January 2016 update

Hi everyone!

A fast update on many BonaResponds things:

1. Thank you to our donors who are investing in a better world! December was our best month of fundraising ever!   It is you who give us the ability to help so many.  Without you, BonaResponds is just a good idea.  Without you, many people suffer.  Without you, there are fewer wheelchair ramps, fewer people in schools in Haiti, fewer trees, and much more.   Our, indeed my, promise to you is that we will continue to use the money in a manner that will maximize the long-run good that we can achieve!  
2. February 17, 2016 at 7pm in The Dresser Auditorium of the Murphy Building we will be co-sponsoring with Enactus and the Pacioli Scholar program a viewing of Poverty Inc.  It is an important video that questions how charity is handled.  The short version is that handouts are not the best and that good intentions are not enough.  Watch the trailer and plan on coming.  Free tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poverty-inc-st-bonaventure-university-tickets-20910800768
3. International Service Weekend is April 9-10!  No matter where you live, plan on being involved.  Start planning now!  Clean up a local park, help your elderly neighbor to the grocery store, organize a work day in your town/country!  Big or small together we can make a huge difference!   SIgn ups and more information will be available soon!  We want to capture 24 hours of good deeds and good work around the world!  Too often all we see is the bad news!  
4. Our local job list is really long (too long).  The combination of being underpriced and a lack of volunteers really led to a backlog.  We can not do ramps in this weather, but are prebuilding sections and will hit the ground running ASAP.  In the interim, we do have work days planned for every weekend.  
5. We still have approximately 40 blankets that need labels sewn on.  If anyone would like to help in this area, please let us know.  We packed 24 blankets this weekend for Roswell and the Kevin Guest House in Buffalo.  I am often asked how someone could help in this area (interestingly we get many more requests to help with Blankets than with Trails/Ramps/homes/Haiti etc)  Find places (doctors offices, chemo centers, or even churches) that we can put up “boxes” of blankets (wrapped in plastic) so that we do not mail out each separately.  Also agree to keep them full (we will get you the blankets).
6. Jim’s Haiti trip over Christmas break was canceled due to violence stemming from their elections, but our work has picked up speed again there.  Last week we got the first of the Reforestation booklets from our good friends at Tree Angels for Haiti. Very exciting to see the booklets actually produced.  The next step is to get them distributed and work with them (and others across Haiti) to not only plant more trees but to make the program sustainable.
7. The first round of payments out of the #BonasandBeyond program should be finished this week.  We had a long wait for the funds from SIMM.  But in total $4000 payments will be disbursed.  This is the money we and Enactus won from the Online voting contest that BonaSIMM used to give away their profits. (good thing we got them then given the way the stock market has been doing since!)   If you remember, these recipients in Haiti presented on campus on how they could make Haiti better.  Winners were a Gardening program in Gonaives, a “green charcoal” program in Leogane, a micro-loan program in Gonaives, a school program and a science kit program in Port au Prince, and partial funding for a water program in Cap Haitien.
8. We are still trying to buy a lawnmower in Haiti for the soccer program Rochelin runs in Les Cayes.  I had no idea buying a lawnmower would prove so difficult.  Have had many people looking for one for months.  
9. Business is needed in Haiti.  For that reason, Positive Ripples has been formed.  It is not officially part of BonaResponds but its own newly formed not-for-profit that will better enable us to make small investments in businesses.  For instance the first loan we are trying to make is to Normil in Leogane.  He has to shut down his internet cafe for 10 hours a week when he goes to get his batteries charged.  We are going to given him a 2 year loan to enable solar electric to power some of his computers.  Similarly we will be working with a Haitian group (via Emmanuel our long time partner) in Les Cayes to fund women their with smaller micro loans (our initial investment will be $1000 and students here will be helping with consulting, social media, and teaching Haitians how to create their own websites).
10. Two different groups have asked to host volunteer camps on campus over the summer.  This is very difficult as students and faculty are largely gone.  If you have interest in being a leader for a week this summer (non paid) please let us know.
11. We hope to announce another Bonas and Beyond program on campus for this coming September-October.  
12. The Enactus trip I made to the Bahamas (non BonaResponds trip) has me convinced that there are many many opportunities to work with Enactus on projects near and far.  Here is a podcast of my talk with student leaders after the trip: https://media.zencast.fm/st-bonaventure-school-of-business
13. Last and my no means least....upcoming trips. I had hoped to announce a major 10th year reunion trip this year, but I do not think it will happen.  We may go to New Orleans (spoke yesterday with Habitat that has jobs there), but getting a large number of alumni there MAY be difficult.  So, mark down the first week in March and stay tuned.  We will try to go somewhere.  Also get your passport!  POSSIBLE trip after graduation: Jamaica or Costa Rica.  POSSIBLE--cost will be about $1000 each.  Alternatively, some (a small number) could join me for a likely NON approved trip to Haiti.  

Thanks again everyone!  

jim

Key dates:

Wed. Feb 17: Poverty Inc viewing on campus

First week of March: Spring Break Trip

April 9-10: International Service Weekend!

Weekly update

Weekly update

Much good news this week!

