Update on many fronts

My top ten list for the week:

In this relative lull in the post snow cleanup, a fast update on other fronts:

1. A huge THANK YOU to all who helped in Buffalo!  The snow was truly breathtaking.  To see the community come together was encouraging and heart warming.  We made three trips up and had almost 50 volunteers.  We helped to clear 29 driveways, about 15 fire hydrants,  several roofs, doors, and walkways.  We now wait and hope the flooding is not too bad.

2. Haiti continues to be a source of both our great successes and bitter frustration.  First the bad news:  key parts of the solar system we donated to a school in Leogane were stolen and the one in Gonaives burned up. Because of this, we have placed the VERY needed system on hold until we can figure out how to stop the crime.    It is mindboggling frustrating and humbling.  On the positive side, we have heard great successes at schools and orphanages in Lascambas and Gonaives.  (GREAT JOB Jean and Djemson and the others)

3. Instead of solar in Haiti we will fund a few composting toilets as a test.  (At least they are tougher to steal or break!).  They will make things safer in many ways and reduce disease.   Additionally, the waste can be composted into fertilizer.  The program has the added benefit of being cheaper too!  Only $320.  We will be paying $270 on at least a couple to start.  Why $270?  A condition of one of the donors was that the Haitians raise at least some of the money as well so that they would truly see its worth and not just as another throw-away NGO handout.

4.  Also in Haiti as part of our efforts to improve education, we will be working with @Haitischolarships, some people from the St Bonaventure School of Education, as well as schools in Haiti to create better standards and on teacher training.  This will include better reporting from Haitian schools and tracking of attendance (teacher and student) and tracking improvement.  This is a BIG WIN!

5. Today the last of the money raised in the #EndEbola leaf raking campaign will go out.  If anyone wants to continue to help in a very impoverished area, we sure would love the help!  Today the CYC crew is back in Monrovia.  Their Kids Camp starts soon.  (Dec 10)

6. Our book collection has gone VERY slowly, so we will extend it until Dec 8th. Remember these are for local families with children from pre K to grade 12.  Books can be left off in 104 Swan Building on the SBU campus.

7. On Saturday night, our van suffered a broken window while parked on campus.  If anyone wants to confess to the vandalism and pay for a new window, we will NOT take it to the police nor security.

8. We will be working this weekend.  Best guess is in Olean, but we may go to Buffalo again if the needs look great still.  Stay tuned.  

9. THANK YOU to those of you who donated this past week! Denise, Todd, Sean, Pat, Ryan, Gary, Patricia, and those who helped with food this weekend.  We have said many times, but it deserves repeating "Without you, BonaResponds is just a good idea."

10. Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!  We all have so many things to be thankful for.  We often forget that when we see all misfortune and sometimes pure evil that happens.  The good is much more common even though it tries to hide itself.  Be good!  Be Safe!  Volunteer and Change the world!

Related articles

• Architecture for Humanity Announces Completion of Haiti Initiatives

BonaResponds Bufalo

BonaResponds Buffalo

BonaResponds will be helping in the Buffalo area this weekend.

After any disaster things are very much in flux so I will not try to tell you exactly where or what we will be doing yet on Saturday and Sunday.  We will be doing something. Please follow us on Twitter/ and Facebook for regular updates throughout the day.

We would love your help.  MY BEST GUESS: we will leave SBU at about 9AM on Saturday and will be shoveling/feeding/? somewhere.  On friday a team will be working with Meals on Wheels in the area as well as speaking with officials as to the plan of attack over the weekend.

IF YOU DO COME (and I can not stress this enough), it is not a joy ride/sightseeing trip.

If you are not ready to work, do not come.  If you do come,

Dress for extreme conditions (in layers as you will want dry clothes).  Wear boots (if you have sneakers on we will not take you).  We can not be a burden on an already taxed infrastructure.  We will be self-sufficient (so bring granola bars etc to eat).

If you have access to a snow blower/favorite shovel, PLEASE bring it. Same with gloves, hats, etc.




Again, we will be in the field today and I will not be able to respond to emails.  For more info or to volunteer, please see our website and social media.


thanks!


jim

Local events for International Service Day (THIS SATURDAY!)

While we lost some momentum since I have been more or less gone from BR for 6 weeks trying to nurse my mother back to health (it was in vain as she died of complications of Breast Cancer last week), there are still many jobs going on this weekend, and we hope you get involved!

Remember the basic idea: where ever you are, go help someone!  Big or small.  It does not matter.
After you are done, share the day with others.

