. She is a high school student who is fighting cancer. We have been in touch with a friend of hers who is organizing a card drive. So send a card. It will be appreciated!

* New Job requests this week from Olean (painting), Allegany-clean up, and Delevan (ramp). Come get involved! Sat 10:30, Sunday 11:00.

* COLLECTIONS: (read more about our collections here: http://bonaresponds.blogspot.com/2013/04/collect-collect-collect-how-collections.html)

SHOES! -- Our collection of shoes for Soles4Souls is winding down. So when you whether you are doing spring cleaning or moving home for the summer, drop off your lightly worn used shoes in the collection boxes upstairs in Murphy.

School Supplies-- With the school year winding down and people will soon be cleaning out their lockers and offices, we’d love to ship your slightly used notebooks, pens, pencils, calculators, crayons, etc to students in Haiti and the US. Why do they need them? Here watch this video Jim made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGiueA4qG9E

Winter Coats: these will be largely going to Little Portions (a homeless shelter in Buffalo).

Books!-- We are collecting books for a friend in NYC. Here is how she described her program:

“I tutor math at a middle school on Saturdays with the organization Top Honors, Inc.. While they focus on math, a fellow tutor and I are building a complementary reading program. Our Fall 2013 pilot will provide a healthy breakfast of fruit and toast to these students while a tutor reads to them. When the student finishes eating, the roles swap and he/she reads to the tutor. Then the students are ready for their math lessons!

We started this project because we notice that some of the 'math problems' our students face actually fall into one or both of these buckets:

a - Kids come in without breakfast, so their sugar levels are out of whack. OR, they eat super-processed foods in the morning and range from hyperactive to sleepy during tutoring.

b - Every time I work on word problems with a student, he/she stumbles on the vocabulary in the sentence or I notice a ton of spelling errors.

So we want to tackle this problem from all sides. Based on the pilot outcomes, we'll scale to a full curriculum. But the focus is on starting small and iterating from there (for any fellow tech fans who believe in Agile!). If you have any old books in the 5th to 8th grade reading range”
Here is a list of books they are particularly looking for: http://www.nationalbook.org/bookup_books.html#.UXrDd4JAse5

* THANK You to Allie for writing thank yous to our wonderful donors! It was a great help and something I should have been doing right along--just not enough time in the day.

* Thank you to Olean First Baptist Church for a donation of over a thousand dollars to help with Sandy recovery efforts as well as the First Congregational Church in Wellsville for a $1000 to help cover the cost of the ramp in Cuba.

* Thank you to Rick and Allie for attending the scholarship luncheon and representing BR so well!

* Look for a job soon in Buffalo.

* Tentative dates for the NYC trip are May 17-25th. Plan on helping those affected by Sandy recover!

Thanks everyone! Have a great week. Hope you can come out and volunteer with us!

jim

Notice board announcement

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:38:00 +0000

"This weekend, BonaResponds will be working both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we will be building a ramp in the Allegany area and Sunday we will be helping an elderly gentleman by cleaning and moving a ramp.

Also, as you are cleaning out your dorms and apartments, keep in mind that BonaResponds is still collecting shoes for Soles4Souls as well as partially used notebooks, calculators, pens, crayons, etc. for schools in Haiti. They can be dropped off at 231 Murphy or with Jennifer Spencer, who is located in the School of Business, second floor of the Murphy Building.

Finally, BonaResponds will be going back to Breezy Point, N.Y., to help Sandy recovery efforts the third week of May. The exact dates are still being worked out, but will occur sometime between May 17 through May 26. Plan on coming with us! "

Collect, Collect, Collect. How collections can help.

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:59:00 +0000

This is the third in of our series on “What BonaResponds does”. It is intended to (re)acquaint our followers and others about how much BonaResponds does and to get more people involved. Lack of volunteers is always the #1 thing holding us back, ALWAYS. So come help.

