Bona Buddies Booklet
2007 – 2008
Our Programs:
Bona Buddies Bona Leaders for the 21st Century
Bona Big Sisters Bona Rites of Passage
Bona Seniors
Our Motto:
To the World you may be One, but to One you may be the World.
A Social Ministr y of
St. Bonaventure Univer sity
Univer sity Ministrie s
August 2007
Bona Buddies Youth Programs are funded by St.
Bonaventure University, the NYS Office of
Children and Family Services, the Youth Bureau
of Cattaraugus County, a grant from College
Board and through the contributions of SBU
alumni and supporters.
Director:
Della Moore, Director of Bona Buddies & AmeriCorps Volunteer
716-375-7813 dzmoore@sbu.edu
Bona Buddies Program Student Coordinators:
Bona Buddies Bridget Morgan bonabud@sbu.edu
Bona Leaders Melissa Harrington bonabud@sbu.edu
Bona Big Sisters Christine Smith smithcm@sbu.edu
Bona Rites of Passage Angelo Conti contiaj@sbu.edu
Accountant & Bona Sr. Sandra Wendela bonabud@sbu.edu
In an emergency, please contact
University Ministries at x 2600 during normal work hours
Security at 375-2525 after hours
Ministries or Security will contact Della
Bona Buddies Youth Programs 2007 -- 2008
Bona Buddies is a Social Ministry program where one-to-one relationships are
established between St. Bonaventure University Students and local Children.
All of these Children need the friendship, special attention, and interest of an
older person. These invaluable relationships that are formed often fill the gap
in the life of a youth who needs positive role models and experiences.
Program Descriptions
Bona Buddies is our main mentoring program. SBU students serve as
Mentors for at least 2 hours a week with local children, ages 5-12 years old.
Some of the Bona Buddies receive tutoring.
Bona Leaders for the 21st Century is a county wide initiative that provides a
monthly college enrichment experience for 30 youths and tutoring for 8th
grade youths in five after school programs.
Bona Big Sisters work with 10 to 15 youths in 9th and 10th grades from
Allegany-Limestone High School.
Bona Rites of Passage works with 10 to 15 at risk males in 8th and 9th
grades. These young men have behavior or school attendance issues.
Bona Seniors program is where the Bona student volunteer-“adopts” a
senior citizen.
Student Mentors and Tutors spend at least two hours a week with their child
in some form of interactive activity. The specific activity varies greatly
depending on the age of the Child and the talents and capabilities of the
Student Mentor and Tutor. Each Mentor is asked to commit to one year of
service. Certain youths have been identified by their school, the Youth
Bureau and/or the Bona Buddies program as needing ongoing tutoring.
Tutors are student employees, receiving Federal Community Work Study and
are required to comply with SBU student employment guidelines. Tutors
have met GPA and application requirements. These programs are in full
operation from September to May of each year, some have summer
requirements. Mentors are encouraged to continue some form of contact via
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letter writing, e-mail, or phone calls to their Bona Buddies over summer
vacation and other academic breaks.
Goals and Expectations
The program has three main goals:
“I want to make To provide local children with consistent, reliable
a difference in a St. Bonaventure college students to serve as
child’s life.”
Mentors and role models.
BB Applicant
To provide St. Bonaventure students an
opportunity to engage in community service and to serve as
representatives of St. Bonaventure within the greater Olean area.
To educate and empower children and youths while enabling St.
Bonaventure students to share their gifts and skills.
In keeping with our goals, St. Bonaventure students are expected to:
“Be Creative, Flexible and Responsible!” We strongly encourage
you to be Creative in your activities with your Buddy, Flexible in your
openness to scheduling and collaboration and Responsible to your
commitment. We prefer you to ask for help sooner rather than later.
Maintain weekly contact with their Bona Buddy and when
unable, to notify Buddies and his/her parental person of scheduling conflicts.
Maintain contact with Social Ministry staff, via weekly logs,
monthly meetings and regular campus contact.
Engage in and promote activities with their Buddies that are
healthy, safe and FUN!
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Commit to learning about and living in ways that protect
children through the trainings, weekly e-mails and updates from sites such as
http://www.virtus.org/virtus/. Speaking of that . . . .
Weekly Logs
Your journal is an essential part of the program.
