Field News Report 105, September

SavaSeniorCare Consulting, LLC, Joerns
RecoverCare and BBF Send Beds to Africa
SavaSeniorCare Consulting, LLC (SSCC) recently
purchased over 4,700 new replacement hospital beds for its
facilities. SSCC and Joerns RecoverCare (JRC) then proposed
a philanthropic solution for the manual beds that were being
replaced.
JRC partnered with SSC to coordinate the donation of
several hundred beds to medical facilities in need around the
world. E.C. Walker, Director of Corporate Repairs for JRC,
reached out to Luke Hingson, President of Brother’s Brother
Foundation, to see if BBF would be interested in a donation of
manual healthcare beds.
BBF’s acceptance of the bed donation was based on the
Bed in use in Africa
specifications and quantities of the beds and their geographical
location. BBF partnered with several other nonprofit organizations and, due to the logistics involved in taking on
this large number of beds, doing so required a significant investment on BBF’s part. Transporting the beds was
a joint effort. Once accepted, JRC worked with its designated freight company to provide all the labor needed
to disassemble the beds and load them onto the freight trucks to be delivered to BBF or one of the designated
charities. JRC utilized its installers to manage/oversee the process and the logistics company provided two
workers to disassemble the beds. Once JRC installed all the new beds into the SSCC facility, the workers loaded
the donated beds for shipment to BBF or designated charity.
The beds were donated to various places overseas where, most of the time, power is non-existent or
limited. Therefore the preferred bed is a manual crank bed. When BBF receives the beds, they are inspected for
proper operation and to determine that there are no missing components. JRC started the donation process in
early May 2015, and BBF has already shipped over 200 beds to Jamaica, Haiti and Zimbabwe.
“Thank you for your willingness to partner with Brother’s Brother,” said Dr. Keir Thelander, MD, FACS,
FWACS, Medical Director for Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, Africa. “Now hospitals like Bongolo Hospital can more
effectively deliver medical care to people that are in significant need.”
“Many of our hospitals had their beds taken for the recent Ebola victims,” said Dr. Karen Asher, Medical
and Technical Advisor to the Christian Health Association of Sierra Leone. “Now, as the regular hospitals are
returning to their pre-epidemic volumes, they need beds. The ones that were taken were so heavily contaminated
with the virus that the hospitals are afraid to have them return. We are so thankful to your organization and to
your donors as we work to improve the healthcare in Sierra Leone. Over the next few years thousands of people
will benefit from these beds.”
“For me personally this has been an amazing experience,” said E.C. Walker. “Being able to partner with
SavaSeniorCare Consulting, LLC and Brother’s Brother has enabled us to significantly improve the healthcare for
thousands of people around the world. That is why SavaSeniorCare Consulting, LLC and Joerns RecoverCare
do what they do.”
BBF National Capital Area Supports
Mission toOn June
Cameroon
5th, BBF-NCA supplied the Patcha Foundation’s
mission trip to Cameroon with 55 pounds of medical supplies.
Items furnished included sutures, surgical blades, surgical
gloves and stethoscopes among other supplies.
The mission trip went to the Littoral and south regions of
Representatives from the Patcha Foundation visit BBF Cameroon. Volunteers were able to see over 4000 patients
during the two-year anniversary celebration on July 25th under very different disciplines including cardiology, dentistry,
cancer screening, ophthalmology, as well as general medical checkups.
Dulin United Methodist Church
to Host Benefit Concert for BBF
First Light Ensemble
November 21, 2015 - 7:00 p.m.
at the
Dulin United Methodist Church
513 E. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046
Free will donation
Join us on November 21st for an evening of music, featuring First Light Ensemble. Comprised of musicians Sharyn
Byer, Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda, and Claire Smith, First Light Ensemble is a contemplative flutes and harp trio
specializing in Celtic and Early Music. The concert will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Dulin United Methodist Church
in Falls Church, VA. All proceeds will benefit Brother’s Brother Foundation and its projects. Light refreshments
will be offered following the performance.
