Operation Honduras 2008-2009
Operation
Summer, 2008: OH
volunteers will assist Starkey Foundation in preparing for the delivery of
hearing aids to another 1000+ Honduran and Guatemalan patients by traveling to:
7 audiology testing sites including 6 visited in
February in Honduras and 1site in Guatemala City, the latter site for the first
timeJ, to collect exams and
impressions and deliver needed testing & fitting supplies including
impression material. We hope Starkey
will schedule the delivery date upon receipt of 1000+ exams and impressions (TWO
IMPRESSIONS EACH!). If we provide them
the needed exams and impressions before August, we hope they will schedule an
event for November, 2008; we will deliver more this time than last November
making this again the biggest hearing event in the history of lower Central
America and providing aid to
February 12-19,2009: OH volunteers will provide: construction services, oral
surgery, hearing exams and much more to the neediest of our Honduran friends.
What
February 14-21, 2008: OH volunteers (17 total) substantially completed a new school within
November, 2007: Gift of Sound OH volunteers (the
magnificent 7 J )assisted Starkey Foundation in delivering hearing aids for 1266
needy patients; I believe this was the biggest hearing event in the history of
lower Central America!
February 18-24,2007: OH volunteers
(25 total) substantially completed a new kindergarten classroom outside Chuloma and a small masonry addition to a effectively free
clinic in Roatan,
February 16-23, 2006: OH
volunteers substantially completed a three room clinic outside
August 11-15, 2005: Hearing
aids for 107 needy patients were delivered to Teleton
Clinic. THANK YOU! STARKEY
FOUNDATION! OH volunteers personally
fitted 87 patients with wonderful help from Dr Flores. One construction project, three room
schoolhouse outside Chuloma, was selected from
several inspected/reviewed during this trip.
Beautiful, 100% completed school at La Union was dedicated with
television coverage and many dignitaries.
February
17-24, 2005 Volunteers substantially completed a five room
schoolhouse at La Union, Honduras. The
OH Medical
team provided badly needed basic dental care for
approximately 70 orphans at Emanuel Childrens Home as
well as free oral surgery
to patients including a young 16 year old orphan from El Refugio. This patient had a severe accident; the Solfanellis giving her
October 28-Nov 2nd, 2004:
Wonderful Starkey Foundation representatives lead us in the delivery of enough
hearing aids to allow over 208 needy patients, mostly children, to receive the
gift of sound! This trip also served to
review and select construction and medical projects for the upcoming February
17-24, 2005 volunteer trip.
February
12-19, 2004: 22 OH Volunteers: substantially completed a new schoolhouse for
Project Mama, an orphanage outside San Pedro Sula;
performed finish work to a residential
facility at Amor Y Vida, an orphanage for sick
children, most HIV positive; performed free oral surgery on needy
children at Ruth Paz ‘free’ Clinic; provided audiological
exams and take ear mold impressions for needy children in San Pedro Sula &
Trujillo areas and coordinated newly established medical projects through
Rotary.
October 23-28,
2003: Volunteers attended Conference on Honduras 2003 held in
Copan Ruins and selected projects.
May 29-June 3,
2003: Volunteers delivered hearing
aids to 111 needy patients tested during the OH February, 2003 trip to that
country. Due to the generosity of Starkey Foundation, wonderful
efforts by in-country & OH volunteers, a donation
of only $50 per hearing aid was necessary to give this gift of sound and allow
a child to hear possibly for the first time in his or her life.
February
13-20, 2003: 13 OH volunteers
substantially completed a vocational building at El Refugio, a quickly growing
orphanage outside
May 31-June 5,
2002:
OH volunteers deliver approx.
$250,000 worth of donated hearing aids to children tested during the previous
February trip! This donation allowed
over 130 patients to receive the gift of sound thanks to Starkey!
February
14-21, 2002: One substantially completed
project was a approximately 1200 s.f.
masonry residential facility at “Amor Y Vida”, “Love
and Life”, a local orphanage for sick children, many of which are HIV
positive. With permission from the New
York City Fire Department, captain of Engine 10/Ladder 10, Liberty St., NYC,
and representatives of Amor Y Vida, this building was
dedicated to the five (5) firemen from Engine 10/Ladder 10 who made the
ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.
