January 2008 Newsletter

2007 was the best year ever for FOJ. Thank you to all of our supporters for helping us live up to our motto - together, we made a difference in 2007!

An annual report for 2007 will be completed soon, as well as a summary report of years 2000-2006. They will be available as PDF documents at our website.

Highlights

Two very special supporters of FOJ made a great contribution in December. Bonnie and Howard Hoffman raised $3,600 in support of Bonnie running of the Reggae Marathon in Negril. Congratulations Bonnie, for completing the race. We know it was very hard. Bonnie couldn’t have done it without the support of her husband, Howard. He was there for her as her support crew - on a bicycle. He provided her with fluids and nutrition during her training and during the grueling 26.2 miles of the race. He was also there for her as her number one cheerleader – organizing the fundraiser online. Thank you, Howard and Bonnie! Your support of FOJ is appreciated.

A large shipment of donated items was completed in December. I collected used medical supplies and medical textbooks throughout the year, donated by FOJ supporters and by Rockford Memorial Hospital – my former employer. An infant transport incubator, used to move a sick baby from one hospital to another, was donated by the NICU at Rockford Memorial and crated by the wood working shop there. There were also 5 boxes of school supplies that included 21 backpacks, donated by Stephanie Diehl after a fundraiser she conducted. The school supplies, along with boxes of used clothing and stuffed animals, were headed to the Negril Rotary Club for distribution.

Tools for Little London also needed to be shipped, but were in St. Louis, where Glenn McBride had purchased them. Glenn and Teresa brought their boxes from St. Louis to Loves Park and helped move my boxes to the loading dock at the hospital the weekend of the FOJ benefit in September. Once we got them moved onto skids, (most of those boxes were HEAVY!) Glenn wrapped them with plastic and moved them onto a scale to determine their weight for the shipping company. Thank you Glenn and Teresa for your hard work!

The shipment was moved to Florida by ABF trucking company. They did it as a “Charity Move” at no cost to FOJ. Thank you, ABF! From there, it went by sea to Montego Bay. Once in port, Mr. Garfield James of Little London High School, gathered the necessary duty waivers and paper work from Sav La Mar Hospital and the Negril Rotary Club. He also donated the cost of the truck to deliver the shipment to each recipient. Our thanks to all the donors, as well as everyone who helped make this happen. This is another good example of what it takes to achieve our goals – “Together, we DO make a difference!”

Benefiting Jamaica Through Beautiful Beading by Katelyn

Katelyn is not your typical 5th grader - her mother describes her as "socially conscious" with a tender heart. Check out our newest project and order some jewelry today.

Quick Poll

Please take a minute to complete a new and fun Quick Poll.

Results of the last Quick Poll: What projects would you most likely support?
Neonatal Resuscitation - 1
Basic Schools - 3
All Age Schools - 7
Community Support Projects for Children - 1
Higher Education (Scholarship) - 0
Other: Little London High School – 1

To achieve our goals in 2008, we need your help. It’s not too late to make a New Year’s Resolution that will be easy to keep – support FOJ this year by buying some jewelry or some note cards, or by making a donation.

Marcia Burke