HOPe is a non-sectarian, charitable organization, dedicated to supporting development projects that empower local communities in Third-World countries. |
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| December, 2010 | Vol 2, Issue 9 |
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Happy Holidays! | |
Dear Friends,
2010 has been a very positive year for HOPe!
We are reaching more poor people in Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ethiopia, Haiti and now South Africa than ever before.
Our focus, at all times, is to help the people to help themselves - a hand-up yes, a handout, definitely no.
All our projects are based on that philosophy. We are proud of the work that our members are doing, and we are very grateful to all our supporters for their interest and financial help.
We wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and abundant blessings in 2011.
Gerry O'Shea
PRO - HOPe |
| HOPe in South Africa | |
At the December meeting, HOPe membership approved a proposal for $9,500 to be donated to the Dominican Sisters for a project in the mountainy area north of Durban, South Africa. This project is dependent on the availability of matching funds. This $9500 is half of the total estimated project cost to create a clean and safe soccer field and play area for the local children. many of whom are orphans.
Sister Mary Collins and Sister Ethel visited the November HOPe meeting. They impressed members with their presentation. We are confident they will raise the remaining 50% for this project. |
| HOPe in Peru | |
HOPe membership approved a proposal for $6,500 to purchase property adjacent to Sr. Rosa's school east of Lima in Peru.
The purchase of this property would enable Sr. Rosa and her associates to build a school/community center. The property would be owned by the Franciscan Order who would ensure that the land would be used only for the needs of the local impoverished community. |
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| Save the Date! |
 | | Ceili Dancing - Kerry, circa 1930s |
Sunday, December 26, 2010
St. Stephen's Day (Wren Day)
will be celebrated by HOPe. If you can sing or play a musical instrument, join us for a pub crawl where we entertain and "pass the hat" to raise funds for HOPe. Please call Mike Moran (347.680.2338)
for more information. Saturday, January 1, 2011 Mineola New Year's Ceili 297 Willis Ave., Mineola, NY 5-10pm. Music by Green Gates. $40. Buffet Dinner. Contributions will benefit HOPe. Please call Gerry O'Shea for more information. (914.439.5366).
Friday, January 7, 2011
HOPe Ceili
Kerry Hall, Yonkers
8-12 pm. Music by Pride of Moyvane. Please join us for great traditional Irish music and dance. NO Experience Required. For any questions about this ceili, please call Pat Buckley at 718.644.9569
Friday, Febuary 4, 2011
HOPe Ceili
Kerry Hall, Yonkers
8-12 pm. Music by Pride of Moyvane. Please join us for great traditional Irish music and dance. NO Experience Required. For any questions about this ceili, please call Pat Buckley at 718.644.9569 |
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| HOPe THRIFT SHOP by Dr. Elba Lopez, PhD |
 | | HOPe Thrift Shop |
The custodians in the building located at 291 McLean Avenue are Eva and Benjamin. Every year, Eva and Benjamin bring the spirit of Christmas to the children in their building. For the past two years, they have come to our HOPe Charities Thrift Shop looking for toys and decorations to surprise the children that live in their building, on Christmas day. In their faces you may see the feelings of joy and warmth, as they find Christmas candles, wreaths, stockings and strands of twinkling lights, to add a splash of light to their dark building.
HOPe Charities Thrift Shop is serving our poor community in Yonkers and poor adults and children in poor countries. Help us to increase our revenues by helping us to broaden our customer base and bringing more paying customers in the door.
You can all help by shopping with us and by promoting the HOPe Charities Thrift Shop to relatives, friends and neighbors. Donate high quality goods to HOPe Thrift Shop. Volunteer, working in the store is the most efficient and effective use of volunteer time.
