BY THOMAS ZAKLUKIEWICZ, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
BonaResponds, a disaster relief group, sent 13 students, two faculty members and three alumni to Freeport, Bahamas, to continue rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Dorian. This marks the seventh time the group has traveled to the Bahamas to volunteer in hopes of improving the lives of people on Grand Bahama Island.
While there, the group ran a rugby clinic, built wheelchair ramps, planted mangroves and cleaned trash off roads. The last time BonaResponds went to Freeport was in 2024 with only four students. With the number of volunteers now more than quadrupled, the group anticipated significantly higher costs and a broader impact.
This trip to the Bahamas was one of the largest groups to travel to Freeport. As a result, members reached out to past connections to determine whether people who had requested ramps on previous trips still needed them.
Upon landing, the group met with a local resident named Harold, as they had built him a ramp on a previous trip. Harold serves as a community leader because of his extensive connections across the island. The group secured nearly half of its projects through him, ranging from minor repairs to larger construction efforts.
Most buildings in the Bahamas are single-story and made of concrete, creating a noticeably different environment from the United States. The difference in architecture was a “culture shock,” said Peyton Keller, a freshman biology major. Harold’s turquoise house had peeling paint, a rusted truck in the front yard and visible wear from years of exposure to the elements. The four-foot ramp BonaResponds built in 2024 had since collapsed at the base, highlighting the ongoing need for repairs.
The first BonaResponds trip in 2006 was funded through a $45,000 St. Bonaventure University fundraiser following Hurricane Katrina. Twenty years later, the group still relies on donors to continue working.
“Without our donors, BonaResponds is just a good idea,” said Reed McCelfresh, co-advisor and adjunct professor.
Of the 17 students who traveled to the Bahamas, five were members of the St. Bonaventure rugby team. When they learned the group would be staying at the Freeport Rugby Club, they asked the owner if they could organize a youth rugby clinic. Club owner Rob Speller, 58, agreed, and the clinic quickly became one of the highlights of the trip for both volunteers and local participants.
“One of the locals really loved what we were doing and what we had done with the rugby clinic and they said they’d cover it,” said Daniel Lowther, a junior.
The rugby clinic, however, was not the group’s primary focus. BonaResponds’ main goal was to build wheelchair ramps as, according to the International Diabetes Federation, 9.4% of adults in the Bahamas have diabetes.
“As a result of diabetes, people lose sensation in their feet and the limb may need to be amputated,” said McCelfresh.
During the group’s previous trip, members completed 13 of more than 30 ramp requests due to limited manpower. This year, they hoped to complete the remaining 17 while also addressing new requests that emerged.
However, in the weeks leading up to the trip and during their stay, nearly half of the planned projects were canceled, forcing the group to adapt its schedule and find alternative ways to help.
In addition to ramp construction, a team of six volunteers worked with a local conservation group, Mangrove Mania, planting nearly 1,600 mangrove trees to help protect coastal habitats from erosion and storm damage.
BonaResponds also joined Waterkeepers Bahamas for a cleanup effort where volunteers collected trash along a roadside area.
“The best thing you can have is a good attitude,” said Dr. Jim Mahar, a finance professor and longtime club advisor.
Volunteers collected over 500 pounds of trash in two hours.
“It’s a powerful reminder that no matter where in the world we’re from, what binds us together is a shared commitment to being good stewards of the environment,” said Javon Hunt of MangroveMania and Waterkeepers Bahamas.
While most participants are students or faculty, alumni also returned to support BonaResponds. Evan McCabe, 27, an environmental specialist and member of the class of 2020, was one of three alumni on the trip.
One of McCabe’s most eye-opening experiences was witnessing the wealth disparity across the island.
“We’ve seen houses with large boats on canals, and then right across the canal are homes that are falling apart,” said McCabe.
While the group’s mission is to help others, volunteers said the experience also changed them personally and gave them a new perspective.
“Certain situations make me grateful for things I take for granted back home,” said Keller.
“All you have to do is show up,” said McCelfresh.
“You just have to start and learn. It’s a learning process,” said McCabe.
BonaResponds said they hope volunteers will remain involved in local service efforts after returning home, continuing their commitment to service in their own communities.
“It’s certainly our intention that what we do on a trip extends back to the Bonaventure community,” said McCelfresh.
