A thank you from Jody

A few weekends ago we helped Jody over in Ellicottville.  He sent us the following:

Dear Folks:

 

 I would like to take this opportunity to extend a very heartfelt "Thank You" to Jim Mahar and his crew members for the dedicated work they performed in building the stair and deck safety railings in my facility.....

 

I have battled severe Crohn's disease since 1985(my small intestine was resected in 1990), and have had two strokes. I do not "mobile" well.

 

 My thoughts and prayers will continually follow this fine group of people who put their time into helping those who are aging and cannot normally function on a daily basis.

 

  "THANK YOU BONARESPONDS"

 

 

 Here are the pictures!

Radio Interview about International Service Day

Today's interview (Jim was interviewed by Casey Hill of WVTT) about our March 31st International Service Day.


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International Service Day Letter

I wrote this for a friend but after writing it I got thinking, I have lots of friends and I would like to have you all involved, so I will post it for you all....I hope you get involved. Big job or small job, you will have fun and make the world a better place! (March 31 is a Saturday)


I have a favor....(and feel free to say no)....as you may or may not know each year BonaResponds does an international service day on the last Saturday in March. We ask people around the globe to help others and then share what they did. We are putting the responses (pictures, audio, video, and words) together into a reflection page showing people around the world doing good deeds.

The purpose is multifaceted:

1. To help those who need the help.
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.

Currently we have some big projects lined up (Dallas, Chicago, Buffalo, Haiti, Orange County California) and many many small ones (San Diego, England, Pakistan, MAYBE Afghanistan, Ghana, Uganda, Belize, Burkina Faso, Seattle, I think Australia, I think India, I think Cambodia, etc.)

I was wondering if you could help spread the message and help recruit some of your friends to get involved.

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.

The ways to share the day will be given out as the date approaches (Saturday March 31).

And it really does not need to be a major undertaking but we'd love to have you involved.


thanks for any and all assistance...

jim

there is a sign-up form at http://BonaResponds.org/ and much more information will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.

BonaResponds Update for Spring Semester

SOOOO many things going on this semester.  Seriously do not even know where to start.

Boring first:  SHORT meeting on Wednesday at 5:20 in Murphy to lay out the semester.  It will be short as classes start at 6:00pm and I HATE MEETINGS!

More exciting:

1. International Service Day (a day of good deeds around the world!)  on March 31.  This is going to be big.  We have people all over the place signed up.  All you need to do is help.  No tie to SBU needed (but it is a great excuse to get together with Bona Alums).  Big groups in Buffalo, Dallas, Chicago, Orange County California, Olean NY, and many many many smaller groups.  From Pakistan to Seattle and retty much everywhere else.  Get involved.  Help a neighbor, share your good deed.  It will be very motivating to all involved to see how much good is being done.  See BonaResponds.org for more or to sign up.    oh and here is a BV article about it: http://www.thebv.org/news/bonaresponds-makes-plans-for-international-service-day-1.2745629#.Txmk4yM2KCY


 (dull disclosure,no idea why Cameroon is listed...I do not know of anything going on there, but hey, maybe :) ).
If you know someone who lives outside the US and could ask them to get involved it would be particularly appreciated!  Or if you know of anyone who lives more than 1 mile from SBU.  Or if ...you get the idea :)

Most of our leaders from SBU will be working in Buffalo that day with Villa Volunteers from Villa Maria (thanks Kim) but we will have an event in Olean as well!

 (BamBam and I need more help on this, so we'd love to get you involved!)

2.  Collections

2a. Collections of school supplies for both Haiti and poor areas in the US continue.  Pens, pencils, notebooks, calculators, lap top computers, hand sanitizers, books (although market is limited as ENglish is not widely spoken in Haiti, some books may be shipped to other countries where we have contacts/former BR volunteers living etc.