How to share: 

Pictures/short videos: 

• Can be uploaded to flickr (Bona_Responds) (ask for password: or if you have signed up, we will send it to you)
• Shared via FB (PLEASE SET THEM TO "PUBLIC" for viewing and Tag Bona Responds).  This is not quite as good since many people are not "friends" with us, but many are, so if this is easier feel free to use it...just set them to public :)
•  Pictures/videos can be emailed to bonaresponds@gmail.com

Essays:  

Do you prefer to write? Maybe want to write a summary of the day, or something deeper as to how it affected you?  Or how it helped those in need?  Send us an email to BonaResponds@gmail.com and we will share it (and give you credit) on our blog. 

Phone:

Often the most fun way is to call it in.  We will record all messages and share them with others.  Most like a post work day meeting!  the new number (we JUST got it this AM) is 716-2-BONA-13   
(716) 226-6213



I will not go into the projects except to say that locally (in Western New York) we need volunteers very badly.  

Jobs:

 

Buffalo: 

We will be meeting at Villa Maria College at 10:00 AM and going out to various jobs.  Jobs include: Vive le Casa, St. Luke's Mission, Kevin Guest house (Roswell Park Cancer Institute), and the Bob Lanier Center. 

Vans leave from SBU (Murphy) at 8:30 on Saturday AM for these jobs)

Olean:

While there are others being run by other groups, the two big local jobs in need of volunteers are: 
 
 
 1. Painting and more at the new Cattaraugus Mental Health Association.  This is a very big job.  Meet at 10:00 in Murphy (we need cars/drivers).  It is at 121 N Union in Olean if you would prefer to meet there. 


2. Clean up at the Children's Memorial Garden and Gazebo area at Franchot Part to run from 11-2:00 on Saturday, the 31st. We'd ask everyone to have work gloves and bring racks, shovels or brooms if they have these available.

This weekend! Flood response, Buffalo, and local activities. We really need volunteers! (and drivers)

Never satisfied with just "busy" BonaResponds has opted to make a huge impact this weekend on multiple fronts in multiple areas. So here goes:

1. Flood relief--as you know, thousands of homes were flooded from the one-two punch of Irene and Lee.  We are going back to help this weekend.  After much deliberation, we decided to go to Athens PA.  This will allow us to help in Owego, Athens, Sayre, and Towanda.  We will be staying in the local school. (This was made possible by Erin Sullivan who is a former student of mine at SBU).  Watch the video:

Sign up for the trip here.

If you can drive, we'd love it. If you bring 4 people and drive, we will pay your gas. It is just over 2 hours from SBU as well as Rochester. It is about 50 minutes from Binghamton. (which was our second choice to go to. But from reports of people on the ground, Binghamton had more volunteers already, so we opted to take the road less traveled).

Bring sleeping bags, clothes you don't mind getting dirty, a good attitude and a willingness to help others!. I will give a more complete list in a subsequent blog entry.


2. Buffalo. Prior to the floods we had a day planned for Buffalo. While we have scaled it back dramatically, there are two jobs that we'd really like to still do. The Bob Lanier Center has had a few recent break-ins and vandalism. They have asked us to paint graffiti and help restore the community center. This is a SATURDAY only job.

Also in Buffalo there is a ramp project that is pretty important. It is for a girl who lives at Baker Victory Services but can not go home to see here mom anymore since there is no ramp. It is a job that is screaming to be done. I realize many of you are tired of ramps, but please remember that to the person getting the ramp, it is the most important thing you can do and they are appreciative. This is from Sabrina, the person who contacted me about the job last month:

".my resident has profound intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, and a trachea. The only thing she has to look forward to is visiting her mother. Unfortunately, mom's house is not wheelchair accessible, and she is unable to afford a ramp (had a stroke shortly after giving birth). This will change a family's life for a very long time."

Sabrina has several skilled people lined up to help, but we need a leader there to coordinate the work (and get lumber etc). 


3.   In Olean, Future pro-bowler Jen Thomas will be heading a small team on Saturday to help the SPCA with their fund raiser (and likely walk some dogs too ;) )


Ok, hang on...going to be an awesome ride! You will be making a huge impact no matter where you choose.  So come on out and help!

Multiple fronts of attack this weekend. If you want to volunteer, we have a job for you!

A few of the places we will be helping in Buffalo

We will be working at various places around Buffalo. They are all very worthy projects and we hope you come out to help! Meet at Villa Marie (in the back gymnasium area) at 10:00 on Saturday March 26, 2011.

Here are some of the places we will be working:

Kevin Guest House:





The Bob Lanier Center:

"Helping Kids Get From Where They Are To Where They Need To Be."


Our Mission is "to nurture the learning and development of children, youth and adults, with high quality, caring staff and in accessible facilities, so that everyone we serve can acquire the necessary education, knowledge, values, skills and self-esteem to enable them to improve their quality of life and contribute to the positive development of the community".