The Bona Buddies program receives funding
from New York State. We demonstrate our
usefulness to the greater Olean community and
our funding source by sharing Mentors‟ journals.
They also serve as a way of keeping in touch
with Social Ministries. Journal entries are
done by E-MAIL. Each week you are to send Della Moore or
BonaBud@sbu.edu an e-mail with Bona Buddies or Rites of Passage or
Big Sisters or Tutoring in the subject area, depending on what you are
reporting on. A file has been set up for the program and your e-mails will be
sorted by name and date. It is important that we have the e-mail that you
read and use most often on file as the best way to contact you. Tutors, your
journals are a part of your job. We want you to get up to date information
about protecting children and tips for your success. That is why
EVERYONE has to log in monthly to http://www.virtus.org/virtus/.
There are separate reflection meetings for Tutors and
for Mentors. Not only are they the time that you receive
your reimbursement check (Mentors), these are
opportunities for you to reflect on your work. There’s
usually food. Checks are only given out at meetings.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Orientation for EVERYONE is Wednesday, October 3,
6:30 to 9:00 pm. This training is for new and returning
Mentors. All monthly meetings and events will be
arranged by Student Coordinators. All Bona Buddies
programs will officially begin the 1st week in October.
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Main events:
October-Halloween Event
October, Tuesday the 30th, 6:30-
8:30 pm
November-Thanksgiving Event
November, Thursday the 15th, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
December-Christmas Event
December, Tuesday the 4th, 6:30–8:30 pm
Additional dates will be arranged by Student Coordinators.
You may want to meet with your Buddy during school break (we have a Bring
a Buddy to Class Day). School district schedules will be handed out during
Orientation.
Reimbursements!
Mentors in the Bona Buddy Program may, with the possession of a receipt,
receive up to twenty-five dollars per month as reimbursement for activities
(and strictly activities) s/he has done with his or her Buddy. With the
exception of a five dollar expense used towards gas, Mentors in the Bona-
Buddy program will only receive reimbursement for activities. Gifts are gifts
and, being gifts, they should come from the student and not from the
program. As a result, the Bona-Buddy program will not refund students
money used towards buying their Bona-Buddy a gift. Examples of activities
could include but are not restricted to going to the movies, bowling, and
baking brownies. Tutors are salaried and are not usually reimbursed.
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Bona Buddy Vans
Due to liability concerns, Bona Buddies Van use is restricted to Juniors
and Seniors. Drivers must have copies of their
license and driving record on file with Social
Ministries and be considered an Approved Driver.
The program has two vans, for student use. As
we only have two vans, Mentors are encouraged
to collaborate on activities. Because we have so
many of you and only two vans, flexibility and
creativity is key. You must come in to the U. Min
office and sign for a van at least 24 hours before use. Please sign up by
noon Fridays for weekend use. Drivers have their schedules posted.
Everybody is free to use their own cars, IF their driver's record is good (and
they have a car). Collaborations to form car pools are highly suggested.
Child Seats Think 8 years/80 lbs. NYS law says that children who
weigh 80 pounds and less should be in child safety seats. We have a child
safety seat for every van and two portable seats for students using their own
cars. USE THE CAR SEATS.
“I don’t drive, what can I do?”
Remember what we said about creativity? Here are some options: team up
with a Mentor who can drive, use the Bona Bus (free!) or the Olean Bus
System and/or ask the parental unit to drop your Buddy off here.
A Word about BB Kids
CHILDREN ARE A GIFT FROM GOD. Some of our
BB youth are living in tough situations, regardless of
their socio-economic condition. They need you to
mentor and inspire them, not to judge their
circumstances. Some of our Buddies are in family
situations that you may not be used to. Some are on
medications that you are unfamiliar with. There are
some social realities involved in our program. We are
helping children, not judging their circumstances. You are
more to your Buddy than you realize. For example, you may be providing a
respite service for their parental units.
You may never appreciate just how important you are in your Buddy’s life.
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MENTORS/TUTORS ARE NOT FRIENDS Your involvement in a Bona
Buddies program holds some responsibilities. Of course you are friendly and
fun to be around, but you are not just friends with the youth in this program.
