March HOPe Newsletter

Last month, we highlighted a trip that Billy O'Sullivan, Paul Greene and Brendan O'Flynn took to Costa Rica to evaluate the progress at La Carpio. As a result of that trip and the obvious need for assistance to repair a retaining wall, HOPe has donated $8000. for the much needed repairs.

Edmund O'Sullivan, the well-known and talented Irish-American artist, has generously offered to partner with HOPe by donating a substantial part of the receipts from the sales of his drawings that are sold to HOPe members and their friends to our various charitable projects. We will tell you more about this exciting new development next month.

Mary O'Sullivan is making good progress towards a full recovery. We hope that she will be back soon at our HOPe meetings and at the door greeting people, as usual, at the monthly ceilis.

Ashley Brady's mother, Rosaleen Brady, is recovering well from the brain surgery she had six weeks ago. She will leave Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital in a few days and continue her recovery as an outpatient. The Brady family is especially grateful to the Kennedy family who arranged a healing mass in their home for Rosaleen.

For a limited time, the well-known landscape artist, Edmund Sullivan, known for his beautiful Irish landscapes, is offering his work at a 25% discount to HOPe members. With each purchase, HOPe will receive a contribution of approximately 30% of the sale price. Please take advantage of this fabulous offer! For more information, you can contact Loretta King at lking@likingmarketing.com. To see Edmund's work, please visit www.edmundsullivan.com.

The Annual General Membership Meeting (AGM) took place Sunday, March 27th, at the beautiful Maryknoll Retreat Center in Ossining NY. Outgoing president, Joe McCarthy, who just finished his two-year term as president of HOPe, got a big ovation from the members who attended the AGM. Gerry O'Shea said that he did an outstanding job as president and represented HOPe with distinction in our dealings with other organizations.

Congratulations to Dr. Elba Lopez who was unanimously elected as the new president. Joe McCarthy assured her of his full co-operation, a sentiment that was echoed by other members present.

The other main officers for 2011 are: Secretary: Loretta King; Vice-President: Michael Price; and continuing as Treasurer, Eileen Kennedy.

A word of thanks to the facilitator for the AGM, Steve DiMartino. Steve serves as a deacon in a nearby parish and, he is known for his excellent communication skills, which were very much in evidence at the AGM.

Our first contact with Maryknoll was in 2001 through Fr. Leo Shea, who was then serving on the Maryknoll Leadership Team. Leo's latest assignment involves heading up a committee to commemorate Maryknoll's hundred years of service - they were founded in 1911. One of the high points of the year will be a service in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on October 30th. He has invited HOPe to be part of the big day in St. Patrick's.

And talking about celebrations, Dr Lopez will be appointing a committee to celebrate appropriately HOPe's ten years of service and growth. She welcomes any suggestions as to how best to mark the ten years since we had our first meeting in the Kerry Hall in Yonkers if you would like to attend.

We welcome our new intern, Brooke Terry, who is a senior in Iona College, majoring in International Issues. She has been working with Siobhan O'Shea on project development, and she will now be helping the effervescent Monique McNicol in Billy O'Sullivan's office with the planning and preparation for the big HOPe Golf Tournament on June 27th in Rockland Country Club.