1. The shipment to Haiti has begun arriving!  With school supplies, irrigation kits, and more!  It will take several weeks to be completely delivered, but the first boxes are arriving! :)  :) 
   
2. We paid $275 today for a composting toilet for the HaitiGoldvision School and Orphanage near Lascahobas Haiti.  This should reduce the spread of cholera and other illnesses brought about by poor sanitation.  
3. HUGE Thankyous this week to our donors!  Without you, BonaResponds is just a good idea!  John and Ann, Pat, Dresser's Dress down day, and Mary especially (remember I have about a week lag from donation to when I see it, so if your name is not here, wait til next week!)  BUT THANK YOU!
4. Another BIG thank you also to Dave Volz and the Cuba-Rushford teen leadership program.  A HUGE help!  they collected almost 300 pairs of shoes and several boxes of books!  GREAT JOB!  CR is always one of our biggest helpers!  THANK YOU!
5. Finally a THANK YOU to Michelle, Shelly, Karen, and Lynn for donations of books, shoes, and even winter coats!
6. This coming week (Dec 13) will be the big BR-Dallas fall workday where they will be working with disadvantaged youth at the Love For Kids Christmas picnic (see http://loveforkidsinc.org/events/christmas-party/ for more information.
7. Online shopping?  Please buy via GoodShop and pick BonaResponds for your charity!  Every little bit helps!
8. There will be no Winter break trip this year.  The combination of a shortage of funds, few available leaders made a trip impossible.  We will stay busy locally and online, so please get involved.
9. Nice coverage in the Olean Times Herald this week!
10. The Next WarmSnugglyBlanket day (where we make blankets for those with cancer) will be Saturday January 31, 2015.  We hope to make 100 blankets! 
11. International Service Weekend is April  11-12, 2015.  mark your calendars and plan an event!
12. Looking for a present for someone who has everything?  How about donating in his/her name?  A solar system costs $1500, a ramp costs about $1200, a composting toilet $275, School for a year for a student via HaitiScholarships costs about $200,  a gas fill up on one of our vans costs $75, a new hammer costs about $25, a shovel costs about $20.  
13. We will be working locally this Sunday (11:15 by the trailer).  A VERY VERY full agenda is on tap.  Dress warmly!
14. Happy December!  
    

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

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

Various BonaResponds' updates

It has been a while, so I will give some fast updates:

1. SIFE will be sharing some donations of used computers.  They will be going to the Bahamas, Haiti, and probably some inner city schools in the US.   If you would like to help, please contact us.   The donations come from SBU, local school districts, and others. THANK YOU.
2. Got two pleasant surprises in today's BV.  We will be receiving some money from a Halloween fund raiser on campus.  24 people will be touring the "Haunted areas" of Bonaventure. (I think it would be a great tour, too bad I missed out on it.)  Also we will be getting volunteers from the newly re-formed Knights of Columbus on campus.  
3. Several jobs this weekend: 

• On Saturday at 10:30 we will begin work from the back of Murphy.  It currently looks like we will be doing many smaller local jobs (example: cutting some downed trees on trails, packing school supplies for Haiti, taking back some of the recyclables we cleaned off of Bruce's porch last week, and starting to frame some new ramps.   We may also begin a job in Limestone, but would like to stay close to SBU to see some of the Woman's Rugby Playoff game.  Go Legends!
• On Sunday we will be MAINLY making 600+ pizzas for the Catt County SPCA.  This will be from about 11:00 to 3:45.  (we leave campus at 11:10)  Additionally a few people will be needed to do a smallish roof job in Hinsdale. 

  Related articles

• How much does it cost to sponsor a student? (HaitiScholarships.org)
• Meet Maudeline one of our applicants for the coming school year (HaitiScholarships.org)

Various updates

Have many things to share but only 15 minutes to write, so here goes:

1.  I heard from Wesley in Haiti last night.  He and his mom are doing well.  He is still interested in starting his photo business.  They are using the tents we gave them :).  BTW to make the story even better, I was speaking with Andy Hartnett when we were working in Ohio and learned that he had helped to demo the house.  So people in BonaResponds (but of course not a BonaResponds trip when in Haiti!!) started the house and finished rubbling the house.  NICE!
2. The Saturday we will be helping CYC in Buffalo's Botanical Gardens.  Come on out 11AM on Saturday (or meet at Murphy at 9AM). 
3. Next Sunday June 27th (wow where did June go?) we will have a local workday in the Olean area.  Bill H will be here from Texas to work with us!
4. Olean High School, Olean Middle School, Archbishop Walsh Academy have been great helps in collecting school supplies for Haiti.  If you have some please drop off at the Allegany Park and Shop, or bring them with you to any of the work days.  
5. Had a wonderful talk with Bob Parsons who ran the Pearlington Recovery Center where we worked on the spring break 2008 trip. He suggested that anyone who wants to volunteer in the Gulf get training at a local zoo or bird sanctuary.  Good idea!  Also he will be collecting school supplies in the Greenville SC area (yep, same location as Fr. Pat).
6. The Ohio trip went well.  They still need much help so if you have some free time, I definitely encourage you to go help.
7. We definitely have to get going on fundraising!  For for us (BonaResponds) and for FoodForHaitiNow.  We have lost all momentum on this front.  Costs from Ohio will probably be about $650 (gas, chains for saws, food).  

Out of time.  More soon.