That‟s because when you commit to volunteering with the Bona Buddies
program, you are committing to be an important role model for a child. This
commitment involves reporting, keeping in touch and being accountable to
both the Bona Buddies Program, the children and families and the agencies
that made the referral(s). As such, you are a representative of St. Bonaventure
University to everyone involved. This is why it is so disheartening when
Mentors become MIA (Missing in Action).
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to speak to us in Social
Ministries. If you see something in a child’s situation that makes you
feel uncomfortable, seems abusive or dangerous, NOTIFY SOCIAL
MINISTRIES IMMEDIATELY. If a child discloses a secret to you
involving abuse, neglect or anything that makes you feel
uncomfortable, NOTIFY SOCIAL MINISTRIES IMMEDIATELY.
While we are not a social service agency we have the ability and resources to
address the matter in safer ways than you can alone. You are doing your part
by being a safe, older and wiser Mentor to your Buddy, let us do our part by
accessing appropriate resources for the Child.
Misconduct
For the purpose of the Bona Buddies Program, a “child” is anyone under the
age of 16 receiving services from the Bona Buddies Program. “Misconduct”
is any intentional wrongdoing on behalf of the Mentors and Staff of the Bona
Buddies Program. Misconduct includes but is not limited to: age
inappropriate behavior, speech, dress; inappropriate setting or ignoring of
boundaries; inappropriate exposure of children to tobacco, alcohol or illegal
substances, inappropriate criticizing of St. Bonaventure University, the Bona
Buddies Program or the child‟s/children‟s parents.
Not honoring one’s obligations to the Bona Buddies Program is also
considered an area of Misconduct as it intentionally wrongs the child
being mentored, the Bona Buddies Program and St. Bonaventure
University.
Particular attention is given to physical/sexual misconduct in this booklet.
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Conduct Becoming a Mentor
You don’t have to be perfect but you do have to be present and
wise. There are certain behaviors and living conditions that are acceptable
for college students but are not helpful for small children. Before you invite
Buddies into situations, consider “is this helpful or harmful to my Buddy‟s
healthy growth?” Mentors should not have anything in their rooms that
violate the University‟s Drug-Free Workplace/Campus community Policy;
nor should there be explicit items in a room, this includes fliers, posters, etc.
Smoking, foul language, etc., around a Buddy is prohibited. Be
wise.
The term „reckless endangerment of a child’ is used for
situations where children are put in at-risk situations by the
people caring for them. To put a child in a situation would
negatively impact the child is against the best wishes of
everyone involved and could jeopardize the future of the entire program.
Such behaviors are UNACCEPTABLE and WILL NOT BE
TOLERATED in the Bona Buddy program.
Mentors who take Buddies to SBU sport events are expected to sit in safe, alcohol free
seating. The Athletic Department recommends that children going to Basket ball games sit
in the areas behind the hoops/backboards.
Records
Trust is demonstrated through documentation. The Bona Buddies Program
has to keep records for state funding and insurance purposes. While
documentation of past behavior is no predictor of future behavior it serves as
a basis to entrust you with responsibilities. For example: while your high
school grades do not predict your college grades, SBU trusts that you are able
to handle college level work because your transcript is an official record of
your past behavior and performance.
The Bona Buddies Program requires all Mentors and Tutors to provide their
driver‟s records and insurance card annually if they plan to use a Bona
Buddies vehicle or if they plan to use their own vehicle in relation to the Bona
Buddies Program. Mentors and Tutors are not allowed to drive vehicles
in any way related to the Bona Buddies Program without a current copy
of their driver’s record and insurance card on file with St. Bonaventure
University’s office of Social Ministries and Business Office.
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The Bona Buddies Program requires all Mentor and Tutor applicants
to sign a Disclosure Statement and to permit a background check with
the State Central Register of Sexual Offenders. This is a New York State
and federal listing of registered (convicted) sex offenders. All Mentors and
Tutors are considered provisional volunteers and/or employees pending
receipt of the State Central Register background check.
We have a file on each Buddy that records their Mentor and Tutors and their
activities. Records of driver’s licenses, insurance cards and background
checks are kept separately and are filed away for insurance purposes.
Physical/Sexual Misconduct Policy of the
Bona Buddies Program
St. Bonaventure University is a Roman Catholic University in the Franciscan
tradition. The essential part of the mission of the Church is the promotion
and protection of the rights and dignity of all people – especially those who
are most vulnerable and those who cannot fully care for themselves.
