Clark~Claudon 2005 Estate Cabernet

Clinica Verde wants you to help spread the word! The person who recruits the most new supporters to our Facebook Cause in the next 30 days will win a case (a CASE, people!) of Clark~Claudon 2005 Estate Cabernet. You can’t go wrong there.

The Clark~Claudon cab presents “heightened aromas of cassis, violets, fine cedar, & bright black cherries.” In other words, it’s delicious. Check out their website at Clark Claudon.

We’ll track the numbers in our Cause Recruiters Hall of Fame. So, get started! Invite your friends to join! 

*Proof of age will be required to receive the wine.

Peter Stanley is Vice-Chairman of Clinica Verde and one of its greatest assets. For the past 20 years, Peter has worked in the built environment, either building designing or managing projects. He’s a founding partner in Archilogix, an architecture and development consulting firm in Santa Rosa, California, focused on implementing sustainable and smart growth strategies.

Q: You’ve been involved with charitable projects in Nicaragua for a number of years now. Talk a little bit about the work you’ve been a part of — what you’ve overseen, what you’ve learned.

It was about six years ago that I got involved in an affordable housing project in a small community about an hour east of Managua, Nicaragua. A group of local, energetic volunteers from the U.S dedicated themselves to the idea that they could apply their skills to provide housing for some pretty desperate families.  We formed a non-profit organization both here and in Nicaragua and then got to work. Personally, this was my first direct experience with developing world poverty and to say I was devastated would minimize the effect it had on me and, ultimately, my life.  For the past six years I have been involved, with the help of many generous donors and volunteers, in the management, design and construction of 64 single family homes, and two schools, which has now grown into educational scholarships and an economic development program. The gains that have been achieved in this little community by the NGO, Developing Communities, has been remarkable and shows what can be achieved with dedication and perseverance. Never doubt that.

Q: Tell us where you are right now in the schedule with Clinica Verde.

The board of Clinica Verde has put in some very hard work in the past year developing the medical clinic program, design and operational strategy as well as securing the land on which the clinic will be built.  We’ve commissioned the services of an incredible Managuan architect, Alfredo Osario Peters, and an in-country project manager, Johny Siman, to help us prepare the project for construction and our current schedule will have us breaking ground for the new clinic in mid April 2009 and, with a concerted and successful fundraising campaign, we hope to open the doors of the clinic in the summer of 2010.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge for you and your team at this point? What fires you up?

There are always big challenges whenever you take on a project like Clinica Verde, but the challenges are intensified when you are talking about pulling it off in a third world country and a seven hour flight away! But I have to say that what complicates this project is also what makes it so exciting. I think the thing we scratch our heads most about is finding ways to apply sustainable design practices in a country that has not yet embraced emerging technologies. What this forces us to do is go “old school” and revisit passive design practices that take advantage of the natural environment through site orientation, natural cooling practices instead of mechanical units and designing in natural day lighting rather than electrically powered systems.  I think we are all excited by the opportunities this kind of environment affords us as we develop a creative approach to not only the clinic itself but, to an even greater extent, the delivery of medical services.

Q: You give a great deal of your time to this project. What does Clinica Verde mean to you?

Up until a few years ago I had spent my entire professional career working inside a pretty privileged. I don’t mean that in any demeaning way, but I have lived a very fortunate life. Clinica Verde has given me an incredible opportunity to take that lifetime of experience and knowledge and apply it to an area of the world that is in an increasingly desperate condition.  I have seen what can be accomplished through hard work, cooperation and focused dedication and I have to say it is hard to find a more satisfying reward than the looks on the faces of those that benefit from all our efforts.

Q: Imagine yourself and the project in one year. What do you see?

I see what everyone on this project sees, and that is the doors to this beautiful clinic opening and premium medical care being provided to a segment of the Nicaraguan population that has been shut out in the past.  I want to see children and mothers finding refuge in the care and kindness that this clinic will bring and I don’t ever want another mother or child to die because they couldn’t afford good medical care. It’s a big dream, but so achievable … really!

Q: What do you want to say to our supporters?

Don’t underestimate the power your support can bring to this or any cause. The strength of a solitary effort combined with the cumulative force of like-minded individuals can change the world – and I believe that Clinica Verde will in fact accomplish its goal to  provide health and hope to those who are most in need.  Right now we have raised over $500,000, if we can raise another $100,000 by August of 2009 we’ll have enough to finish the construction of the clinic, and with an additional $200,000 we’ll be able to open the doors and start providing medical care to hundreds of families in that community for the next two years!

Clínica Verde supporters Kate Pett and Vince Floriani live in Asheville, North Carolina. Kate is a nonprofit professional and Co-Director of the Asheville City Schools Foundation who has worked for 15 years in nonprofits. Vince is a nationally board-certified 4th grade teacher who last year was awarded the USA Today National All-Star Teaching Award. He first started teaching more than 20 years ago in Morocco. Here, Kate talks about why they support Clínica Verde. 