 New or used.  We have shipped to many schools and orphanages in Haiti. Our next shipment will be in Early February.  Drop off upstairs in Murphy, at the Allegany Park and Shop, or contact us for a pick up if needed.

2b. Collections of other items.  In addition to school supplies we are also collecting small toys, soccer balls, etc for the schools and orphanages.  

Specific requests for items from Haitian schools include: music items (sheet music, used instruments) for a school on Gonavies Haiti, carpentry and plumbing tools and supplies for a vocational school in Leogane, and additional medical supplies for a medical clinic in Port au Prince and toothbushes (uh new only!) for distribution in Leogane.

 Again most items can be new, or lightly used.

Student contacts: Jess and Jen T.

3. Local work days:  almost every weekend day (as in both Saturday and Sunday) we will be having work jobs locally.  We are literally swamped.  The Department of Aging sends us way more jobs than we can do and we also get many requests from the BonaResponds.org web site as well as word of mouth referrals. So there is a lot of work!

This long long list of jobs can be very frustrating (impossibly long), until you take a step back and consider that like after a disaster, we can not help everyone, but we can make a real impact in those we do help.  Better not perfect.  The difference locally is that if we don't help, they may not get the help.

We generally leave the Murphy parking lot between 10 and 11. Stay tuned for more details on a weekly basis...this weekend it is 10:30 each day. (and most of the work is inside)  (you can come as often as you like.  Ideally we have people volunteer to be student leader--mainly organizing sign-ups and transportation for at least one day a month.  Contact Steve Ross (Banger) for more information.  (and follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/BonaResponds

Look for a coming post on the importance of this local work through the eyes of someone we built a ramp for soon.  I will summarize it as saying a ramp is more than just a porch outside of a door.  It is a way of giving mobility and independence back to a person who might otherwise be home bound.  The more ramps we do, the more I become convinced they may be the most important thing we do. 

BTW we have not been reimbused on several local ramps so if you have money buring a hole in your pocket, we do accept donations :)


4. Earth Week cleanup --traditionally we help with trail clean up this weekend.  Kathy H does a great job of organzing local groups on this effort and we fully expect to continue this.  BUT (and I am excited about thiis) additionally this year I THINK (maybe be saying more than I know), we will be helping to organize a river side clean up as well. So get your canoes and Kayaks ready!

(and a note to local teachers, this would be a GREAT way to get your classes involved as well as to teach about the environment).


5. While we do not yet have a date, the annual No Child Left Inside/"what is college like?" day is also planned.  This is when we bring "at risk" students to campus for small tours and to sit in on a class, tour a dorm room, see the library, etc.  Many of these students come from family's with no "college experience" so this can be a big learning experience for them.  After lunch we take them outside either to hike the trails or to take part in some other form of physical exercise.   (would love to have some student leaders on this!)

ok, I will stop there...even though I didn't even get to talk about the new online course program we are starting for Haiti.  I predict in a year or two it will be the biggest thing we do.  Has HUGE upside as a means of helping people.  Stay tuned.

If you want to get involved in any of these efforts or others, please do not hesitate to ask.  We especially would love you and all your friends and all your enemies and those you barely know and those you do not yet know and your cousin's nephew and anyone else you can think of involved on March 31st.  You do not want to miss it!

thanks everyone!


jim

PS I will try to keep people better informed this semester.  (yeah I got a nasty email last night saying it is impossible to know what is going on since we don't send out many emails--hello twitter!!!  ;)  )

Related articles

• What Were Our Students Up To Last Semester? (HaitiScholarships.org)
• Jimmy Carter: Few houses built for poor Haitians (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Notice Board Announcement

BONARESPONDS WEEKEND WORK DAYS
BonaResponds will be having two work days this weekend: Saturday and Sunday. Work is primarily inside, but not completely, so dress for the cold.
Work includes: installing a new floor in Salamanca, fixing a drop ceiling in Hinsdale, readying 40 computers for shipment to various charities and schools in the Northeast, fixing a wheelchair ramp in Olean, and more. We will be meeting behind Murphy at 10:30 a.m. each day.