Countries Served in 2015
In the first eight months of 2015, BBF shipped requested supplies to 51 countries including Antigua and Barbuda,
Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana,
Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone,
Somalia, South Sudan, St. Vincent’s Island, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, United States of America,
Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Inside
President’s
Report
2
BBF History
2
Medical Mission
Trip Reports
3
Year End Giving
4
BBF Officers
Board Chair
Thomas L. Wentling, Jr.*
Vice Chair
Charles J. Stout*
Treasurer
Louann Tronsberg-Deihle*
Secretary
John P. Tymitz*
Medical Director
Deborah McMahon, M.D.*
President
Luke L. Hingson
*also a trustee
Other BBF Trustees
Barry Byer, M.D.
Daniel R. Delaney, Esq.
Roy G. Dorrance, III
Garry L. Garrison
Amy Hammer
Alvin J. Harper
Drew N. Harvey
Graham F. Johnstone, M.D.
Cynthia Kilgore
Macrina Lelei
Richard L. McGough, III, M.D.
Ronald C. Miller
Gordon Moore
Les Pitton, Jr.
John D. Reba
Linda Renninger
Frances Stephen
Robert S. Verscharen
Robert J. Weber
James S. Wolf
BBF Staff
Luke Hingson
Qaadir Anderson
Thaddeus Adkins
Debbie Baucom
Erin Belitskus
Sarah Boal
Jessica Capretti
Liam Carstens
William Davis
Karen Dempsey
Donna Engelhardt
Ryan Gindlesperger
Richard Goddard
Antonella Ferraro
David Holdsworth
Ryan Kondrot
Velimir Letoja
Kevin Meszaros
Robert Miller
Frank Seanez
William Shaffer
Dinita Thomas
Pittsburgh: 412-321-3160
NCA: 703-992-9210
Fax: 412-321-3325
mail@brothersbrother.org
website:
www.brothersbrother.org
Issue 105 Connecting People’s Resources with People’s Needs • www.brothersbrother.org September 2015
President’s Report
BBF President Luke Hingson is currently in Malawi. The
following information has been compiled by BBF staff.
During a recent meeting of the BBF Board of Trustees,
progress on relief work in Nepal with Himalayan HealthCare (HCC)
was reviewed. Of major importance was access to food and the
replenishment of livestock. Due to
area restrictions related to climate
and altitude, HCC is focused
on obtaining these resources
locally. The decision was made
to allocate $106,000 of BBF’s
Nepal-designated donations to
this particular effort. In addition,
$100,000 of BBF’s general funds
were set aside for future projects,
which could include rebuilding
BBF donated medical equipment
schools and health posts.
being unloaded in Zimbabwe
The BBF African Medical
Initiative continues, including fourteen shipments of hospital beds
and other medical supplies to various countries. Shown above
is the unloading of a recent shipment of supplies and equipment
to the United Methodist-supported
hospital at Nyadire, Zimbabwe.
BBF
Advisory
Trustee Dr. Jack Demos recently
returned from a medical mission
trip to Guatemala. During this
trip, Dr. Demos and Surgicorps
volunteers celebrated the work
of long-time Surgicorps volunteer
Linda Esposto who is retiring.
BBF Trustees Charles
Stout and Drew Harvey recently
visited hospitals and clinics in
BBF Advisory Trustee Dr. Jack
Malawi and Zimbabwe. Look for Demos
with Surgicorps Volunteer
their detailed reports in upcoming
Linda Esposto.
newsletters.
BBF Thanks
Advisory Trustees
The work of BBF’s Advisory Trustees is very much
appreciated. Below you will find a list of these wonderful
volunteers.
Linda M. Allen
Rachel L. Allen
Elena A. Baylis, Esq.
E. Wade Close, Jr.
Stanley Cohen
Jack E. Demos, M.D.
Paul Euwer
Charles F. Haeussner, M.D.
Austin P. Henry, Esq.
Phillip D. Jones
Lance R. Kann
Michael Karp, M.D.
Chip Lambert, M.D.
Mark R. LaRosa
Craig LeDonne
David W. Lippy
Robert D. Madder, D.O.
Chronis Manolis
Thomas E. Mistler
Frank E. Nowak
Robert N. Peirce, Jr.
Stanley S. Pesotski
Jose Ravano, M.D.
Timothy D. Romps
Joseph Senko
Balwant Singh, M.D.
David Swan
William Swartz, M.D.