Their firehouse was the first called and first to respond to the
disaster. OH volunteers traveled to
ground zero to communicate this dedication..
The remaining projects were:
delivering hearing aids, medicines/supplies, & providing oral surgery to
poor patients. The latter project is
made possible by the volunteer efforts of Dr. Stephen & Beverly (RN) Solfanelli. The group was comprised of 21 volunteers.
October 25-30, 2001: Volunteers confirm projects for
February 2002 and deliver & implant 42 hearing aids.
May 24-29, 2001:
Delivered 180+ badly needed hearing aids, molds and related materials to
Honduran children tested during the February, 2001 trip. The value of this donation is estimated to be
approximately $160,000! This success was
made possible by the generosity of Starkey Foundation, Rotary Foundation and
dedicated medical volunteers. This trip
served as an evaluation and planning session for February, 2002. Volunteers delivered 3 computers and 1
printer to Teleton Clinic, SPS,
February 15-22,
2001 (25 volunteers): Construction teams
performed finish work at Amor Y Vida. Air
conditioning units, generously donated by two individual volunteers, were
installed in the addition to the Ruth Paz ‘free’ Clinic. OH personnel built this addition in February,
1999. A medical team provided audiological testing & evaluations for over 100 needy
children who would otherwise not be able to afford them. Requested donations of medicine valued in
excess of $7000 were hand delivered to the Ruth Paz Clinic.
October, 1999-Five (5) volunteers delivered and fitted over 40 hearing
aids.
Construction plans were finalized for El Refugio and the Ruth Paz
Clinic. September, 1999- Two
volunteers undertook a privately funded, unplanned four day
trip necessary to guarantee October, 1999 delivery and implanting of hearing
aids. They coordinated or personally
took impressions of hearing aid recipients' ear canals necessary to fabricate
ear molds in time for October delivery. February,
1999-Work crews built a major 1000 square
foot addition to the Ruth Paz Clinic. A
technical team donated a computer and arranged for internet access to the
clinic. This allowed medical personnel
to email photos of burn victims in seconds, a process previously taking several
days, at a minimum. Medicines were also
donated. October, November &
December, 1998-Northeast PA donors contributed over $50,000 in cash and
badly needed supplies to help victims of Hurricane Mitch.
June, 1998-21 needy Honduran children receive hearing aids
generously donated by The Starkey Foundation.
The value of this donation is estimated to be $16,000. Logistics including in-country testing,
review of results & delivery were handled by OH.
February, 1998—Renovations were performed to the Ruth Paz Clinic
including new counter tops, general repairs, design and donation of air
conditioning system. Donations including
school supplies and medicines were delivered to the orphanage and clinic,
respectively. Poor children were
provided audiological testing resulting in the
eventual donation of hearing aids where needed.
A new 300 s.f. masonry addition was added to
the Emanuel Childrens Home. February, 1997-Volunteers performed renovations to the Emanuel Childrens Home.
Renovations included new ceilings, partition walls, doors, and concrete
floor repair for an existing kitchen.
This resulted in healthier means of food preparation. Volunteers also helped in constructing two
restrooms and shower facilities. Brenda,
an 8 year old resident of the home, is tested and provided donated hearing
aids.
How
you can help:
-donate:
used hearing aids (Starkey credits OH
account for each used aid received), anti inflammatory medications; adult &
children, tablets & suspension (acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen); cough
suppressants; nasal decongestants; ascorbic acid;calcium;ferrous sulfate & folic acid. Donations
are hand delivered to Ruth Paz Clinic.
-donate
equipment to help with additional pc based telecommunications systems similar
to that used by Ruth Paz Clinic; specific examples are: laptop computers,
digital cameras, portable printers, scanners, etc.
-contribute (financially) to St. Mary’s/
-contribute (financially) to
**Above
donations go directly to materials or airfare-there are no administrative
fees**
-be a
volunteer; you will need to budget an estimated $1100.00 plus miscellaneous
costs associated with passport, vaccinations, etc.
For more information, please contact Operation
Jim
Davenport Antoinette
“Toni” Barto John
Prokopchak Jim Weaver Matt Petlock
Administration Nursing/Medical Construction Construction Computer/Tech
(570)
970-0650 (570)
346-5899 res. (570)
696-5004 wk. (570) 474-9716 (570)970-0650
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]