Sweet home Alabama - Features - The Bona Venture

Sweet home Alabama - Features - The Bona Venture:

An article on our most recent (the article says "last" but I think the author may want to reword that?) trip to Alabama:

" The summer trip focused on cleaning up debris, while the winter trip focused on the lives of those who survived. During the summer, students volunteered in Tuscaloosa, one of the communities hit the hardest by the tornadoes.

"We went from cutting trees, hauling debris, removing waste, finding belongings and clearing out lots for trailer homes to building wheelchair ramps for those left without suitable means to leave their homes," said Jennifer Thomas, a junior psychology major, about attending both trips.

Here are some pictures of the trip:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.595666518005.2061074.64402614&type=3&l=6f2784f125

At a glance: Haiti - Four Haitian filmmakers explore conditions for children two years after the quake

Image by Bona_Responds via FlickrUNICEF - At a glance: Haiti - Four Haitian filmmakers explore conditions for children two years after the quake:

Need a reminder why we are still working for Haiti long after it has departed the news headlines? Watch this video:

“This film project is all about listening to the Haitian voice and understanding children's lives,” said Thomas Nybo, coordinator of the project. “We issued a call for short-film proposals, either fiction or documentaries, and we chose four filmmakers, three of whom are from Cine Institute” – Haiti’s only film school, located in the Southern city of Jacmel.

The short films feature some of the biggest challenges facing Haiti’s children: losing parents to the earthquake; the plight of a girl working as a restavek, a domestic servant; and the challenges, especially economic, confronting families when they send their children to school.





If you want to help:

1. Donate to help pay shipping of school supplies: BonaResponds.org/donate.html.
2. Donate school supplies (new or used) that will be distribued to schools in Haiti.  So far we have send over 50 pallets of supplies and are looking forward to our next shipment!  Supplies, books, lap top computers, etc. can be dropped off at the Allegany Park and Shop, or 231 Murphy on SBU campus, or with Jenifer Spencer the upstairs business secretary in the Murphy Building on SBU's campus (far west side).
3. Donate new or used light construction equipment for a vocational school in Leogane.  They would love just about anything, but their list is here "Hammers , raboteuse, Saws Braces and Boring Tools Planes Mortise, Tenon and Dovetail, drill, compass saw, smoothing plane, rabootez firmer chisel, brace and bit, screw driver,square, making gauge, hands screw, nails, sawing table.  Pipe wrench, strap wrench, chain pipe wrench, adjustable spud wrench , hack saw, tube cutter, tube flatering tools, pipe threader, Sink Auger,toilet Auger, Plunger, Snake, tape, Plumber's Putty, duct tape, plumbing fixtures."
4. Donate musical instruments, sheet music, and the like to a music school in Gonnaives.  Again, you donate, we will ship  (no pianos ;) )  Must be able to fit in our barrels.
5. Donate to HaitiScholarships.  This is a Spin-off of BonaResponds that helps to pay for Haitians to go to school in Haiti!
6. Get involved with the soon to be launched (sometime this semester) online program we have named Voyager Academy.  It will be an online program" that allows Haitians free access to some of the best teachers and professors we can find in a video format with French and Creole Subtitles.
7. Not sure what to do?  Just get involved!  We have jobs for everyone on this one!!!  From wherever you are!

Related articles

• Haiti marks quake anniversary (bbc.co.uk)
• Haiti: Two years after the earthquake, where did the money go? (thetruthiswhere.wordpress.com)
• Haiti earthquake: Two years on, half a million still in tents (mirror.co.uk)
• Two years later, a whiff of hope in Haiti (theglobeandmail.com)
• Haiti still rebuilding after deadly '10 quake (cbsnews.com)
• Two years after quake, 'Haiti still has a long way to go' (ctv.ca)
• Haiti still reeling two years after quake (macleans.ca)

Survey: How can BonaResponds do better?

