BonaResponds’ local activities do not end when classes are not in session. This summer, our weekly jobs included six new wheelchair ramps, a new set of steps, a large shipment of items to Haiti, preparation of donated iPads for schools, a virtual teachers’ conference for teachers, regular maintenance on tools/vehicles and maintaining the trails through Bob’s Woods. Needless to say, without the students, it was a busy time; without community members, faculty, staff and alumni that came out, it would never have been possible.
From the smile of a ramp recipient, to meeting new friends, to the satisfaction of a job well-done, each week brought its own delights. The people we assisted were all wonderful and a joy to help. I will never forget the family in Perrysburg that worked alongside us and then fed us all in their home that was so high you could see the mist of Niagara Falls from their yard. Or the family that was so grateful for their ramp that each volunteer went home with a dozen or more organic free-range eggs. They were all great people. Not once did I feel anything but respect, love and awe for what people go through and how underneath the external differences, we are all the same and can get along. It was truly a pleasure to go out each weekend.
If you polled the volunteers, I am confident there would be a favorite, unanimous win: Frank would win going away.
Frank will be 92-years-old this coming week. He served under General Patton in World War II. He told us stories of going to war. He talked about getting old. He talked about the weather. But mainly, he told us how happy he was to have us there and that he was going to be able to get out again.
Had we only seen Frank once this summer, there is little doubt that he would have still been everyone’s favorite. His smile was that infectious, his handshake a reminder of all he had gone through and his amazing delight in just being with us was beyond my vocabulary.
But like a favorite song you keep hearing, we had the opportunity to go back to Frank’s home several times, and each time we visited, his welcome became more heartfelt and his smile more infusive. The reason for our later visits was the continued generosity of the Bonaventure family. Last year, we helped build a ramp for Jim, who happened to be a long-time Bona fan. Unfortunately, Jim passed away from cancer, but his kind spirit lives on through the generosity of his wife, Donna, and daughter, Mary, who works at SBU. When they heard we were collecting wheelchairs, they donated Jim’s. Then over the summer, they donated Jim’s electric scooter. We gave it to Frank. To say he was thrilled was an understatement.
The scooter, coupled with the ramp, gave him the ability to drive out to his garage by himself for the first time in years. Seeing Frank’s smile and excitement from driving back up the ramp, a volunteer said, “Frank, you made my day!” Frank beamed and replied, “You made my years.”
I think many of our volunteers would like to say: Frank, you helped make our summer!
BonaResponds Notes:
●Excellent job last weekend as volunteers built a deck and low-rise steps for Mary and Rose. It was great to see the more experienced volunteers leading the new volunteers.
●Our shipment of medical supplies and more arrived in Les Cayes, Haiti!
●We will be working this weekend. Check out our twitter feed to know exactly where. With Hurricane Florence bearing down on the East Coast, we decided to hold off announcing the specific job.
By Jim Mahar, Professor Collumnist
jmahar@sbu.edu
