Book Drive for local students

We are collecting books (reading and picture books) for children PreK-12.  Most of the books will remain local.

A kindergarten student in a local school  recently told her teacher that she had a book at home now.  She was so excited.  One book.

How can we expect children to learn when they have no books?  You can not do everything in a school day.  Much research shows the importance of having books in the home.

"“They enhance the academic performance of children from families as all educational and occupation levels,” the researchers write, “but the enhancement is greater for families with little education and low-status occupations.”"

So our goal is to get at least two books to each student in the teacher's class.  BUT since we are doing that, we might as well expand!  So we will also be getting books for the BonaBuddies program and any other school group that would like them.  (contact us at BonaResponds@gmail.com)  

You can drop off books (new or slightly used) at 104B in the Swan Business Building--just leave them if no one is there (they will not be stolen!)


(If you know of groups doing this already please let us know--we are not trying to steal the collection, we'd love to work with you!!!)

Fast (semi fast) top ten update list

Never enough time to get the word out on everything.  But here goes:


BR update: top ten list on many fronts:

1. 1. It is another Hilbert weekend, so only going out on Sunday--get your school work caught up on Saturday!   (Sun 11:15: dress warm!!!)  Job includes more steps installed and likely some winterization.  Also, MAYBE helping clean out a storage area in Allegany County that has water damage.  Stay tuned. 
2. Remember the donation for Haiti from the recent graduate a few weeks ago?  It was sent out and allowed a larger garden and reforestation program in Gonaives, teachers at a school in Leogane to be paid, and teachers at an Orphanage in Laschobas to be paid.  It also is allowing them to think now about composting toilets that will be great!!!
3. Money was transferred twice to West Africa for our partners there.  Like in other past situations (From MS to OK to NY to Haiti), there are so many needs remaining.  The $1762 we raised has been (or will be very shortly) all been allocated and dispersed.  If you would like to continue helping, fund raisers will be needed.  It is as simple as that.   
4. Several jobs have been on our to-do list for months but for one reason or the other keep getting pushed back.  With the winter, unfortunately, here, it looks like a few of the jobs (painting) will have to wait until Spring/summer.  The lack of volunteers and a larger leadership pool does have a cost. Sorry to those who are waiting.  
5. The lack of fundraising will also mean that we will not be able to do a food packing event this spring.  
6. Our International Service Weekend (we ask people wherever they are to go and do some service from cleaning up a park to painting a school, etc) date this spring is April 11-12.  This is the weekend AFTER Easter.  Start planning your projects! More information soon!
7. Locally, I was speaking with a teacher this past week who was saying some of her students have no books at home.  One girl in particular was so happy when she had one book.  So from now until December 1, we will be collecting books!  We are willing to work with any group already doing this, but I did promise the one teacher that we would get at least two books for each of her 25 students (K-6).  
8. A dozen WarmSnugglyBlankets were given out this week.  A big thank you to the Pink Pumpkin Project for including our blankets in their care packages!  Also, a big Thank-You to the St. Johns 9th grade Religious Education program for helping to make blankets!  (thanks Ann!)
9. HaitiScholarships is happy to be working with a JMC class (thanks Shelly!) to help bolster our fundraising and media presence.  I take full blame for HaitiScholarship not truly blooming, as it has the potential to be huge and is still very much still in a start-up mode.  We have a board meeting this Sunday evening, so if you have any good ideas for us (or want to make a donation to put more Haitian students in school), please let us know!
10. A reminder with Christmas shopping coming up, if you are shopping online, go to GoodShop.com and select BonaResponds as your charity and we will get a small amount of each sale.

Thanks everyone!!

jim

Related articles

• Siena College hosts event to support Haitian orphans

Big weekend for BonaResponds!

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.

Related articles

• Members Of FDNY Volunteering Their Time To Help Rebuild Breezy Point
• As Sandy raged, NYFD worker was a Twitter lifeline
• FDNY Battling MASSIVE Fire In Breezy Point, Queens Due To Hurricane Sandy
• NYC storm victims' homes looted over Thanksgiving

BonaResponds pre-Thanksgiving update

A few updates on things: (much info, so try to read them all)