Survey: How can BonaResponds do better?: BonaResponds has one mission and that is to help people. Using that as our standard 2011 has been a great year. We responded to natural disasters in Alabama, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. We also responded to financial disasters in Camden NJ and Greensville SC. Locally we worked in Buffalo, Olean, and around Western New York almost every weekend of the year. Our International Service Day in March tied people around the worked together and promised greater success in the coming years. BonaResponds groups are now well established in Chicago and Dallas as well as the main organization headquartered at St. Bonaventure.

Christmas presents in Sayre

  

Back in October we worked on a trailer in Sayre.  It was a really tough job for lots of reasons.  We were under the trailer for 5 hours removing insulation and cleaning up around the area.  But more than that it was a difficult job emotionally.  The family had very little to start with and had had an incredible run of bad luck.   




Months prior to the floods, the mother had been in a serious accident when she was hit by a truck while walking with her children.  Thrown far by the impact, she broke her back and was left in bad shape.  She did survive but was largely bed ridden and the family's time and resources, already very limited were pushed to the breaking point by medical costs, physical rehab, and refitting the trailer to make it more handicap accessible.

Then the flood came. 




Several of the volunteers who worked at the house planned on doing something for the kids for Christmas, and while things did not go as planned, Chelsea and her family came through big time and collected money, donated money, shopped, and delivered gifts!  :)


Here is a picture from the day:

From Chelsea:

"It was amazing, the parents were so incredibly thankful and the kids loved their presents. I ended up having $125 to spend on the family... We got little dress up clothes and things to make jewelery for the girls and the boy got a little indoor nerf basketball hoop set along with a nerf gun. Then we gave the parents some money. It was great "

In Caitlin's words:

"We weren't able to get a picture of the kids opening their gifts but the family was incredibly thankful for the gifts and the help"

Alberto Cairo: There are no scraps of men - YouTube

Alberto Cairo: There are no scraps of men - YouTube:

WOW! Watch this. It is amazing. Maybe my favorite "TED talk" ever. It sums up my view of why we help perfectly.

" Alberto Cairo's clinics in Afghanistan used to close down during active fighting. Now, they stay open. At TEDxRC2 (the RC stands for Red Cross/Red Crescent), Cairo tells the powerful story of why -- and how he found humanity and dignity in the midst of war."

To Alberto Cairo, I do not know you, but I wish I did. You are my new hero.

To every volunteer we have had, watch it. This, better than even Three Cups of Tea, encapsulates why we do what we do. From after disasters, to locally, all jobs are high priority to those affected. It doesn't need to be a category 5 hurricane, or a F5 tornado, a leaking roof can be nearly as bad to those affected.

And finally, to every volunteer who wonders why we do so many wheel chair ramps: this, to a microscopically small small degree, is why wheel chair ramps are needed: wheel chair ramps aren't just an inclined entrance to a house, they are a road to a better life. And when watching, pay particular attention to the reason the son can now go to school. How many "sons" might our ramps set free in a similar manner?

Update from Bill on BonaResponds in Dallas (voice and pictures)

On Saturday 35 BonaResponds volunteers helped many others in the Dallas area to give disadvantaged children from the Dallas area a better Christmas season. Bill, John, and Bob (and of course others!) worked handing out presents, giving coats, and feeding thousands of hotdogs.


Here is Bill's voice mail explaining what they did:


And a short slideshow of their day.

A "please come help call" from Alabama

I missed this call yesterday. I hope you don't now. Listen to it. It is worth it!







