“It has been a busy few weeks for BonaResponds” could be the starting sentence in almost every article about BonaResponds. This week is no exception, and since I have not used that sentence to start an article yet this semester, I will today.
To start, we built a wheelchair ramp for Bill, a World War II and Korean War veteran. Stop and think about that for a few seconds. Bill fought in both wars. He was off the coast of Japan when the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He was called back to service for the Korean War. He just turned 92 years old. Two weeks ago for his birthday, BonaResponds volunteers built him a wheelchair ramp.
Building any ramp always feels good. There is a sense of accomplishment for seeing a job from start to finish. There is the camaraderie of a group of volunteers working together on a common goal. There is a surge of emotion, knowing you made someone’s life better. But this one was even more special. To know he was a veteran, and to know he (and his whole family) has been a Bona fan for decades really made it a special day.
This past weekend we completed another ramp and scouted another upcoming job. It was ramp number 220, which is an enormous number when you consider it. It took one day to do and was yet another great reminder of how fun it is to work with others on a common goal.
We also got a donation of over 90 used iPads from the schools throughout Olean. Working with some volunteers from Enactus, we began readying them for distribution to schools and other groups in Haiti, the Bahamas and the US. We also packed and made some more “WarmSnugglyBlankets” to be given to people with cancer.
This week, we also received good news in the mail with the receipt of a $20,000 check from the Ralph Wilson Foundation for a new (used) vehicle and a larger trailer. This grant should allow us to get more done to help those in need of a ramp in the area. For instance, on many ramps now, we must make two trips and not build too large of sections in advance due to size constraints on the trailer. The grant will facilitate two teams being out working at once and allow us to make fewer trips for supplies. This is great news and deserves so a huge thank you to the Ralph Wilson Foundation.
Internationally, in conjunction with HaitiScholarships, we sent money to support a school in Leogane, Haiti, where there are 12 elementary school students that would not be able to afford schooling without the help of our scholarships. With the help of PositiveRipples, we sent money to begin a larger garden program in Les Cayes, Haiti. This will be hugely beneficial both in the training of students, as well as a great improvement in the event of further protests that shut down stores. Meanwhile in Sierra Leone, harvesting of another garden began. With the sale of the gardens going to continue microloans and aid in helping schools progress.
We also restarted collections of children’s books, soccer equipment, and toiletries.
This weekend we will be building tent platforms at Mount Irenaeus on Saturday and then building a ramp for a local lumber man who was hit by a tree six weeks ago. His miraculous story includes cutting the tree off his legs one handed, surviving the cold with two shattered legs while waiting for rescuers to find him, and a long recovery in the hospital. What an amazing story. We are so glad we can help him!
Next weekend the events marketing class will be hosting a Color Run as a fundraiser for us. Come out and run to make more wheelchair ramps possible!
By Jim Mahar, Professor Columnist
jmahar@sbu.edu
