By Jim Mahar, Professor Columnist
I want to start off by thanking the BV editors for giving me the opportunity to share these articles with you, the readers. I am deeply honored. I hope to give you a little glimpse into the world of BonaResponds. I hope you see some of its impact and that you volunteer with us, but most importantly, I hope to spark your ability to make the world a better place in all that you do.
I am often asked what BonaResponds is. My answers vary, some depending on the audience, but the most common answer is that BonaResponds is a St. Bonaventure University volunteer organization that is open to everyone. Its goal is to make the world better. We respond to disasters and helps those in need. BonaResponds does work of all sorts, work near and far. We try to help in any way that it can. We work in streets, fields, homes, and classrooms. We aim to make lasting improvements and not just cosmetic short-term fixes.
That answer works pretty well. But in the course of these articles, I would like to expand the answer, to give you a little more insight into what BonaResponds is, what it does, how it works and maybe, most significantly, why it is what it is.
BonaResponds was founded in the weeks after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We started with a splash, as almost 300 members of the university community came together during spring break of that first year to work in five sites along the Gulf Coast.
Since then, we have responded to disasters in 17 states. We have shipped over 200,000 meals to those in need after disasters. We have been responsible for over 12,000 trees being planted (mainly in Haiti), through HaitiScholarships, PositiveRipples (groups we formed apart from the university) and Tout Moun Se Moun (a Haitian group we help to fund which translates as “All People are People.”)
We have made over 100 micro loans (100% repayment still). Today, we have over 100 students going to school in Haiti and Liberia, and several garden programs in Haiti, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
We have helped after Typhoons in the Philippines, multiple natural disasters in Haiti, and the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. We also work on a weekly basis locally on everything from wheelchair ramps (almost 200), trail maintenance, giving away WarmSnugglyBlankets, painting schools, helping with roofs, and a myriad of other projects.
Why? It is simple. At the heart of what we do are the beliefs that everyone matters and can make the world better. We may not be able to make things perfect, but we can help make things “better” and in doing “better” we learn much, make amazing friends and bring the world a little closer together.
If you would like to get involved, please check out bonaresponds.org or, better yet, come volunteer. We don’t have many meetings and almost no bureaucracy, but we do work almost every weekend, which is the best way to learn about us. Volunteer days are usually Saturday and Sunday, but please see our website or social media for details. We are always looking for leaders and volunteers on campus, around the local area, and around the world. As our saying says: Volunteer and Change the World!
BonaResponds Notes:
* It is not too late to come with us on our spring break trip to Dickinson Texas (Houston area) to help rebuild after Hurricane Harvey. See bonaresponds.org or email Yvonne Gerhmann (gehrmayn14@bonaventure.edu) for information and to register.
* Know someone with cancer? We would love to send them a blanket.
* Know of a job that needs doing? Submit it on our website.
* Quote of the week: “For it is in giving that we receive”—St. Francis of Assisi.
This is the first in a series of articles on BonaResponds by BonaResponds leader, Jim Mahar, Ph.D.