Rachel C. Unkovic
Andrew Uram
BBF Education Program
by Jessica Capretti
During June and July
of 2015 BBF’s Education
program,
in
conjunction
with Life for Relief and
Development, provided over
9,000 textbooks to several
Native American schools
across the United States
and over 1,000 children’s
books and novels to the BBF Education Program Coordinator
Philippines. In addition, 400 Jessica Capretti and BBF Intern Qaadir
Anderson sort donated books
textbooks were sent to local
Pittsburgh schools through partner FOCUS North America.
These textbooks came from a generous donation made by U.S.
publisher McGraw-Hill.
BBF also recently shipped two 40 foot containers
of new math, reading and science textbooks and other teaching
supplies to Ghana. In total, there were 1,779 boxes of material
weighing over 34 tons sent. These books will be distributed by
longtime BBF partner, the Rotary Club of Tema, as part of its
involvement in the Ghana Book Project which works to supply
books to schools and libraries in rural communities.
BBF National Capital Area
by David Holdsworth
Medical Supply Shipments
BBF-NCA has packaged 184 mission trip shipments in
2015 with a total weight of 10,209 pounds. Thirty-six were sent in
June 2015 alone. This is the highest monthly total since BBF-NCA
opened.
BBF-NCA shipped two 40 foot containers in July, one to
South Sudan in partnership with ADRA and one to Sierra Leone
in partnership with the Healey Foundation. In August, BBF-NCA
shipped one container of medical supplies and equipment to
Guatemala and one to Haiti with Food For The Poor. A shipment
was also made to the Ivory Coast in the later part of August 2015.
Medical Materials Collection
Total weight of donations in June, July and August was
74,059 pounds. Geisinger Health was the single largest donor
in June, providing 15,175 pounds of supplies to BBF-NCA in
one donation. Other significant donors include Avid Medical and
Joerns Healthcare. BBF-NCA has also collected 138 mechanical
hospital beds from North Carolina during the month of August.
BBF History: Then and Now
by Lars Peterson
1981 was a watershed year for Brother’s Brother—the year its founder, Dr. Robert Hingson, then in poor health passed the torch to
his son. Luke Hingson, 29 years old at the time, who had already worked with the organization for a number of years. By then, BBF had been
around for more than two decades and had moved from Ohio to Pittsburgh. Originally, Luke explains, the organization had been known as
Operation Brother’s Brother, established with a specific medical mission; the term “operation” made it finite, an endeavor set to end upon
completion. There had always been a vague hope, but no plan, for a long-term future. Its committed donors numbered a few hundred at most
and it had a very small staff, most of them volunteers. Viability and expansion would require a new vision and significant changes.
Changing the organization from an operation to a foundation has meant the expansion of funding and changes in focus. Since becoming
BBF President, Luke has helped expand BBF’s donor base from a few hundred to many thousands, particularly
in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In the late 1970s, Brother’s Brother handed off
the world immunization effort that Dr. Hingson had made so famous to Rotary International—an organization
with greater field resources. Instead, BBF went on to specialize in distributing medical equipment, medicines and
books. For instance, in the past 15 years, the Foundation went from distributing 300,000 bottles of medicine per
year to ten times that. Also, 35 years ago, a change in tax law allowed companies to donate (with a write-off) new
goods, not just used. All of a sudden, the organization went from distributing 100,000 books per year to as many
as 3 million, becoming the largest non-profit distributor of books in the world.
In short, amidst significant changes—especially in scale—the organization’s values have remained the
same. So, what’s on the horizon now for Brother’s Brother? Thus far, the organization has operated with a local
board, national resources, and an international reach. Luke’s goal: to expand BBF’s national presence and to
create a national board.
[Source: Interview with Luke L. Hingson (August 19, 2015).]
BBF President Luke L. Hingson
Issue 105 Connecting People’s Resources with People’s Needs • www.brothersbrother.org September 2015
Medical Mission Trip Reports
Lockport, NY Mission Team to Haiti
Dr. Dave Parsons and his dedicated team of volunteers traveled again over the July 4th
holiday to Delmas 75 in Haiti. “The neighborhood of Delmas 75 is about five miles due south of the
Port au Prince airport. It suffered immeasurably in the January 2010 earthquake. It is a jungle of
eight foot razor wire topped cinder block walls with concrete houses hidden behind. Many of those
poorly constructed walls and homes crushed inhabitants and scarred the rest,” states Dr. Parsons.
His teams began trips in the wake of the quake.