BonaResponds got into the “collection” business early on. Before the “big trip” in March 2006, a few students asked if they could help collect items for a softball team in Kiln Mississippi. Within weeks what had started out as an idea to help a single softball team had, thanks to Carrie and Josh, grown to fill a large truck and outfit teams from several baseball and softball leagues.

While we had success in collecting items, there has to be a specific need and target for our collections. For instance, we will not collect clothes after disasters as time and again we have seen these wasted and worse as they use valuable volunteer time.

That said, there are many needs that we can help. The list of collections that we have done include:

Softball baseball equipment for Mississippi
Books for Biloxi/Gulfport Mississippi
Crutches, walkers, Wheelchairs for Haiti--(Portlight gets major kudos on shipping)
Medical supplies for Haiti--mainly went to Port-au-Prince
Hygiene items for Haiti--sites primarily around Leaogane
Soccer balls for Haiti--Worked with Harvard on Shipping)
Coats for Buffalo Homeless Shelter (Little Portions)
Computers--have gone to Erie PA, Margaretville NY, Olean NY, and over 40 to Buffalo.
Notebooks and Paper for Camden NJ-St Anthony’s
Shoes for Soles4Souls to be distributed in Haiti primarily
School Supplies for Schools in Haiti

These items can make a big difference. How big? Check out this video on our collections for Haiti. So far over 70 pallets of supplies have been shipped to Haiti. While it is costly (each barrel costs about $150 to ship ($110 from Brooklyn to Haiti, $40 from Olean to Brooklyn), each barrel has about $600-$800 of supplies that will be used in Haiti.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGiueA4qG9E

Things we are currently collecting:

1. School Supplies for Haiti

2. Shoes for Haiti

3. Winter coats for Western New York (will be given part to Little Portions in Buffalo and partly in Olean via New Directions.)

4. Laptop computers

5. Flat panel monitors for computers (thanks to Cutco we are OK for the time being on computers)

6. Books for 5-8th graders in NYC and elsewhere.

7. Small toys and balls (soccer and basketball) for Haiti schools.

Get involved, you will be glad you did!

Who and What is HaitiScholarships?

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:15:00 +0000

This is the second of our series on “What BonaResponds does”. It is intended to (re)acquaint our followers and others about how much BonaResponds does and to get more people involved. Lack of volunteers is always the #1 thing holding us back, ALWAYS. So come help.

HaitiScholarships

HaitiScholarships.org is a spin-off of BonaResponds. It is its own 501c3 that helps to pay for students schooling in Haiti.

Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries and also only about 700 miles from the US. There are a million reasons for the poverty. From corruption, to lack of education, and of course natural disasters the nation has had a very tough time over the past century. This problem was greatly exasperated when Haiti was devastated by a 7.0 earthquake that killed over 200,000 people, leveled hundreds of thousands of buildings (estimated at 280,000), and left nearly a million people homeless. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake)

BonaResponds was active almost immediately sending medical supplies, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs to groups on the ground in Haiti. Many of our leaders went to Haiti on non-BR trips (BonaResponds itself was not allowed to go as it was deemed too dangerous).

It was on these trips that we came to realize that the need for help in Haiti was much much greater than merely hauling rubble and rebuilding buildings. Many of those we helped had little formal education and could not afford to either go themselves to school or to have family members go.

We decided to help fund some Haitians going to school in Haiti. Quite quickly it was decided that we’d expand and spin-off the newly started HaitiScholarships so that we could include more people and do fundraising that was separate from St. Bonaventure and BonaResponds. (you can only ask the same people so many times). Also this allows us to disburse checks easier, collect money online, and shiled the university from any tax implications since our mission (educating Haitians) is different from that so SBU and could be a problem for the IRS.
In 2011 we made a new charity and filed for our own 501-c3 status which was approved in 2012--therefore all donations are tax deductible! (Thanks to Alex for this!)

Our board is made up of people from around the country and while Jim is still officially the president, he will be the first to admit that Alexandra Armstrong is the real driving force behind HaitiScholarships.