The Bob Lanier Center is in its nineteenth year of providing services to youth in K through 12th grades and helping them meet the challenges of the New York State Learning Standards.

"Helping Kids Get From Where They Are To Where They Need To Be."

Our Mission is "to nurture the learning and development of children, youth and adults, with high quality, caring staff and in accessible facilities, so that everyone we serve can acquire the necessary education, knowledge, values, skills and self-esteem to enable them to improve their quality of life and contribute to the positive development of the community".

The Bob Lanier Center is in its nineteenth year of providing services to youth in K through 12th grades and helping them meet the challenges of the New York State Learning Standards.

Vive La Casa:

"VIVE INC is the largest refugee shelter in the United States. Since our founding in 1984 VIVE has served more than 68,000 asylum seekers from 106 countries. VIVE is the only organization in the country with the primary focus of serving refugees as they begin the process of seeking asylum. Last year VIVE served more than 3,800 refugees, 60% of whom were women and children. VIVE operates La Casa shelter with 112 beds, a kitchen, a legal clinic, and a free “store” to distribute donated clothing. In 2008 VIVE provided more than 44,000 bednights of shelter, 120,000 meals and legal services to the more than 3,800 clients. In 2008 VIVE served more clients then all other homeless shelters in Erie County combined."

St Patricks Franciscan Friary on Seymour St is a community center that serves the poor in many ways. From having a prison resource center, food bank, and garden, the friary is an oasis in S. Buffalo. Ironically it is very close to Sal and Justin's house that we worked on last summer with Cricket and others. .

St. Lawrence Franciscan Guest House. We painted almost all of the rooms upstairs last year as part of our International Service Day. This year we will be helping to reopen their closed school as a community center and afterschool programs.

"The Franciscan Guest House at St. Lawrence is a former convent, situated in central city, Buffalo, New York. It is available to any small group for spiritual programs, retreats, and overnight accommodations, especially for those who plan city service projects"

Video of a job we did this past summer in Buffalo

We worked many weekend up at Justin and Sal's house in Buffalo with Cricket Communications.  Here is a video they put together about it. 

This weekend

THIS WEEKEND: TWO BONARESPONDS EVENTS

On Saturday we will be teaming up with RebuildingTogether (formerly Christmas in April) in Olean to help paint up to 5 different homes in the Olean area. We have been given our own home to paint in the N. Olean/Homer Hill area. We also would like to continue our work on the home of the WW II veteran as well. The work day is a bit earlier than normal. It starts at 8 a.m.; meet at the Murphy Building. It would be a great day to come and make a difference in the Olean group!

On Sunday we will be working in Buffalo on the home of Sal and Justin. Justin is a 13-year-old boy with Down syndrome and is almost completely paralyzed and cannot get outside unless his dad (Sal) carries him. BonaResponds has teamed with Cricket Communications, WNY Make a Wish, and Buffalo Hospice, to remodel a house to allow him to get in and out the house.

We have been really short on volunteers. We will be leaving at Murphy at 10. (You can also meet us at the house at 11:30).  

 

Also, mark your calendars for a great event Sept. 11 that will feed 100,000 Haitians.

Let's help get Justin outside!

Major change of plans.  We are going to Buffalo Saturday and Sunday to help in any way we can (and in particular Drywalling).  We will leave SBU at 10AM both days.  The job is in South Buffalo on Milton St.

Some of the local coverage of the story:


From Channel 4 (WIVB):




Buffalo News Live: Video: Dozens of volunteers work to give Buffalo boy a better home on Milton Street:

'It's overwhelming,' Zirpola said this morning as he watched the volunteers from the porch of the vacant home.

It all started with Justin's Make-A-Wish request more than two years ago.

Justin, who was born with Down Syndrome and has had a series of debilitating complications since then, asked the organization to make over the room in his second-story apartment.

Justin suffers from uncontrolled seizures and spinal stenosis and spends most of his time in a hospital bed.

But at 85 pounds and growing, it is a struggle for Zirpola to carry his son outside. For six years, Zirpola said, Justin has been stuck inside except in emergency situations."

You can also see it from WKBW (Channel 7).

A more complete list of news sources is available at Make-A-Wish.


Yes we had another job planned for Sunday, but sometimes a job comes at you so important that your plans change. This is the case with this one.  Why?  The schedule they have set is so tight that I am afraid the house would not get done in time if they wait for us to clear our schedule.    We can paint in Olean at a later date next week but to get them in the house by next month, this looks like our only window.

BTW we heard of this story yesterday we got messages from several people in the area (thank you Allison and Gail especially)  about this story.  THANK YOU!  As a rule I miss almost every local story so we really depend on you all giving us a heads-up on jobs.