On behalf of the Thrift Shop Staff we thank you and we wish happy holidays and a prosperous and healthy New Year! |
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HOPe ABOUT TOWN |
St Stephen's Day, aka Wren Day, 12/26, will be celebrated by HOPe. Beginning at Kerry Hall in Yonkers, volunteer musicians, dancers, and vocalists will entertain in the local pubs, "passing the hat". Please join us for this fun day! All contributions go to HOPe. Please call Mike Moran (347.680.2338) for more information. Thanks to Denis Keane, HOPe and a worthy Bronx charity, POTS, will again benefit equally from a dinner and ceili that will be held on New Year's Day in the Irish-American center, 297 Willis Ave. in Mineola. Music will be by the Green Gates Ceili Band. The celebrations will start at 5.00pm with a hot buffet dinner, and the music will continue until 10.00pm. The cost is $40 per person. We want to have a strong HOPe representation at this event to show our appreciation to Denis and his committee. Reservations required. Please call Gerry O'Shea at 914.439.5366.
Gerry O'Shea, Vincent Collins and his son, Ian Collins, will be visiting Honduras from January 13th until January 17th. They will be visitng two HOPe projects (Casa Visitacion and the Community Center in Chamelcon). They will be meeting with the pastor and representatives of the community to determine if HOPe is meeting the needs of the people. In accordance with HOPe policy, Gerry, Vincent and Ian will be personally funding the cost of their trip. Thank you to this dedicated team! Congratulations to Billy O'Sullivan, Director of Fundraising at HOPe, who will be the Guest of Honor at the NY Kerry Football Club dinner dance at Riccado's in Queens, NY on Saturday, 2/12/10. HOPe will have a table to celebrate our own celebrity. It is $80/person. Please contact Gerry if you plan to attend. A commemorative journal will be published for the event. Anyone wishing to take a page for $100 should contact Tom Kennedy at 914.261.1971. Welcome Jose Mendez, our newest HOPe member. Rev. Mendex is a Pastor in the International Mission Church in Yonkers. He and his church are dedicated to helping the poor in developing countries. He currently contributes to very worthy projects such as hospital clinics in Guatemala and Ecuador. The December HOPe meeting was held on Thursday, 12/16/10 at Tom and Eileen Kennedy's home in, Irvington, NY. The meeting was very well attended. Thanks to the Kennedys for their generosity and fabulous dinner. The highlight of the evening was Connie Yuang's piano concert! Great job, Connie! The Thrift Shop is urgently looking for computers and printers for a special customer. If you know of any company that is updating its computers, please let them know that HOPe is very interested in the used ones. Our Mary O'Sullivan, who is a mainstay at many HOPe events, is home from the hospital and recuperating. Please keep her in your thoughts & prayers this holiday season. The December 3rd ceili in honor of Alfie Pakenham was a great success! We raised $1,000 for our projects. A special thank you to an anonymous donor, at the ceili, for his generous donation of $500 for the HOPe project in Haiti!
On 4/30/11, HOPe will have a major fundraising event. Sean O'Shea, a noted entertainer and singer from Ireland, will be hosting a show at Kerry Hall, where all funds raised will go directly to HOPe. More information about tickets and reservations will follow in future email newsletters.
Our Facebook page keeps growing! We now have 263 fans in less than 4 months! If you haven't done so already, please become a fan and keep abreast of the events and news of HOPe. Visit www.facebook.com/hope-charity . Feel free tag yourself if you see a picture you are in, comment, spread the word to your friends. We need to grow our membership if we are to keep helping others around the world.
And, we have also have a LinkedIn page, which is a business version of Facebook. If you are on LinkedIn, please join our group at www.linkedin.com/hope-charity and spread the word about HOPe! |
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- Joseph A. McCarthy, President, 914-433-8413
- Dr Elba Nilda Lopez, Vice President, 718-931-3870
- Michael Pryce, Secretary, 914-699-1503
- Eileen Kennedy, Treasurer, 914- 557-1595
- Gerry O'Shea, PRO & Newsletter Editor, 914-237-4957
- Billy O'Sullivan, Director of Fundraising, 917-337-5353
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