Currently we have 43 scholarship winners from elementary school to college in Leogane and Port-au-Prince. We'd love to get the number to 50 students and be able to follow them as they progress though their education and into jobs.

Biggest challenges?

* verifying school costs (typically about $250 a year for elementary school, $350 for High School, and $500-$700 for college and vocational schools) and assuring that the proper student is credited at the school level--anyone on the ground in Haiti want to help??
* getting scholarship winners to give monthly status updates on how classes are going
* fund raising--Haiti is far removed from the news and raising money is a challenge.

Next step:

We hope to start a penpal program whereby students can write back and forth with volunteers in the US. (This would be a GREAT class project if you are a teacher!)

Want to help?

We are always looking for donors, people to organize fund raisers, and people to help spread the word on Haitischolarships. Just email HaitiScholarships@gmail.com and be ready to get to work!

Additionally, HaitiScholarships and BonaResponds work hand in hand on collections of school supplies that BonaResponds ships to Haiti. These collections have changed from medical supplies to food and now they are shipping gently used notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, and even laptop computers. To date over 70 pallets have been shipped. We’d love your help in raising that number and being able to help more in Haiti.

WarmSnugglyBlanket

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:40:00 +0000

This week there will be a series of short articles to (re)aquaint you with some of the various and diverse jobs BonaResponds does. WAMTR--We are more than ramps! :) Starting off the series will be WarmSnugglyBlanket

WarmSnugglyBlanket

WarmSnugglyBlanket is a part of BonaResponds that focuses on helping people with cancer. More specifically it makes and distributes blankets to those fighting cancer.

WarmSnugglyBlanket was started last year after Marge Mahar (Jim’s mom) died after a battle with cancer. (technically she had an allergic reaction to the chemo, but the cancer was bad enough!).

During her short struggle she regularly said that when she was better she was going to head up a new part of BonaResponds that would help those with cancer. She was not sure what she was going to do, but one thing that sje suggested was letter writing and talking with people to let them know they are not alone in their battle.

As the news of her cancer spread (Facebook and a wide range of friends and family will do that), she began getting cards, flowers, songs, books, and prayers from around the world. After one very calm night, she told the family that she had been praying for all of the people that were praying for her and it “felt like a warm snuggly blanket that was protecting her and keeping her warm and safe."

After Marge's death, a family friend and Villa Maria College Volunteer leader Kim Kotz took this idea and had a team of BonaResponds and Vila volunteers make blankets for people with cancer at the Kevin Guest House near Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. And with that an idea was born.

Over the summer we had several people donate blankets and then in September 2012 we held our first large blanket making day where over 300 blankets were made.

These blankets go to anyone with cancer. We have distributed them locally, in Buffalo, in Rochester, in Harlingen Texas, as well as in the NYC area after Sandy. We also mail them to people when we hear of their journey with cancer.

We’d love help on this personally very important project. How can you help?

How much do the blankets mean? More than we know. Take this from a thank you we recently received:

"Stu received the BEAUTIFUL BLANKET TODAY. IT IS FILLED WITH SO MUCH LOVE THAT STU CRIED WHEN HE SAW IT AND PUT IT ON HIMSELF. ON BEHALF OF STU, JIM AND I, PLEASE ACCEPT GOD'S BLESSINGS, AND THANKS FOR THE GIFT OF LOVE YOU SENT HIM, WITH OUR "MARGE" AS THE AUTHOR OF THE PROJECT: R.I.P. MARGE.
LOVE YOU ALL, AND THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS TOO.. LOVE, STU AND DEE."

Need more "proof"? I have personally delivered many of these blankets and have seen grown men who I had never imagined even wanting a blanket begin to cry, hug me, and thank me for the blanket. I have also seen blankets at wakes and have been told many times thank you months after we gave the blanket. Why? It is not the blanket. The blanket symbolizes and reminds the person that people care, that cancer has not cut them off from their family and friends, and that (s)he is not outcasts forgotten by society because of the cursed disease.