As as evidenced by the one day turn around, BonaResponds really does RESPOND! :)

Today we agreed to help in any way we can.  (and yes I realize it will mean some schedule juggling).

Volunteer and Change the World

Volunteer and Change the World,
originally uploaded by Bona_Responds.

Here are pictures of some of the things BonaResponds has been doing this summer! From Salamanca, Buffalo, Ohio, Olean, and Allegany.

A set of pictures.

Race flier (or race Flyer if you prefer)

Haiti Run Flyer

Open letter to Buffalo

I sent the following to past Buffalo volunteers....but it applies to all, so:

I wanted to inform you of a few upcoming BonaResponds events in the Buffalo area. I am sure many of you (most?) are on our mailing list, but I realize the newsletter is often too long and gets ignored. So a "special edition" for those in the Buffalo area.

We are having two events in the upcoming month that we wanted you to know about:

1. On March 27th we will be having a large event out of Villa Maria where volunteers break up and go to various sites. It is our third annual one and it has always been very successful with about 100-120 volunteers (Like all of our events, it is open to all. Also this year it is part of our first ever International Service Day where work will be going on in about 10 countries and 30+ sites in the US. Pretty excited about it actually!
http://bonaresponds.org/nsd.html

Kim and her crew of VillaVolunteers do a GREAT job and her job list this year looks amazingly good. So I hope you can come out for it! A great deal of very good work will get done and you will have fun doing it!

We will be selling t-shirts on an advance order basis ($5 each) so if you want one, please let me know size and QTY). Also we we have bracelets ($3 that feed 15 Haitians each), and raffle tickets to win Sabres Tickets at the event.

While you can just show up and work, signing up in advance makes life MUCH easier!
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGdpd0hzOWZVSXhCeHFwNnRodmFSdHc6MA


2. On April 10th in Delaware Park, we will be having a 5k for Haiti as part of our FoodForHaitiNow.org push to feed 200,000 Haitians. Carrie Jackling is organizing this and it promises to be a big event to help. As a new race, we are worried about turnout. So please help spread the word. The more people we get out for it, the more we can do to help in Haiti! Even if you do not run, consider coming and volunteering or walking it. For more on this organization (basically us and a bunch of other groups from around WNY) see:
http://foodforhaitinow.org/

for the specifics on the race see:
http://haitirun.weebly.com/


I have also attached a sponsor's page in the event you know any business from Buffalo who might like to sponsor it or even if you have always wanted to see your name on a t-shirt! If you do, please email Carrie.


A full calendar of other BonaResponds events is available at http://BonaResponds.org
April 23-25 Spring Service Weekend (in Olean)
May 7-8 Allegany State Park work days with CYC.


Thanks for any and all help you can give. Seriously a forward of this email alone would be great! If you are looking for other ways to get involved, please see the FoodForHaitiNow.org website or just come out to volunteer! Or better start a fundraiser at your your school, your workplace, or with your family, you name it, involved. Haiti needs all of our help! Every dollar pays for 6 meals!


Hope to see you are either (or both!) of the events.

THANKS!!!

jim

Jim Mahar

http://BonaResponds.org
http://Twitter.com/BonaResponds
http://Twitter.com/justrespond
http://Twitter.com/jimmahar
http://FoodForHaitiNow.org



If and when I go to far with emails, I apologize, but the push on this one is very well intentioned. In the past two days (Friday and Saturday) I have been in contact with a tent village worker in Port-au-Prince and a leader of an orphanage just N of Port-au-Prince. In each case they got in touch with us and specifically asked us for assistance in what can largely be seen as life or death issues. Without your help, I must tell them to either go hungry (in the case of the orphanage) or to just wait for crutches/walkers/and tents from someone else (in the case of the tent village). So while I apologize for the email, I trust you would also send one if you knew that the impact of the events is so great! (for perspective, yesterday 16 of our volunteers packed 10 pallets for Haiti with 281 pairs of crutches, over 100 walkers, about 100 canes, 14 tents, and 7 boxes of medical supplies. Little things add up. You can and will make a difference. Thank you!)

Run a 5K to Help 200K!

In Buffalo's Delaware Park on April 10

(we will also need volunteers for this, so even if you can not run, come on out!)

Money goes to FoodForHaitiNow (via BonaResponds) and HODR.

2010 Haiti Relief 5k Application

BonaResponds: a pictorial history

Collection: BonaResponds: Just put together a collection of some of the nearly seven thousand BonaResponds pictures of the various events we have had.

I am not really sure what order they are in, but it is a nice pictorial view of some of what BonaResponds has done since its founding right after Katrina hit in late August of 2005 through the current work in Friendship. Take a look!