Doctors Without Borders

Below is a letter of thanks my husband and I received from Ms. Sophie Delaunay, Executive Director, MSF-USA thanking us for our monetary donation for Doctors without Borders, who are currently helping out in Haiti. Please check this out. It is a wonderful way to help out knowing your dollars are going to help these physicians and their efforts to aid the victims in Haiti. Thank you. Lorraine

“Thanks to your support and the dedication of our staff and volunteers, MSF was able to react immediately and effectively to the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. Here are some first-hand accounts of our response to the profound medical needs of the Haitian people.”
Sophie Delaunay, Executive Director, MSF-USA

Video: Facing an “Unprecedented Challenge” in Haiti

Op-Ed: “Trying to Save Lives in Port-au-Prince”

Video: The Construction of an Inflatable Hospital

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in nearly 60 countries. New York office: 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY, 10001

It’s me Lorraine wishing everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year 2010…our health is our wealth!

The Winners of BK2HK’s “Best Christmas Movie” contest are…

The “Best Christmas Movie” contest was won with a total of 5 votes! The movie chosen by the 5 winners is “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Donna Reed and James Stewart and produced by Frank Capra in the year 1946. This movie is based on the short story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern.

It’s a Wonderful Life was nominated for 5 Oscars without winning any, but the film has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 Best American Films ever made.

Ref: Wikipedia

Our lucky 5 winners are as follows:

1. James Dundas
2. Peter James Calafiore
3. Fran Sgobbo Osterburg
4. Robert Hulsart
and last but not least
5. Tom Grant!!

Each winner will be receiving 1 free movie pass in the mail to be used @ any movie theater chosen, compliments of “Be Kind to Humankind”(BK2HK). CONGRATULATIONS to all of you and a big THANK YOU for all of those who participated!!

Will all winners please e-mail BK2HK your home address’ and BK2HK shall mail out your ticket ASAP!!! Just click on contact to the right and send me your address. Thanks!!! Lorraine

Providing The Hungry With A Meal 24/7

The 2009 CNN Heroes Tribute Show honored ten people who make extraordinary efforts to help others. CNN received thousands of votes, among the nominees were men and women, war veterans, cancer survivors, and educators to name a few. One of the ten finalists was Jorge Munoz (pictured), a bus driver who feeds the hungry in New York. He founded An Angel In Queens, a non-profit organization that helps to provide food to those who are less fortunate. Jorge and his family work every single day, preparing meals and serving them to the locals.

View the video on CNN. Also, enjoy learning about all of the CNN heroes at cnn.com/heroes. If you happen to know someone who you consider a hero, you can nominate them for CNN Heroes 2010.

Homeless Shelter Receives A $400 Gift Card

The Robert J. DeLonis Homeless Shelter in Washtenaw County Michigan was awarded a $400.00 store gift card from MEIJER on Jackson Road in Scio township. This is the 4th year in a row that MEIJER has been so generous and gracious by helping out the shelter. The shelter will be using this money for bedding such as sheets, blankets, and pillows. They will also purchase warm hats, gloves and winter gear for their clients. Above is a photograph taken of me (Lorraine) presenting the shelters Executive Director, Ellen R. Schulmeister with the $400.00.

Be Kind to Humankind wishes to say THANK YOU once again MEIJER, Kim Valentine and Kathy Keillor of MEIJER whom without their assistance this would not be possible!!

Here are a few Pictures of Shelli Gary and the folks in Guatemala waiting for Eyeglasses…

The Gary family brought more than 1,730 pair of eyeglasses, with over 1,500 pair collected by “Be Kind to Humankind” (BK2HK). What a joy it was to be involved in this. BK2HK plans on continuing the collection, so if you wish to donate any Prescription Eyeglasses/Drug Store Reading glasses/and Prescription or non-prescription sunglasses to us for next summer’s trip to Guatemala, please send them to our address below.

A very special thank you to all of those who participated in this extremely successful endeavor. We would also like to thank the following for their participation:

Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church of Dexter, Michigan, Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church of Chelsea, Michigan, Saint Justin’s Roman Catholic Church of Toms River, New Jersey, Jacqueline Painter-Professor of Spanish Delaware Community College in Delaware County, Debbie Tenzer of DoOneNiceThing.com in Los Angeles, California, Desiree Aaron, Mary and Robert Gibson, Sue Daczka, David and Donna Gibson, Sherry Kouslowski, Carol Larson, Matt Amin, Amanda Hukell, Veronica Gary, Connexions Church, Most Ministries, and many, many individuals who donated one or more pair of eye glasses!

Thank you!
Shelli

Address for future donations:

Lorraine Jara (BK2HK)
P.O. Box 131397
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-1397

Check out the rest of the photos here.

The Garys Are Back From Guatemala

The Gary Family has returned this past Sunday, August 2nd from Guatemala. I spoke briefly to Shelli Gary and she said the trip was fantastic! So many happy people, happy faces receiving much needed eyeglasses/sunglasses/and drug store reading glasses. I am currently awaiting a full report from Shelli informing us in detail, along with a flicker page of photos of their fabulous trip. Thanks to you and all who were so kind and generous with donations, we could not possibly be happier…except of course for the folks in Guatemala who are thrilled to have their lives changed by being able to see clearly! Awesome job and once again we are going to be posting additional information about the Gary family’s trip! God Bless All!

Handing Out Eyeglasses In Guatemala

The Gary Family is now in Guatemala assisting in dispensing the 1,730 pair of Prescription Eyeglasses collected by Be Kind to Humankind (BK2HK) and other sources here in the U.S. Shelli Gary estimates that BK2HK collected over 1,500 pair! Be Kind to Humankind (BK2HK) has helped to triple the amount of eyeglasses brought to Guatemala this summer. Last summer the Garys brought over an estimated 500 pair! Be Kind to Humankind (BK2HK) give’s much thanks to all of those who participated in helping to change people’s lives for the better in Guatemala! Within the next two weeks we will be posting the Gary’s return trip home with a new Flickr Page of photos, their story about their trip, and a detailed list of all whom have helped to make this possible!

DoOneNiceThing.com Has a New Book Out…Check it out!!!

Do One Nice Thing is a wonderful web site which features all types of kind acts and ways to get involved in helping others without spending a fortune. In fact, being kind and helpful to others is usually FREE (holding a door for someone, sharing a smile or a kind word, and just plain being polite and considerate!) Debbie Tenzer, creator of DoOneNiceThing and author of this fab book with the same fab title also suggests many other groovy ideas on how we can improve our little corner of the world one person at a time!!!

To order this book and view Debbie’s video please visit the link provided!
Order Book here

Remember, being kind is FREE and meant to be shared with others. Just imagine (as John Lennon once sang) what a wonderful world this could be if all of us followed this simple philosophy!

Over 1,000 Pairs of Prescription Eyeglasses Collected for Guatemala So Far!!!

Hurray! Thanks to so many generous people “Be Kind to Humankind” (BK2HK) has collected over 1,000 pairs of used prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses for the folks in Guatemala! We cannot thank you enough for your efforts to help these folks. We will have a complete update in late July as to how many eyeglasses we were able to collect for the Gary family’s trip to Guatemala which is taking place in July. Also, we will share a list of those who participated in the collection. The collection will go on indefinitely, as the Garys make this trip every summer. See the Ann Arbor News article here. BK2HK looks forward to June when we can estimate how many pairs of eye wear we have collected! Thank you again and please continue to donate.

Much Kindness and Appreciation to All,
Lorraine

Address for Donations:

Lorraine Jara (BK2HK)
P.O. Box 131397
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-1397