I don't know if there is anything more important that we do.

How can you help?

1. Come make blankets with us when we have a large blanket making day.

2. Make blankets on your own.

3. Donate money to help defray shipping charges.

4. If you know of someone with cancer let us know. Even better, agree to deliver a blanket to the person (we will give you the blankets!)

5. Spread the word.

6. Like us on Facebook!

More info? See http://www.warmsnugglyblanket.org/

BonaResponds Story Time: A Vlog

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:59:00 +0000

A few stories of how BonaResponds was shaped on our first trips:

News of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:43:00 +0000

BR News of the week

* This weekend local work Sat and Sun (ramp, fence, indoor painting, and more) Sat at 10:30, Sun 11:00.

* Congratulations to Greg on winning the SBU Joesph Doino Service award. Very well deserved. Greg is out with us every weekend and has done a great job leading by example.

* On Monday we are getting the long awaited semi-truck "body" that will be used as storage facility and can be used to prebuild ramp sections when the weather is very bad. In the coming weeks we will paint it, build a deck and ramp to push large items in and out, and shelves inside. This will be a huge benefit! Thank you Ed for the donation and to SBU (Phil and Rob) for letting us have it on campus.

* Thank you to Ellen and Joyce for arranging WarmSnugglyBlankets to be given out at the SouthernTier Cancer Center in Olean.

* Plan on going with BonaResponds the third week of May to the NYC/NJ area. We are also monitoring a possible trip to the Midwest (Chicago area) and potentially a trip back to Texas (West and Harlingen).

* BR will have a grad position for 1.5 hours class credit in the fall AND an office in the new School of Business building. If you will be a grad student for the 2013-2014 school year and are interested please contact Jim ASAP. Thank you Todd Palmer for giving us this grad position--it is much appreciated.

* Our shoe collection as well as collections of books and school supplies got a little momentum this week. Remember donations can be dropped off on the second floor of Murphy or at the Allegany Park and Shop.

* The SPCA is always in need of volunteers. Dog walking, cleaning, painting stalls, and other jobs are what are usually done.

* Last week we picked up about 30 contractor sized bags of garbage to kick off Earth Week. If you didn't get to come out with us and want to help, University Ministries will be having a clean up day on campus at 3pm on Monday. Lend a hand.

* Rich and Greg will be leading a small group in Long Beach this weekend on Sandy recovery efforts. If you would like to help them, let us know ASAP.

* Remember this weekend there is much local work! and we are open to everyone!

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Jim

Anouncing the Margaret Mahar Service Scholarship

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:35:00 +0000

When my mom died of cancer last year we pledged to not let her "ripples" end. It is why we started WarmSnugglyBlanket and why we are now happy to announce the first Marge Mahar Service Scholarship at St. Bonaventure University. It is targeted for people who are active leaders in BonaResponds.

here is the online form:
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International Service Week starts NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:03:00 +0000

BonaResponds is expanding their International Service Day to an International Service Week and is asking for people to get involved.

“It is really that simple. Do a good deed to help others and then share what you did with us online” said JIm Mahar the leader of BonaResponds. “Your actions will help others, but even more than that, the sharing will inspire others to do good too. Too often we just see the bad in the world. This is designed to let others know that the good outweighs the bad. That people are really good.”

BonaReponds was founded in the weeks after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since then the group has grown to help people in 16 states after disasters as well as having local work days every weekend to help paint, clean up, build wheelchair ramps, or whatever is needed. The group is part of St. Bonaventure University but is open to all who want to help.

“We get all kinds of volunteers. We get retired people, high school and religious ed class, even some sports teams have worked with us. Everyone can make a difference” said Greg Faughten a Jr preMed major at SBU.

“Our mission statement says it all: we want to help. It can be big or small. Locally or in far away states after disasters” according to Nate O’Lay a frequent volunteer who has been to several states after tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes.