• Work this past weekend in Limestone went well.  Here are many many pictures of the job.  We will be going back to finish the Sunday December 4th to finish.  (if anyone wants to fix broken windows in his door for him (it is going to get cold!) We'd really appreciate it!  Also if anyone has a BobCat (or wants to help rent one), it sure would make the job go faster.
• We are going to be working locally over Thanksgiving break in the Olean area.  Work will be at least Fri-Sunday.  If anyone wants to, I can probably be convinced to  go out on Wednesday as well.  Jobs include doing helping make a home handicap accessible, building a ramp, and packing for Haiti.  
• Currently in waiting we have three ramp jobs, making 3 different homes accessible (one Olean, one Hinsdale, one Ellicotville), and finishing up in Limestone.  SO WE WILL BE NEEDING VOLUNTEERS. 
• Want to make a bigger impact?  When shopping this Holiday Season, pick up some SMALL toys, school supplies, calculators, etc for Haiti.  And we also will be sending some to a family in Athens/Sayre that not only got flooded, but the mother was hit by a truck when walking and the children will REALLY appreciate the Christmas presents.
• Also there is a Vocational school in Haiti looking for tools (hammers, drills, screw drivers, tape measures, speed squares and the like.  They'd also love volunteers to help teach!  Let me know if interested.Image by Bona_Responds via Flickr
• Another school in Haiti is looking for musical instruments and sheet music.   So why not clean out your attic over break! 
• It appears the Winter trip will be Jan 3 to January 12th.  Most likely place is outside of Tuscaloosa.  Details after Thanksgiving break.
• We NEED to do a fundraiser.  We will be selling BonaResponds Hoodies and bracelets the week after Thanksgiving in the RC. 
• Planning for the International Service Day is going well.  It is March 31, 2012 Saturday.  Jobs in Poland, Pakistan, Uganda, Haiti, Olean, Buffalo, Dallas, Orange County California, and more.  NEed you involved.  Big or small.  With ties to SBU or not.  Plan on helping!  Sign up here: http://bonaresponds.org/isd.html
• There are 5 nice ways to help (from shopping, to giving alternative gifts, to dropping off supplies) on BonaResponds.org.  Check them out! 

Have a great Thanksgiving and remember to make a difference!  

This Sunday's work day plus more for Notice Board

BonaResponds will be working this Sunday.  The main job will be removing a building that has been destroyed in Limestone.  We will be working with the volunteer fire dept. that will be having a training/controlled burn after we move the materials away from other buildings and salvage anything that we can for recycling.  Additionally there are three homes that need to be made handicapped accessible (installing hand rails etc), a ceiling needs repair, and of course there is another wheelchair ramp request.   We likely will not get through all of these jobs, but we sure can try!  (indeed we were told the house in Limestone would take 100 volunteers 5 days, my guess?  25 BonaResponds Volunteers in a single day!  Let's accept the challenge! 


Additionally, we want to ship our next shipment of school supplies, small toys, soccer balls, and other similar items to Haitian Schools over Thanksgiving Break.  Since the earthquake we have shipped about 50 pallets of supplies and the schools report that the students love getting our shipments since they are both useful (pencils etc) as well as fun (toys, crayons, soccer balls).  Additionally this last time we have had some requests from a vocational school in Leogane for tools (hammers, tape measures, etc), from a school near Port au Prince for basketballs, and from a school in Gonaives for all and any kind of musical instruments (we are not shipping a piano!) and sheet music. (all items can be new or used).  (total disclaimer: items in excess of current needs or too expensive to ship will be shared with the poor in the Buffalo NY, Camden NJ, and elsewhere in the US). 

If you would like to donate, you can drop off in the Business Dept upstairs in Murphy (my office is 231) or at the Allegany Park and Shop or email me (jimmahar@yahoo.com) and we can arrange pick-up.

Related articles

• A new podcast ! (HaitiScholarships.org)
• Jimmy Carter: Few houses built for poor Haitians (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Meet the Students (HaitiScholarships.org)

Allegany State Park this Weekend!

There are few (if any) groups I would rather team up with than CYC. Pete and crew are so organized and so good that I learn from them every time we work together.

This weekend they are having a big work weekend in Allegany State Park. We'd love to give them a hand.

It is finals time at SBU, AND we already had a car wash/garage sale scheduled, so we really need community members to come out and help. Remember if we don't do anything, we can not complain if the State closes parts of the Park next year. So come on out. It will be fun!


2010 ASP S. Op's Flyer

Today's notice Board announcement

While we will be doing other events also, we have had enough requests to list some of the upcoming events that here is a partial list:


This Saturday: Haiti Packing Day. We will be wrapping (plastic) about 200 pairs of crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, medical supplies, and tents. Meet 10:30 at Murphy (if late go to storage in the UPS building)

March 26th: Miriam Jones Concert as a fundraiser for Haiti and a kick-off for International Service Day. Many more details to come, but here is her music:
(she is doing a US tour from NYC to San Antonio and has agreed to play here as a fund raiser for http://FoodforHaitiNow.org!)
http://miriamjones.bandcamp.com/

March 27th: International Service Day
(we now have about 10 countries and 30+ cities in the US! Plan in being part of it!)
http://bonaresponds.org/nsd.html (sign up)

April 10th Haiti Relief 5k run and 1 mile walk
http://haitirun.weebly.com

April 23-24-25 Local Service Weekend (Many many sites around the local area)

May 7th-May 8th (Allegany State Park work days--will have a limited number of cabins to stay the night). With CYC. Help the park survive given recent budget cuts. Much work.


For information on all of this, see http://bonaresponds.org/ (and follow us on twitter---things get announced there first!) http://Twitter.com/BonaResponds


This week, if you have any tents (or want to buy them!), crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs, please emailBonaResponds@gmail.com to arrange a pickup.