Partnering with BBF on its efforts in the area since early 2012, the medical group is
dedicated to the long-term health of the area. Dr. Parsons relates, “We held a mobile clinic in the
artisan property of the Apparent Project in July of 2011 in Delmas 75. There was a large tent city
of over 5,000 very close by and the medical needs were great. The medical teams continued to
return to the area and began using the guest house of the
Apparent Project as a clinic up to four times a year.”
Dr. Parsons and his team are in the process of
leasing a property in Delmas 75 to serve the long-term needs of the community. In order to
accomplish their goals they are starting a new nonprofit, Serving In God’s Name, Inc. “The new
organization, S.I.G.N., will soon be a nonprofit organization dedicated to ‘caring, building, and
loving’ the people of Haiti.” As part of this mission they will “create a permanent medical clinic
staffed with Haitian doctors and nurses to serve the community. Short-term medical mission
teams will continue to come but instead will travel to rural isolated villages,” according to Dr.
Parsons. Eventually they “hope to be able to offer dental care, ultrasounds, and bring surgical
teams in the future,” in addition to the general care they now offer.
University of California Riverside & Irvine
Global Medical Brigades in Honduras
The University of California campuses at Riverside and Irvine sent a team of
students in June 2015 to Honduras. Through a continuing partnership with Global
Medical Brigades, approximately 90 students participated in the trip. Now in its eleventh
year, this partnership typically sends two trips each year to help address the needs of
the populations identified by Global Medical Brigades.
“We want to do our part in helping the world be a better place and help humanity
especially since we have the resources to do so,” states UC Riverside trip organizer
Kapil Amin. “We believe it is every human’s right to receive proper healthcare or have
access to it because a community can prosper in every aspect if its people are healthy.”
“These trips are also very rewarding because they demonstrate the power of human
connection,” Kapil continues. “It was really hot and people were drenched in sweat, but
the thing that kept us going was the smiles of appreciation on the locals’ faces and the
joy we got from helping people.”
Though this was UC Riverside’s first trip with BBF, other University of California campuses have partnered with BBF since 2008.
The long-term dedication of students across the University of California network to make trips, which both make a difference in the lives
of others and further their own educations, is a testament to the potential of young adults everywhere.
Three Strands of Powell, Ohio Medical Mission
to Central African Republic
Since 2009, Three Strands founder Mike Taylor and his wife, Myra, have been helping
to organize medical mission trips to the Central African Republic (CAR), but their roots in the
region go much deeper than that. Mike, Myrna and their daughters served in the area for almost
a decade in the 1990s before returning here to facilitate trips for others. Their most recent trip in
July 2015 provided medical and surgical care, dental care and nutritional support for residents of
the Bangui region. BBF supplied 250 bottles of medication and 20 pounds of medical supplies.
Working with co-founders Russ and Melinda Woda, Three Strands plans and organizes multiple
trips to the CAR each year to provide these vital services.
During the July trip, Three Strands added eight
children to its long-term nourishment program to ensure
that these children receive regular high quality nutrition
regardless of their circumstances. During the team’s visit,
250 individuals were able to receive the comprehensive
care offered at its clinic. Three Strands’s moto is “Care
with Compassion” and its entire team strives to “treat the
physical, emotional and spiritual needs of every patient in
the Three Strands System,” according to its website.
Three Strands, based in Powell, Ohio, chose to work in Central African Republic for many
reasons, but perhaps most importantly because in the CAR “Three Strands has the ability to make
lasting, life-saving differences.” According to Mr. Taylor, “CAR has suffered sectarian violence for
two years. It was great to be able to help people suffering from the violence of war.” Three Strands
continues to build capacity and “ramp up” the services it can offer and the size of its operation over
the coming months. To learn more about the work being done in the CAR with Three Strands visit:
http://www.three-strands.org/.
BBF’s Mission Trip Program in 2015
In the first eight months of 2015, BBF supplied more than 220 mission trips to 44 countries.
Brother’s Brother Foundation
1200 Galveston Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15233-1604
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage Paid
Pittsburgh, PA
Permit No. 797
ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
FN 105
Cover With Address Label
Issue 105 Connecting People’s Resources with People’s Needs • www.brothersbrother.org September 2015
Combined Federal Campaign
Brother’s Brother Foundation is pleased to report that
financial support from federal employees continues. Many thanks
to both our new and renewing CFC donors. BBF is a member
of Charity Without Borders, America’s federation of emergency
relief, development and humanitarian outreach charities. Look
for BBF in the fall 2015 campaign brochure. For donors who are
not government employees, please
remember that some employers match
individual donations. Ask about your
company’s matching gifts program.