Mahar added “All of our projects are open to all. We love to work with others and have new volunteers. And everyone can do something. International Service Week is a great way to get involved.”

For more information and to sign up, see BonaResponds.org.

From the BonaResponds.org website:

1. To help those who need the help. And we all are in need of help in some way. As Sesh (an amazing man who has devoted his life to helping others) says: “love all, serve all.”

2. To show that "people are people" where ever they are and not some group of radicals deserving of hate and criticism that is all too often shown in the media.

3. To show that problems are not insurmountable. Together we can solve them. Alone they are too big for any of us.

4. That there are many many people wanting to do good and help others but that too often their actions are unknown and we each feel like we our own efforts are meaningless (hence the importance of sharing the good deeds after the work is done and not just doing them).

5. To remind everyone that we all have some skills that can be used to help others.

6. To have fun.

It can be big or small. Some of my favorite jobs in the past have been a couple cleaning up the road by their house, another couple baking a birthday cake for a lonely man in a nursing home, to a former student taking her neighbor shopping.

It is not too late to help those ravaged by Sandy

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:20:00 +0000

It is not too late to come help the NY-NJ area recover from Hurricane Sandy!

We will be helping in Breezy Point NY this Sunday and Monday. Then in Tom’s River and Lavellette NJ Tues-Wed-Thursday, and back to Breezy Point Friday-Sunday. We will leave Sunday afternoon to return back home.

We’d love to have you come out (especially mid week and later as we are losing several of our volunteers after Tuesday).

Our plan is to leave SBU at 5pm on Saturday (after Hilbert classes). We will leave from the area across from maintenance. We will return Late on the following Sunday.

Much work remains. We will be working on Drywalling and more with Habitat in Breezy and installing ramps, cleaning out crawlspaces etc in Lavellette with Portlight Strategies.

Please sign up (and tell when you are going to be there) at BonaResponds.org.

Hurricane Sandy, In Rockaway, part 2... | Peeling Back The Onion

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:03:00 +0000

Hurricane Sandy, In Rockaway, part 2... | Peeling Back The Onion:

A great look at how BonaResponds helps! From Matteo:

James (who we helped that first week) is speaking here:

“When I would go to sleep at night, when images of all these people who were there to help, to help out of the goodness in their hearts, when these people would come to mind, I would see them all...with wings, they all had wings, they all had this white light glowing around them...now I know that might sound crazy but its true, from the Sikhs, to BonaResponds, to Jim Mahar, to my neighbors, to my wife, they all had wings, it was like Angels were all around me” a tranquil smile began to take form on his face, he started to rock in his chair and that tear melted back into the eyes I peered into, “like my guardian angels...”

Winter Break Trip

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 22:53:00 +0000

BonaResponds is making their next trip to the NYC area and we’d love you to come help! We will be working in the area from December 28th to at least January 8th. Plan on coming for a day, a week, or the whole time! We’d love to have you work with us!

We will primarily be working out of Breezy Point NY where we have been working for the past month. The work is changing and now we will no longer just be gutting houses but also helping in the recovery process. This means we will be putting in floors, drywall, and helping those with disabilities by building wheelchair ramps.

We will be working on some jobs that have been submitted to us by SBU alumni and others in the area that we have helped in the past as well as with Portlight Strategies who will be helping to fund projects for those with disabilities.

How can you help?

1. Volunteer. We need volunteers! Our biggest need. Sign up here: You can come and stay for as long as you want (provided you abide by rules :) ) for $20. That covers food too!

2. Do you have a truck and live in the NYC area? We will need some way to transport lumber etc. A pickup truck (with you driving) will save us much time! (we can pay gas if that is the reason you don’t want to drive.)

3. We still need a place to stay. So if you know of anywhere (a church, a gym, a heated tent, a school, etc) with a kitchen and shower/bathroom, please let us know. Our plan is to work in Breezy Point and Rockaway for the first part of our trip and then move to New Jersey and do the same thing again. We will be sleeping in sleeping bags on cots most likely, but we do need a place to set up camp. :)

4. We need volunteers! (yeah I know it is #1 too, but we really need volunteers, so come help! :) )

More details will be forthcoming as the date gets closer, but plan on being there to help!

