Our Services & Mission

Our foundation supports AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe
and books and gardens for Paraguay.

The Sustainable Living Foundation — Working and Learning Together

MISSION:  The mission of the Sustainable Living Foundation is to achieve positive social change in the youth of Zimbabwe, Paraguay and the United States by promoting service and compassion, healthy living, self-sustainability and education.

BRANCHES:  There are two branches in the foundation:  Zimbabwe and Paraguay. 

• The Annual Run for Zimbabwe Orphans and Fair in Mountain View, CA
• Red de Huerta Garden Project in Pilar Paraguay

PHILOSOPHY:  We believe that philanthropy should be active and two-way. 

USA to and from Zimbabwe.   USA to and from Paraguay.   The people of The United States should benefit as well as the people of Zimbabwe & Paraguay.

THE PEOPLE OF THE SUSTAINABLE LIVING FOUNDATION:
The Sustainable Living Foundation is a public nonprofit charitable corporation. (501 C 3)
Date of corporation 10/21/03. Corporation #2562111. Tax I. D. 73-1676980
Board Members: Ellen and Bill Clark; Teresa Clark and David Ruminski; Will and Kristin Clark; and Dee Gibson
Web site: www.ZimbabweParaguay.org Ph: 650 941 9206
Address: 156 Marvin Ave. Los Altos, Ca. 94022
e-mail:info@zimbabweparaguay.org

THE PEOPLE THAT COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SUSTAINABLE LIVING FOUNDATION INCLUDE:

Runners, Fundraisers, Volunteers and Artists

THE ORIGINS OF THE SUSTAINABLE LIVING FOUNDATION BY ELLEN CLARK
The Sustainable Living Foundation was established in response to the great poverty and disease encountered by our son, Will Clark, in the countries of Zimbabwe and Paraguay. Will served as a teacher of “school leavers” in the village of Murombedzi Zimbabwe in 1997. Later on, from 2002 to 2004, Will served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay-- primarily in the barrio of San Lorenzo in Pilar. Today, Will teaches second grade in a bilingual charter school in Watsonville California. Although our daughter, Teresa Clark, has not volunteered overseas, she has been instrumental to the success of the foundation and supports it in many ways. She is a physical therapist. Both Will and Teresa married in 2009 and their spouses are on the Board of the Foundation. Teresa’s husband is David Ruminski and Will’s wife is Kristin Clark. The other members of the board include Ellen Clark (President of SLF) and Bill Clark (Treasurer) and Dee Gibson.

The Clark family has been fortunate to visit both Zimbabwe and Paraguay and the friends we have made in both countries have enriched our lives beyond all measure.

The Sustainable Living Foundation guarantees that all activities conducted within the foundation are done with honesty and integrity. Money raised for the orphans of Makumbi goes to the orphans of Makumbi, not the government of Zimbabwe. Money raised for the gardeners of Pilar Paraguay goes to the gardeners in Pilar Paraguay. Here are some general facts about our operating procedures. Each year, after the Run for Zimbabwe Orphans has been completed, (usually within three weeks), the funds collected via donations are sent in a lump sum to the orphanage via electronic transfer of funds. The account for Makumbi is at CitiBank in NY and maintained by Jesuit Missions. The director of the orphanage, Father Heribert Muller, draws on the funds in increments rather than all at once since there is tremendous inflation in Zimbabwe.

Donations to S. L. F. are, of course, tax exempt. No one on the Board of Directors takes a salary. We are volunteers. As to the philosophy of the foundation, we invite you to read an article that was published March 2005 in the Mountain View Voice. The article is titled “Two Way Giving” (full article)
With regard to Paraguay, we operate in the same transparent way as with the Zimbabwe Run. The Paraguay and Zimbabwe run accounts are kept separate. We have a volunteer administrator in Paraguay who distributes $400 a month among five gardeners. The grants are used by the gardeners for their college education; to maintain the demonstration garden plot; and to sustain their families with produce.

To conclude, no funds collected by S. L. F. are channeled through the governments of Zimbabwe, Paraguay or the U. S. A. We have trust in Makumbi—a home which has been in existence since 1936—that it provides a loving home for the children.
Likewise, we have trust that the Paraguay garden grants are used for their intended purposes. Biannual financial reports are sent to S. L. F. from the gardeners. We believe philanthropy that is active and two-way is inspired philanthropy.

For more information about our foundation contact:

Sustainable Living Foundation

156 Marvin Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone: 650 941 9206
Email