ALL MENTORS AND STAFF RELATED TO SBU’S BONA
BUDDIES PROGRAM MUST COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE
STATE AND LOCAL LAWS REGARDING INCIDENTS OF
ACTUAL OR SUSPECTED MISCONDUCT AND DIOCESAN
POLICY REGARDING PHYSICAL/SEXUAL MISCONDUCT.
1. MANDATED REPORTERS – There are those who are required by
civil law to report suspected abuse. The Director of Social Ministries
(Della) is the Mandated Reporter for the Bona Buddies Program.
Those designated as Mandated Reporters MUST report suspected abuse.
This is a civil law and could result in legal implications for the reporter if
not followed. Mandated reporters MUST inform Robert Donius, SBU
Vice President for University Ministries when a report is made, who, with
Della will inform SBU‟s Office of Human Resources and all other
appropriate parties.
2. MENTORS (non-mandated reporters) – All Mentors have the
responsibility to report a reasonable suspicion of abuse. Mentors MUST
inform Della Moore before they report an incident to civic authorities.
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Non-mandated reporters such as Mentors are not subject to penalty of
the civil law related to reporting abuse.
Although not Mandated Reporters, Mentors and Tutors need to be aware of
signs of possible abuse. Mentors have helped stop children from being
abused. To that end, Mentors and Tutors must attend the Protecting
God’s Children/Virtus training done as part of Orientation in October
or January. Additionally Mentors must take the two (2) hour Child
Abuse Prevention course offered through SBU’S Education
Department once during their first year as a Mentor. Upon completion
of this course, Mentors will be certified and registered with the State
Education Department and receive an id number that can be used for other
Big Brother/Sister programs.
Mentors need to register for one of the following FREE Child Abuse
Prevention classes offered by SBU’s Education Department
EDU 099 Wednesday, October 3, (Murphy Aud.) 6:30 – 9 pm
EDU 099 Saturday, October 27, (Hilbert College), 2:30-4:30 pm
Mentors will be notified of additional classes as they are announced. Mentors
take these courses to protect, themselves, the children they work with and the
Bona Buddies Program. Mentors who are unable to take these or comparable
courses within their first year can not be allowed to participate in the Bona
Buddies Program as Mentors.
3. MENTOR/TUTOR SUSPECTED OF ABUSE – If a
Mentor/Tutor or U.Min. staff person is suspected of abuse, the
following procedure should be followed:
• The supervisor of the person suspecting the abuse (in this case Della
Moore) MUST be notified.
• If the Director (Della Moore) is the person under suspicion, the Vice
President for University Ministries (Robert Donius) MUST be
informed.
• The Director (Della Moore) informs the Vice President for
University Ministries (Robert Donius).
• The Team Leader (Robert) contacts SBU‟s Human Resource
Department and the Vicar of Campus Ministry for the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Buffalo (Roman Catholic diocesan policy
requires that the Bishop‟s office be notified as soon as possible if the
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allegation is made against a church/diocesan related employee or
volunteer).
• After a verbal report of the incident, a written report should be
prepared as soon as possible for SBU‟s Human Resource department
and sent to the Vicar of Campus Ministry.
• St. Bonaventure University‟s Department of Human Resources will
investigate the situation. The Vicar of Campus Ministry will likely
also investigate the situation. Appropriate parties will be informed on
a “need to know” basis.
As an institution of academic learning and personal formation, St.
Bonaventure University is concerned about the safety of children and the
vulnerable. It is also concerned about the abuser. Assistance and counseling
will be offered to the abuser and s/he may be removed from his/her position
or ministry.
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Activities, Resources and other Fun Stuff
Here are a bunch of ideas of ideas and things you can do with your Buddy:
Tutor your Buddy!
Movies, arts & crafts – use the supplies at
U.Min. Arrange a movie party at U.Min.
The Hickey is FREE!
Go bowling, snow tubing or other engage in
sporty activities.
Visit the Dollar Store – loads of ideas and games!
Create game nights with other Mentors and Buddies.
Attend school and SBU plays, sports and other activities.
Speak with St. Bona‟s Education Department for activities and ideas.
The Olean Chamber of Commerce has a list of activities
http://www.oleanny.com
Team up on a volunteer activity such as The Warming House.
Team up with other Mentors!
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