Need some motivation to get signed up for our trip?

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:50:00 +0000

Here you go:

BonaResponds WInter Break Trip

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Big weekend for BonaResponds!

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:19:00 +0000

It is a big weekend for BonaResponds with events Both Saturday and Sunday locally and in Breezy Point (NYC).

Locally work will include ramp building and finishing fencing at the SPCA that will allow up to 8 dogs to be outside at once (up from current 3). Additionally we will be building a ramp for an elderly woman who is no longer able to get out of her house without much assistance. The ramp will be framed and hopefully completed this weekend. We will leave from Murphy at 11:00 each day. Additionally, we'd really love to take supplies today (Friday) so if anyone has a pickup truck and can be free from 2:30-3:30, please let Jim know (jimmahar @ yahoo.com).

Also happening in NYC on both Saturday and Sunday, a BonaResponds group (made up mainly of SBU alumni and friends) will be gutting homes in Breezy Point NY. (The FDNY has agreed to transport us from Manhattan to Breezy Point for free!) If you or others you know are interested, please email Rich Miller (Richardmiller1 @ gmail.com) for ride availability and location. Or if you prefer, you can meet the group at the Gut and Pump HQ tents by the baseball fields near 208th street in Breezy Point.

Letter to volunteers

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:22:00 +0000

Hi,

Thank you for volunteering! Your volunteering will make a difference. I promise you that you will make someone significantly better off. So to start thank you.

First the basics:
The majority of us will be working in NY but Some of you will be working in NJ. If you have not heard from us, we will assume you are working with us in NY, but if you have a specific reason to work in NJ, please let us know. We do not have much room there, but can make most things work. :)

For those of you going to New Jersey (smaller group) you will be working in Middletown. Frankie Matusek will be your contact. His email is: MatuszFP10@bonaventure.edu There are no vans from campus going to NJ. You are responsible for getting there on your own. Work will be out of St. Mary's Church on 19 Cherry Tree Farm Road, Middletown, NJ

Thursday : Vans for NY will be leaving SBU as close to 5:30pm as possible (I have to work at the Park and Shop until 5, so it may be closer to 6).

We will be staying on 141st st in Rockaway. (the exact address will be emailed later as i want to be 100% sure). (We will be arriving there about 1-2AM on Friday morning.) The site has multiple showers and is scheduled to have hot water and heat by the time we arrive! This was a big find as many larger (yet still fiscally responsible) organizations are not hosting volunteers as they have been unable to find a site to stay. We were very luck to find this and have to offer a big thanks to all who helped (Especially Billy and Kelsey).

Friday through Sunday we will be working in the area. Exact work sites are still being determined. We will start at 9 AM. On Friday meet at the corner of Newport and 121st street to get started. Although it is improving, cell coverage was very poor in the area, so do not plan on being able to get in touch via email.

Work will be in Rockaway, Breezy Point, and Long Beach. The work is changing very fast (which is why I did not send this email until after the weekend so as to have more up to date job lists). This is great news as it means more homes are getting cleared out! :)

We will return late Sunday.

We have slightly over 30 people officially signed up. However, via text, phone, and in person, quite a few others have said they are going as well. I expect the number to grow as we approach the actual work.

What to bring:

My list:

What to bring:

A good attitude--most important! We want to help.
Work clothes (jeans, long sleeve tee, short sleeve tee, sweatshirt, workboots (ideally steel toed).
Gloves-- (we will provide non leather ones)
Sun glasses/safety goggles (we have some)
Sleeping bag (pillow if you want one--yoga block works great and is smaller)
Flashlight
cell phone charger
warm clothes to sleep in
towel
toiletries etc (contacts, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc)
granola bars etc. We will provide meals but we will be staying in an area with no stores open, so plan accordingly.
Gym bags etc work much better than suit cases to get items in the van.