This is a great way to give to BBF.
Thank you!
Monthly Giving
If you would like to donate to BBF on a monthly basis, feel free to visit the
BBF website at www.brothersbrother.org. At the bottom of the online donation
form is a section to sign up for donating at the first or fifteenth of every month.
Year End Giving
As you consider the year’s challenges and accomplishments, now is a good
time to review and update estate plans. The following checklist of estate planning
actions may be helpful.
•
Review your current will and trusts.
•
Take inventory and make a written record of the
contents of any safe-deposit box.
•
Review the beneficiary designations for your
life insurance and retirement plans.
•
Make sure your durable power of attorney for
health care and living will are current.
•
Finish charitable contributions by December 31.
As you think about special holiday gifts for family and friends, remember that
making charitable gifts to organizations such as Brother’s Brother Foundation in their
honor can be a heartwarming experience that also offers you tax benefits.
International Recognition of BBF
Consistently rated
with 100% fundraising
efficiency and charitable
commitment for nearly a
decade.
BBF is a member of
Interaction.
Brother’s Brother Foundation Thanks:
H.J. Heinz Retired Volunteers, Allegra Print & Imaging, Pittsburgh
Volunteers from St. Brenden’s Episcopal Church of Pittsburgh, PA, Baldwin
United Methodist Church, Pittsburgh, PA and the dedicated volunteers of
BBF-National Capital Area
Noteworthy
Giving In Honor/Memory
Did you know? You can send a donation to BBF in
honor or memory of a friend or loved one and BBF
staff will send a personalized note at your direction.
From January through August 2015, BBF received
319 gifts in honor or memory totaling $37,432. For
additional information about BBF honor or memory
cards, please call 412-321-3160 and ask for Donna.
Find more Brother’s Brother Foundation
news on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/BrothersBrother
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Brother’s Brother Foundation’s audited financial statements are
always available upon request and at no charge, by contacting
BBF at 1200 Galveston Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233, phone
412-321-3160 and on our website: www.brothersbrother.org.
In addition, some states require us to advise you that a copy
of our financial report is also available through their offices.
BBF never uses the services of professional fundraisers; 100%
of donations benefit the mission of BBF.
California – 100% of your donation is tax deductible.
99% of donations go toward shipping and distributing medical,
educational and humanitarian resources to those in need.
Florida– Registration – BROTHER’S BROTHER FOUNDATION
IS A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT CORPORATION REGISTERED
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 496, SECTION 496.405 OF
THE FLORIDA STATUTES. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL
REGISTRATION (CH23511) AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION
MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER
SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (1-800-4357352) WITHIN THE STATE OR FROM ITS WEBSITE AT
WWW.800HELPFLA.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY
ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY
THE STATE.
Georgia – A detailed description of BBF’s programs and
activities will be provided upon request.
Maryland – Documents and information submitted under
the Maryland Solicitation Act are also available for the cost
of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State,
State House, Annapolis, MD 21401, phone 410-974-5521.
New Jersey – INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION
MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF
THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 5046215. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT.
New York – A copy of Brother’s Brother Foundation’s
latest annual financial report may be obtained, upon request,
from BBF or from the New York State Attorney General’s
Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, New
York 10271.
North Carolina – Financial information about this
organization and a copy of its license are available from the
State Solicitation Licensing Branch at (919) 807-2214. The
license is not an endorsement by the State.
Pennsylvania – The official registration and financial
information of Brother’s Brother Foundation may be obtained
from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free,
within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does
not imply endorsement.
Virginia – A financial statement is available upon request
from the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs, PO Box 1163,
Richmond, VA 23218. 1-800-552-9963.
Washington – Additional financial disclosure information is
on file with the Washington Secretary of State 1-800-3324483 and can be obtained upon request.
West Virginia – West Virginia residents may obtain a
summary of the registration and financial documents from the
Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, West Virginia
25305. Registration does not imply endorsement.
Wisconsin – A financial statement disclosing assets,
liabilities, fund balances, revenue and expenses for the
preceding year will be provided upon request.