A thank you and then some Inspiration from various sources

Inspiration comes from many places, so on this cold wet Autumn day, maybe some of you need some inspiration to come volunteer.  Here you go:

First from BonaResponds' facebook page, A thank-you from Djemson in Gonaives Haiti for the supplies we sent. 

His thank-you: 

"I really miss words to thank you!!

Thanks again .... Attached please find the picture of the barrels and a picture of a beautiful library that we use to put all the books that we have , It is more beautiful now as we have more books! thanks again ...for the books!!! I really appreciate that!...on Behalf of all the children, I say a big thank you to you, BonaResponds and the volunteers who help out with this! 

Thanks again Jim for all your supports and also a big thank you to BonaResponds

With Gratitude,
Djemson

Accompanying the thank-you from Djemson were several pictures.  

This is my favorite picture as many of the children huddle around a small toy elephant.  As we debate the long run viability and soundness of the shipment program (we have now shipped well over 100 pallets of school supplies, medical equipment, books, and soccer equipment), we should never forget how small things can mean so much.  

  

That wasn't enough for you?  Ok a few more from non BonaResponds' sources:

From the Nelson Mandela facebook page. (posted on Nov 6, 2014)

From the Dalai Lama facebook page: (posted on Nov 6, 2014)

Want still more?  Check out volunteer quotes on Pinterest. 

--!Hope to see you volunteering with us soon

Helping in Haiti

School Supplies for Haiti (Photo credit: Bona_Responds)

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned we needed to refocus our efforts in Haiti as they were becoming forgotten in the Post Sandy, Post Oklahoma general business.  So, we did.  Here is a fast update.

* We are having a supply backing event on August 24 to mail barrels of school supplies and a pallet of shoes.  So if you have school supplies or lightly used shoes, please bring them in!

* We are happy to announce that CMJ will be getting a solar power system.  We'd LOVE to be able to do more, so we have also announced a fund raising effort along with HaitiScholarships.  It is our first time using GoFundMe.com so let us know what you think.  (You can also give via HaitiScholarships or to BonaResponds for shipping of supplies).

 

 *  Haiti was also the theme of the BonaResponds Moment this week on WGWE.  (THANKS TO AKT Combative Academy for their sponsorship of the weekly interview!)



* This school year we really really want to start a pen pal program with classes in Haiti.  I spoke with the post office this week and there is now regular mail to and from Haiti.  So let's do this.  Want to write letters to students/classes?  It sounds fun!  Email me (Jimmahar@yahoo.com) to be part of this program.  Once we get the solar system up, we will likely be looking for tutors and English teachers as well. 

Collect, Collect, Collect. How collections can help.

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:

1. Softball baseball equipment for Mississippi
2. Books for Biloxi/Gulfport Mississippi
3. Crutches, walkers, Wheelchairs for Haiti--(Portlight gets major kudos on shipping)
4. Medical supplies for Haiti--mainly went to Port-au-Prince
5. Hygiene items for Haiti--sites primarily around Leaogane
6. Soccer balls for Haiti--Worked with Harvard on Shipping)
7. Coats for Buffalo Homeless Shelter (Little Portions)
8. Computers--have gone to Erie PA, Margaretville NY, Olean NY, and over 40 to Buffalo.
9. Notebooks and Paper for Camden NJ-St Anthony’s
10. Shoes for Soles4Souls to be distributed in Haiti primarily
11. 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! 

Related articles

• Who and What is HaitiScholarships?
• WarmSnugglyBlanket
• Aid shortfalls jeopardize Haiti's humanitarian programs

A new podcast! HaitianHappenings Cofounded by HaitiScholarships and BonaResponds!

HaitianHappenings Podcast:

 Welcome to the BRAND NEW HaitianHappenings podcast. It is brought to you by HaitiScholarships (http://HaitiScholarships.org) and BonaResponds (BonaResponds.org) (paid for by an anonymous outside donor so your donations were not used).   

The purpose of the podcast is to give people a sense of what is happening in Haiti and to be able top follow up on their donations to see how they are helping Haitians. 

We will try to do a different podcast weekly (maybe more, maybe less) depending on time and interest. 

Kicking off the podcasts will be today's interview with Jean Kendy Estimphil of Leogane Haiti. I had the pleasure of meeting Jean Kendy last year in Haiti and he has helped both BonaResponds and HaitiScholarships immensely both in translation, being our person on the ground for distribution of supplies (the link is a set of pictures)/

Listen to the interview here

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