Please be sure to fill out this form (we will have copies with us as well):
            BonaResponds Volunteer Waiver Form


BonaResponds - Driver Form--MUST BE SUBMITTED BY Monday at 2PM.
            BonaResponds - Driver Form

If you know of others who wish to volunteer, please let them know--ESP if they do not need rides!

Other “things”
1. It will be fun, relax
2. PLEASE follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook--these are updated several times a day. I simply do not have time to reply to all emails. Sorry.
3. We may be able to arrange a ride for some of you from Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse. PLEASE LET US KNOW ASAP.
4. I am very encouraged at how fast the work is going! The job list I saw earlier in teh week is almost entirely done in the Rockaway area. Hence we may be moving up and down the coast some (Long Beach, Breezy Point, etc).
5. The New Jersey site is not designed to be large. It is in part a scouting trip to see if we will be needed there over Christmas break.
6. We anticipate being able to find work for many more people than have signed up, so if you are from NYC area, please spread the word to your friends.
7. Be flexible. I know I have said it, but it is the most important thing I can tell you. The jobs will change with no notice. Sometimes we will go to a job and find that we can not do it. Or that it was done. Be FLEXIBLE. :)

Post Thanksgiving work day in NYC area

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Want to help? Here is how:

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a video (not by us) of Rockaway

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:41:00 +0000

The show (and work) must go on!

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:56:00 +0000

The show must go on! Yes there is much work to continue to go on in the NYC area (look for an announcement later today on that), but remember before Sandy hit we had a full job list both near and far, so as they say, the Show (and Work) must go on!

We will tackle some of those local jobs this Sunday. The main job will be to install fencing to increase the number of dogs outside at the SPCA Enchanted Mountain Adoption center from 3 to 9. This has been started (posts have been installed for the next three "dog runs" and plans for the remainder are in place.

(prior to Sandy here is what we wrote this about it:

"BonaResponds aims always to make lasting impacts. That is why it is always encouraging to go by a ramp that we built being used, or hearing from a family that was able to move back into their house as a result of our actions. This weekend we started another of these far reaching jobs with the creation new dog play areas/runs at the SPCA (Enchanted Mountain Adoption Center) just North of Olean. When we are done, five more dogs will be able to be outside at any given time. To someone who has not been there, it may be small, but seriously this is huge: every day, when we are out doing other things, many more dogs will be able to get out of their small kennels and be outside. Yes it is a costly project (when this portion is complete it will have cost BonaResponds between $1000-$1500), but I have a tough time thinking of a more lasting job. (if you want to help support this by volunteering and/or donating, we'd LOVE the help!!)"

Additionally we have multiple wheelchair ramp job requests locally. So while we are not quite ready to tackle them yet (want the SPCA finished), we will take advantage of the good weather forecast and at least frame some ramp sections made that we can move later to where we will be building the ramps.

We are also still collecting school supplies for the Spring semester in Haiti (we shipped 19 barrels and two pallets for the fall semester) and need some volunteers to:

Ship out shoes to Soles4Souls. We have hundred collected (most during the WarmSnugglyBlanket day on September 29th) but they have yet to be shipped.
Deliver the food donations to the local food pantry.
If anyone is going to Rockaway from Olean area this week, we would like a small shipment of tools and some signage/forms to go to the "tool library" at Mike's on 121st.
Deliver and mail out WarmSnugglyBlankets.
Once the above are done, clean and organize our storage room.
Chain saw training: there are a few trees on the East Side of campus that have fallen down and need to be cut up. This is a great chance to get trained so that when disaster does strike you will be able to help with tree removal.

Meet outside of Murphy at 11:00 on Sunday. (ok, maybe 11:02 as Jim is probably going to be late). We will post a sign up form soon.

Update: signup form:

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Cool video (not ours) of the area we were, and will be, working in.