Remember to sign up ASAP for the Alabama trip! Jan 3 to 12th: http://ow.ly/7ZNCa

Alabama trip update and signup

A Thank you from a former Allegany Resident

Image by Bona_Responds via FlickrOne year ago to the week BonaResponds was very busy in flood clean up.  Today I was reminded of the great work that the volunteers did when Sr. Margaret (SBU president) forwarded the following email.  I took the woman's name off of it since I did not have permission to share, BUT I will say that I know the job and it was one that was REALLY cool since several people from Gowanda (a town that was flooded the year before where BonaResponds made many trips to--they are wearing the green shirts) came over to help. 

Email in its entirety (except name)

Sr. Margaret,

I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you and congratulations for a job well done!!!  let me explain.
As an alumni, I am proud to say I graduated with my 1st Masters degree from St. Bonaventure.  Knowing I was born
and raised in Allegany, this makes me even more proud to know the university is involved and dedicated to the
community in a positive manner.

It was a while back now, during the last flooding that Allegany experienced.  My brother lives on Union Street in
our family's homestead.  It was always a wonderful place to live; however, the one challenge we always had was the
flooding of the Allegheny River. During the last flooding, my brother did get water, not only around the house, but
the basement, garage and almost into the house.  He had just had a hip replacement and was unable to prepare for the
flooding as normal.

When the water receded, he had damage to some walls, the furnace, and much of the insulation.  Being that I no longer
live in New York, I was unable to get there to help him out, but he said to me that everything was under control.  I
asked him what he meant by this.  He told me that several St. Bonaventure students were there and assisting him.  These
students worked very hard and were dedicated to helping him out.  They did a wonderful job.
I understand the  university has formed an organization to assist the community in this manner. 

Kudos to these students and all that they do!!!!  Kudos to the St. Bonaventure as well!!!!

Thank you!!!

A poem for Santa and our Christmas Wish List

Dear Santa,

As you know BonaResponds is very active on many different "fronts":  we help after disasters, he help locally in a plethora of ways, we help internationally (especially in Haiti), and we even help you with getting some presents for people who have less. 

We know the song.  The one that goes "he knows if you've been naughty or nice."  And we are sure if you think twice, you will know that BonaResponds has been extra nice.  That said, we'd like to give you a little reminder by poem. 

First we must apologize that the poem is pretty  bad, but here is a recap of the year we had.  

We helped near and far, by dipping into the donation jar.  We helped young school children and many a home bound senior citizen.  

We helped vets and pets.  

We helped schools with tools.  

We helped other groups, and even send messages to our troops. 

We worked in Greenville and Portville, we helped in Cotttondale and up the dale.   

We helped after big disasters, and single family's setbacks. 

We worked in the sun and on the run.  In the cold, we were bold!  

Our amazing crew in Dallas worked hard in every way, and they were never callous. They worked with the handicapped on horses and in courses. 

In Buffalo and Chicago, BR and others worked as one to get much done.   From handicapped camps, to wheelchair ramps we simply did what was needed.  

 While BonaResponds can not always not make things perfect, we made things better especially where it was wetter. 

Wearing our brown duds, we cleaned up after several floods.  We worked where people had lost their hope, but still had CitiHope! 

And as if on a dare, we went to Sayre where the water had been deep so the garbage we did heap.

We worked after tornadoes in Alabama, NY, and Massachusetts where we made new friends and helped those who had lost so much, realize the importance of a touch.  

We sent supplies to Haiti, and were never hatey.  

We built ramps, and ramps, and ramps.  Truth be told, many of us got sick of ramps, but they were what was needed, so the call we all heeded. 

So Santa, we think we have been good, we've helped in the hood and around the neighborhood.  The generosity of the volunteers and the donors have allowed us to helped near and far, but there is much more we can still do.  This is our Christmas wish list.   The list is not for us, but for those we help.  

Oh and PS, if you ever want to come volunteer with us, we'd love to have you along!  (We are always looking for drivers!  I wonder if we could get you and your sleigh approved?) 
  
We've compiled a list of things that would help us to help others.  If you could get us any of these items we would surely appreciate it and more importantly those we are helping would love it!

