BonaResponds Blog

Make a fast commerical for BonaResponds

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:12:00 +0000

I'd say we'd give you a prize for the best one, but we probably won't since we want all of our money to go to helping people, but we will say thank you! And we will send you stickers and a BonaResponds wrist band!

Rules: less than a minutes, no practice, no editing. Should take less than 2 minutes total (and that includes emailing the video to BonaResponds@gmail.com!)

Phil went first:

A thank you from Jody

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:05:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:18:00 +0000

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

Listen here (Html5)

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

or if you prefer flash:

Podcast Powered By Podbean

International Service Day Letter

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:58:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:08:00 +0000

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!!! ;) )

Notice Board Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:52:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:21:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:55:00 +0000

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:

Donate to help pay shipping of school supplies: BonaResponds.org /donate.html.
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).
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."
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.
Donate to HaitiScholarships. This is a Spin-off of BonaResponds that helps to pay for Haitians to go to school in Haiti!
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.
Not sure what to do? Just get involved! We have jobs for everyone on this one!!! From wherever you are!

Survey: How can BonaResponds do better?

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:36:00 +0000

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.

Loading...

Christmas presents in Sayre

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:57:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:36:00 +0000

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)

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:39:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:55:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:34:00 +0000

A Thank you from a former Allegany Resident

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:56:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:42:00 +0000

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. :)

An Indirect Thank You from a Catskills resident and a valuation lesson

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:46:00 +0000

BonaResponds Volunteers helping in Margaretville

I received the following (only SLIGHTLY edited) from another SBU professor today:

"I was recently speaking at an American Legion Post downstate in Delhi, New York. After the dinner and speeches were done a woman came up to me and asked if it was true that I worked at St. Bonaventure and I said yes. She immediately started to cry and wound up just holding me. I asked her what was the matter and she said that we have no idea how much the help from the BonaResponds students meant to her family and their area recently ravaged by the floods. She went on about that for awhile with several folks listening since they saw her crying, when I left their Post about a hour later she came up and thanked me again and wanted to make sure the folks back at Bonas knew how much that meant. "

I have no idea who the woman was. No clue. I do not even know if we worked on her home or not. It could be any of many that were helped on that trip, or a family member, or even just a neighbor who was worried about someone we helped. I have no idea.

I do know that many many times we have no idea of the residual impact of our work. (think butterfly in Africa). We can measure the dollar value of a job, but it fails to measure the true impact. I know that since graduation in May BonaResponds has provided about $300,000 in services to people. I report that to the BonaResponds board regularly. But the true value of this can not be completely measured in US dollars, Haitian Gourdes, or Ghanaian Cedi. To get the true value you can start with the currency but must also add in hugs, smiles, reduced anxiety, and tears of joy. And as a finance professor who teaches valuation, I just do not know how to value those, so I guess they are priceless :).

BonaResponds pre-Thanksgiving update

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:39:00 +0000

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!

Better to give than to recieve?

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:26:00 +0000

'Tis better to give than to receive?:

" The researchers also found another interesting pattern of neural activity in the septal area. In addition to being a pleasure center, this region plays a role in threat- or stress-reduction by inhibiting other regions of the brain that process threats, such as the amygdala. Researchers found that the women who showed greater activity in the septal area also showed less activity in the amygdala.

"This finding suggests that support-giving may have stress-reducing effects for the person who provides the support," said Eisenberger, who directs UCLA's Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. "Activity in the septal area during support-giving was negatively correlated with activity in the amygdala, which is a region known to play a role in fear and stress responses. If there is something about support-giving that leads to reductions in amygdala activity, this suggests that support-giving itself may have stress-reducing properties."

"Giving to others has benefits," said Inagaki, the lead author of the study....

read more here.

Cross posted on BonaResponds.org

This Sunday's work day plus more for Notice Board

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:56:00 +0000

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.

Various BonaResponds' updates

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:32:00 +0000

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

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.
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.
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.

'Green Tags' Offer Simple Way to Manage Cleanup Efforts - WETM 18 Online

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 06:19:00 +0000

'Green Tags' Offer Simple Way to Manage Cleanup Efforts - WETM 18 Online:

"For Brian Johnson and his family, cleaning up their Athens home seems like a never-ending process; after more than a month of demolition, it’s also a process they could no longer handle by themselves.