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:28:00 +0000

Update on Post Sandy Trip

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:14:00 +0000

Whew, what a day! wow...where to begin.

Keep it short and to the point:

After much searching, we have change plans. We will all be going to Queens and Rockaway. I could bore you with all the factors that went in to the decision, but the short version is that due to the enormity of the disaster and the fact that some areas are just not safe to go into yet the leaders we feel it is best that we are all together.
We had an overwhelming response to the call for volunnteers So much so that there is a waiting list and there will be more trips in the coming months. (indeed, it is quite possible that we make this our spring break trip as well.) The final list will be made tomorrow (we are waiting to see on an extra van availability, but it looks like 40 volunteers will be going.
We are staying on a gym floor at Cathedral Prep Seminary High School in Queens. The address is 56-25 92nd Street Elmhurst NY 11373. We will be arriving there about 1:30 AM on Friday. Most of the work will be in Rockaway for this trip.
This is a serious trip. We will be going into active disaster zones. All volunteers have to act accordingly. We cannot be a burden on our hosts or in the areas where we will be working. Our goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible. This means carrying in food, water, and supplies to the greatest degree possible. As a result, this is not going to be fancy. Breakfasts will likely be cereal, lunch and maybe dinner will probably be sandwiches. If you can bring snack foods (granola bars etc) I think you will be glad you did. (of course this may change but better prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around!)
We have been in contact with various people on the ground (including Ryan a SBU senior who lost his house in Rockaway) and there is a wide array of work ahead of us: gutting, clean up, and tree cutting. This makes planning and travel more difficult as we will have to take a large number of tools (pumps, saws, gutting equipment, and even generators and power strips).
Departures: Approx 7pm on Thursday and 4:30 PM on Friday. Travel together whenever possible. It is not a race. We get there and back safely is the most important thing.
Travel in and around NYC is always bad and made worse by the lack of subways, trains, many roads, and even traffic lights. So, to the degree possible, we are not going to travel main routes at peak times. Also the area is reporting gas shortages. So we will fill-up over 100 miles out of NYC. This SHOULD give us enough gas to get in and out of the disaster region without using their very limited supply.
There is a mandatory meeting at 6 PM on Thursday for all who are going. It will be quite short. It will be in Murphy (I hope). By then everyone should have paid and signed the form (yes even if you did it before, do it again!) No exceptions.
When working we must all wear BonaResponds shirts (free to all who pay the $20 to go for gas etc) Or sweatshirts (they cost $30). They will be a good means of instant recognition and since there are not yet badges for volunteers (that may change by Saturday), the BonaResponds shirt will serve as a means of letting police and others know we are helping.
Dress for dirty conditions and dress for the cold. Flood cleanup is wet. Plan accordingly.
You must wear boots. This is for your own safety. Given many of you have not been wearing boots, past experience suggests wearing two pairs of socks for the first few days really cuts down on blisters.
We will be sleeping on a gym floor in sleeping bags. If you do not have access to a sleeping bag, there are a very few available on campus. In fact, we may not even have room to take any, so plan on sleeping on the floor or bring a small pad. Space will be at a premium.All of the above may be wrong. Really. In disasters things change very quickly and that makes planning both necessary and impossible. So plan on plans changing. Be flexible, patient, and remember we are going to help.
A big thank you to all of you who helped today. There were a few times I was about to go crazy, so thank you all, but especially: Ryan, Tim, Tony, Ray, Frankie, Greg, Brenden, Jen M., Nate, Jen S., Shane, Allie P., and Rob.

If you would like to help but can't go, each trip will cost us about $500 in gas, over $200 in breathing masks, $100 for gloves, $500 in food, and $300 in equipment (yes we have much but it does break with heavy usage). So we are talking over $1600 for each trip (more for longer ones). Thus any monetary donation would be a great help! You can donate by specifying that you select BonaResponds as the recipient at http://bonaresponds.org/donate.html. THANK YOU!

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