Haiti Related

• Pens, pencils, calculators, crayons, notebooks, rulers, notebook computers, hand sanitizer, math or English books, small toys, deflated soccer balls.
• For The CJM primary school in Leogane Haiti-- 8 French-English Dictionaries (they cost less than $6 at Amazon), also two notebook computers (or more)
• For a school in Gonaives Haiti: musical instruments (used or new), sheet music, and a notebook computer.  
• An education to someone in Haiti.  HaitiScholarships has a waiting list of students who want to go to school but can not afford it.  If you make a donation, a Haitian can go to school (HS pays up to 75% of their tuition) and you (or whoever you select) gets a certificate letting you know who is in school because of you (and with your permission) that student will send a thank you card too!)For about $1 a day you can literally change the life.  Think about it! $1.  
• Tools (gently used or new) for a vocational school in Leogane Haiti.  They would like hammers, saws, tape measures, wire cutters, pipe cutters, a router, a drill, a plane, sandpaper, drill bits, or any other small tools. But really can use pretty much anything.   Indeed they would LOVE some contractors to volunteer to teach for a few weeks.  If any of your elves are available, let us know.

USA related

• School packs (pencils, crayons, calculators, pens, and notebooks) for students in Buffalo, Camden, and elsewhere whose teachers have identified as in need of supplies.
• Toys for a family in Sayre that we helped.  The mother was in a severe accident and then they were flooded out.  Very sad story.  
• Grab bars (or money for grab bars) to install in homes of physically challenged in and around Western New York State.  We have been installing them for the Dept. of Aging, but the cost is adding up fast.  If anyone wants to donate for these, it would be excellent.
• Money to buy lumber for wheel chair ramps.  It costs about $16 a foot for a ramp.  For every inch of elevation change, it is one more foot.  So this adds up.  Many of those in need cannot afford it.  Do we let them be home bound? 
• A large sump pump (gas powered).  We "lost" ours in Margaretville after their flooding.  We have not needed it since (used small ones in Athens) but it is only a matter of time.
• A compressor to run nail guns.   Each ramp has about 750+ nails.  A nail gun would make us faster and allow us to help more people.  
• A volunteer to work a few hours during the week.  Of late we have Kevin and it is a HUGE help, but he will be leaving for South Korea soon.  The volunteer would help scout jobs, make occasional trips to Buffalo, and to keep the storage facility organized.
• Christmas cards: we would love to deliver Christmas cards to local nursing homes and send them to the troops overseas.  Anyone who wants to help you with this, can leave them off at the Allegany Park and Shop (or any of the other Park and Shops, but you might have to explain more there---tell them to send the cards to Allegany attn BonaResponds).
• More volunteers.  We always can use more volunteers. 
• as much as we hate to ask, money for travel is also often a need.  Gas costs money.  If you wanted to drop off money in our stocking, that would be ok too, but we'd really rather you come volunteer. Volunteers are more appreciated! 

World Related

Oh and if you could tell everyone of our International Service Day (ISD) on March 31st that would be most excellent as well.  We are asking people to go help others where ever they are.  The jobs can be big or small.  Some alumni groups are doing it, but volunteers do not need any tie to SBU.  They just need a willingness to help and share their good deeds.  It is going to be a great day!  We already have volunteers in quite a few spots but we want thousands more!  so spread the word when you spread your good cheer. (http://BonaResponds.org/isd.html)

Thank you Santa! 


PS when you are doing your Christmas shopping, it would be really cool if you did it though Good Shop.  List BonaResponds as the charity and we get a small percentage of everything you buy.  From books at Amazon to just about everything elsewhere...if you buy online, go to GoodShop.com first and remember to list BonaResponds as the charity. :) 

Related articles

• Christmas in Haiti (HaitiScholarships.org)
• HuffPost Greatest Person Of The Day: Kona Shen Uses Soccer To Inspire Haiti's Youth Leaders (huffingtonpost.com)