Photo of BonaResponds volunteers Photo courtesy of Jim Mahar BY: JAMESON ZUBER, STAFF WRITER In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Jim Mahar, a finance professor at St. Bonaventure University, created BonaResponds. The club managed to gather 286 volunteers to travel to Biloxi, Mississippi, and help relieve victims of the storm however possible. “BonaResponds is…
BonaResponds volunteers gutting a home during the 2023 winter trip to Pine Island, FloridaDavid Scibilia/The Bona Venture BY: BROOKE JOHNPIER, STAFF WRITER Every year, St. Bonaventure University conducts service trips to help people in need around the country and in other parts of the world. BonaResponds and University Ministries — both predominantly run by students…
BonaResponds members stand on their newly built ramp / Photo courtesy of Jim Mahar BY MARNIQUE OLIVIERI-PANEPENTO, STAFF WRITER BonaResponds’ mission is clear: to help those in need and to bring people together. The student-run group and nonprofit organization at St. Bonaventure University is open to any person who wants to help and provide services to…
BY TUCKER REILLY, MANAGING EDITOR Last Sunday, BonaResponds held an event called “Food Packing Day,” where students made small bags of food for migrants at the US’s southern border and listened to speakers experienced on the topic. Founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, BonaResponds is a service organization that helps with major…
BonaResponds is a group run at St. Bonaventure University that sends students and faculty to an area that has been devastated to provide help. A student-run talent show will raise money to help BonaResponds provide relief for the Bahamas after a recent hurricane. On Tuesday, “Bona’s Got Talent” will be held in the Regina A.…
Unlike other fall or spring break trips in which Bona Responds goes somewhere that had been devastated by a natural disaster, our trip this past weekend was different. There was no hurricane or devastating tornado that hit Cleveland, Ohio. Yet, the moment that we got there it was obvious that work needed to be done.…
In today’s world of instant communication, people are inundated with catastrophic news stories almost daily: a hurricane hits here, a wildfire burns out of control there, or an earthquake kills thousands somewhere else. This constant barrage of bad news can wear people down, and as a result, people often fail to see the stories for…
By Jim Mahar Professor Columnist BonaResponds volunteers teamed up with SBU Enactus for another successful trip to Freeport, Bahamas. Enactus has been doing its trip for 16 years, and this is BonaResponds’ fourth year of working in and around Freeport. Work on the trip included remodeling a classroom, hanging drywall, painting a basketball court at…
By Nicholas Gallo Contributing Writer BonaResponds is on an active mission to help the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma after they affected those from Texas and Florida. President of BonaResponds, Yvonne Gehrmann, is on course to help the victims. Gehrmann has been planning alongside Jim Mahar, Ph.D., BonaResponds coordinator and finance professor, to…
By Yoselin Person Staff Writer The Praebibo: A Toast to BonaResponds is a bubbling beer-tasting event that will be held for those of age on Saturday in the Doyle Dining Hall from 1 to 3 p.m. The craft beer-tasting is a charity event that will host five Breweries: Four Mile Brewing, Ellicottville Brewing Company, Rohrbach…
SHANNON WEST Contributing Writer According to the American Cancer Society, over one million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year, along with over five-hundred thousand cancer deaths in the United States. Warm Snuggly Blankets was created to help those cancer patients. The project “Warm Snuggly Blankets” arose when the mother of Jim Mahar, faculty…
As BonaResponds celebrates its 10th anniversary, the Bonaventure community looks back on the local, national and international work this disaster-relief based club has done. Established in the days after Hurricane Katrina hit in late August 2005, BonaResponds originally aimed to provide relief to victims of this natural disaster, said Jim Mahar, BonaResponds founder and associate…
By Jason Klaiber Staff Writer As the harsh winter months continue, BonaResponds is making it its mission to bring warmth to others. On Saturday, Jan. 31, the volunteer organization will host Blanket Making Day at the Damietta Center in Francis Hall. The event has been organized for the past three years by Warm Snuggly Blanket,…
By Julia Mericle News Assistant Editor BonaResponds began a campaign this week to raise awareness for the fight against Ebola. The group will also raise money for the organizations fighting the disease and dealing with its consequences. The campaign encourages volunteers to help rake leaves in the surrounding community. Community members who choose to have…
By Lian Bunny Assistant News Editor BonaResponds, St. Bonaventure’s volunteer service organization, will be packing boxes of food on Saturday, March 22, with a goal of sending 100,000 meals to people in Haiti and the Philippines. To reach their meal goal, the group needs to raise $22,000. Senior math major and BonaResponds member, Lilly Whelan,…
By Betsy Pray Staff Writer Writing letters seems to be a thing of the past. But what if writing a letter involved learning about a new culture, changing people’s lives and teaching someone English? BonaResponds is giving people the chance to do just that. The service organization is launching a new pen pal program…
By Nate West News Editor Francis Week will feature a new ending this year. For the first time, the Campus Service Day will mark the end of the campus-wide celebration of the life and times of Francis of Assisi. “When we celebrate Francis Week, there are many speakers and there’s different activities going on,” Sister…
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Even with practically unlimited resources and volunteers, this idea can still ring true. St. Bonaventure’s community service group, BonaResponds, understands this and has decided to adapt one of its biggest projects so more people have the opportunity to come together and make a difference. This year, International Service Day…
By Heather Monahan Features Assignment Editor In this day and age, it’s rare to find a college student who isn’t on Twitter. However, with its multiple functions, more professors are joining the site as well. Jim Mahar (@BonaResponds), associate professor of finance and BonaResponds coordinator, said he joined Twitter in 2008. “I joined early on…
By Annie Riley Staff Writer BonaResponds made a trip to Breezy Point, N.Y. during Thanksgiving break to help Hurricane Sandy victims. BonaResponds invited students, faculty, staff and alumni to participate. Volunteers either met in Breezy Point or paid $10 for transportation to the disaster site, and 75 volunteers joined BonaResponds in previous trips to Rockaway…