“I don’t got the time. We’re working constantly, [and] then coming back here. There’s no time to do it,” Johnson said.

The video has Holly in it (she was helping to find us jobs and worked with us (or us her?) on a home). Also has shots of three of the homes we worked on :)

BonaResponds plans community service, volunteer trips throughout region - News - The Bona Venture

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:16:00 +0000

BonaResponds plans community service, volunteer trips throughout region - News - The Bona Venture

From the BV

"Last Saturday, members built a wheelchair ramp....in Buffalo.

This weekend, members are traveling to Athens, Pa., where flood waters [almost] 800 homes in the area.

Senior Jessica Misiaszek said she is looking forward to the trip.

"Even though it is midterm break, I would rather spend my time volunteering and helping people than sitting around and doing nothing," Misiaszek"

Day one in Athens

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 04:58:00 +0000

Saturday -- three jobs ALMOST completed...1 really big, 1 pretty big, and one average sized...

First job was on Suterlee in Sayre PA. The house had been gutted but the basement had not been touched. It was a combination of mud and cement blocks as one side of the foundation had caved in. Relax Larry, it was safe. We had an assembly line up the stairs and to the curb. Went VERY fast. Then turned attention to the mud which was just wet enough to be relatively easy to scoop so long as there was not concrete in it--a fact which means that approximately 1 in 20 shovels were easy. Just when we thought we were getting close to done we realized there was a large crawl space with much mud, insulation, and heating conduits. Steve (Banger) did a great job of handing out barrels of insulation and wood to be disposed of.

AS the work began to near completion about half the group broke off and moved furniture and cleaned out the basement of the next door neighbors.

The largest job was a house on Maple that had not been touched since the flood; it had mud everywhere, carpets covering floors, and mold rampant, oh and by the way, there is still about an inch of water in the basement. The volunteers completely gutted 5 rooms and a stairway in about 4 hours. We have to go back to do the basement but otherwise the job is 95% done for gutting (some in bathroom).

Haitian camp populations decline, but residents still in need – UN official

noreply@blogger.com (FinanceProfessor) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:23:00 +0000

600,000 is too many for 21 months later.

Haitian camp populations decline, but residents still in need – UN official:

30 September 2011 –
"The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) still in camps in Haiti after their homes were destroyed by last year’s catastrophic earthquake has declined from 1.5 million to 600,000, but hardship in the settlements has not eased, the United Nations humanitarian chief said today at end of her three-day visit to the country."

And from Canada's Chronicle Herald on Thursday:

"The latest figures from the UN’s Office of the Special Envoy on Haiti show slightly more than 40 per cent of the $4.6 billion in development funds promised to Haiti by the world’s governments for 2010-11 have been delivered. Haitians rightly fear that the shortfall in promises for the years beyond 2011 will grow as the world moves on. .....

and later:

"Among the observations of our 10-day, fact-finding mission to Haiti this past June are the following:
• Life in the displaced persons camps remains harsh. In many, there is no ready access to potable water, toilets, bathing facilities and medical services.
• Nearly half of the buildings in Port au Prince left standing by the earthquake are unsafe for habitation, yet Haitians have moved back into them in large numbers.
• New shantytowns housing tens of thousands of people have arisen on the arid lands beyond the former northern perimeter of the city as people lose faith — or patience — in formal reconstruction plans."

BonaResponds Blog

Make a fast commerical for BonaResponds

A thank you from Jody

Radio Interview about International Service Day

International Service Day Letter

BonaResponds Update for Spring Semester

Related articles

Notice Board Announcement

Sweet home Alabama - Features - The Bona Venture

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

Related articles

Survey: How can BonaResponds do better?

Christmas presents in Sayre

Alberto Cairo: There are no scraps of men - YouTube

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

A "please come help call" from Alabama

Alabama trip update and signup

A Thank you from a former Allegany Resident

A poem for Santa and our Christmas Wish List

Related articles

An Indirect Thank You from a Catskills resident and a valuation lesson

BonaResponds pre-Thanksgiving update

Better to give than to recieve?

Related articles

This Sunday's work day plus more for Notice Board

Related articles

Various BonaResponds' updates

'Green Tags' Offer Simple Way to Manage Cleanup Efforts - WETM 18 Online

BonaResponds plans community service, volunteer trips throughout region - News - The Bona Venture

Day one in Athens

Haitian camp populations decline, but residents still in need – UN official