“Vince and I are committed to supporting Clínica Verde because, as former Peace Corps Volunteers, we know that the mission is critically important. We saw first-hand, the stifling and tragic impact that limited access to health care has on communities. Just days after arriving in our village, we witnessed the death of an infant whose life could have been so easily saved with the most basic medical interventions. Less dramatic, but equally devastating, were the enduring burdens of disease and malnutrition that prevented the successful growth and development of so many children in our isolated community. 

“We are grateful to be able to support Clínica Verde, which will release many families from the grip of poor health. We know that health care is an essential first step to empowering poor communities to create new solutions and become robust and sustainable places in which all children can thrive. Health and hope comes in pairs, and we feel confident that Clínica Verde will deliver both to one community, and then many more.” 

Everyone can help in some way. Give just $20 today.

Dr. Lina Mehta, Associate Dean for Admissions, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

 Dr. Mehta is just one of our extraordinary contributors. We’re so grateful for her support, and the support of others who’ve joined our cause. We asked Dr. Mehta why she supports  Clínica  Verde.

“The thing that really appeals to me about  Clínica  Verde is its sustainability, not just in terms of its physical plant, but also in terms of its impact on the local community. Too often we see medical clinics or medical mission trips that provide short term benefit which vanish as the resources dry up or as the providers go home. Clinica Verde will empower local citizens to become their own health care advocates and to take control of their futures, something that is desperately needed in order to effect long-term change.

“I am happy to encourage others to support this worthy cause.”

Help us meet our matching grant challenge. Donate $20 now.

We are thrilled and honored to announce that Joseph Phelps, founder of Joseph Phelps Vineyard, and his wife Patti have personally offered a $150,000 matching grant challenge to help Clínica Verde raise the remaining funds necessary to complete construction of its clinic prototype in Nicaragua. 

“I understand that Clínica Verde is in need of $300,000 in funding to complete its clinic in Nicaragua,” Phelps writes. “As you know, I am very interested in playing a role in helping the clinic reach this goal.” 

Joseph Phelps is known for producing world-class wines, notably Joseph Phelps Insignia, a tribute to the great wines of Bordeaux. He founded Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 1972, and it became one of the most respected benchmarks of California wine quality. 

The offer by Phelps is conditioned on Clínica Verde obtaining $150,000 from heretofore new or uncommitted donors. Help us to meet this exceptional commitment from a great philanthropist by donating now. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar. 

We appreciate each and every contribution. All contributions are tax-deductible. Help us meet the challenge!

We’re happy to announce that VivaTerra has partnered with Clínica Verde to help us bring health and hope to families in need. Through December 5, for every purchase you make over $100 you will get a 10% discount and Clínica Verde gets 10% of the purchase price. If you’re not familiar with VivaTerra, you should be. It’s a beautiful catalogue and website that sells elegant, eco-friendly goods that reflect a commitment to sustainable resources. 

This is a great way to get a start on your Christmas shopping. As the directions on the link indicate, just enter the code GCV118 in the promotion code box to purchase gifts through Clínica Verde’s partnership. You’ll find great ideas for your wife or girlfriend, friends, family and colleagues – and give back in the process. 

I love their stone vases and candle holders, recycled glass dinnerware, slab wood cutting boards, silk fleece throws, and root of the earth bowls. There are many things that will be on my Christmas list!

A million thanks to VivaTerra for being a leader in private-nonprofit partnerships that seek to do well by doing good in the world.

Recently Clínica Verde received a check for $260 from Jack, Maddie and James Huber. The Huber kids are paid allowance for their chores with the following guidelines: 25% of their earnings goes into their savings accounts; 25% goes to a charity of their choice; and 50% is theirs for spending money. Twice the Huber kids have chosen Clinica Verde as their charity of choice. Here, Maddie (6^th grade) and Jack (8^th grade) talk about this choice.

Clínica Verde: How do you feel about this program? How did you feel the first time your parents told you that you would have to share a portion of the money you earned?

Maddie: I feel happy that Clinica Verde includes medical care, plus it runs energy efficient. I was willing to give some of my money to people who are less fortunate. I felt I had made a difference.

Jack: I think it’s fair that we are able to keep a certain amount of money while some is deposited and some is given to charity. Before I was sad that we wouldn’t be able to keep all of our money, but that’s changed. After giving our charity money away I felt good inside like I had made a difference.

Maddie: I like the fact that Clinica Verde is going to do something to help girls my age not have babies. I hope that the money I give will give people a hospital so they can get treated.

Clínica Verde: If you could say one thing to the families that end up using the clinic, what would it be?

Maddie: I would say that people are looking out for you even if it does not seem like it.

Napa Valley resident Marilyn Asmuth is just one of Clinica Verde’s great supporters. We are so grateful for the contribution of Marilyn and her husband Paul, who coached the U.S. Olympic open water swimmers last summer in Beijing! Here, Marilyn shares why she chose to give to Clinica Verde.

“Clínica Verde appeals to me because it provides hope and the possibility of health to a community in extreme need.  This vision is buoyed by a foundation of sustainability that is sensitive to the realities of the community it serves. Crafting a design for a clinic that can be mindfully and efficiently replicated in other places is brilliant stewardship.

“While it is true there are an abundance of worthy causes to support, to share in the early developmental side of Clinica Verde is high honor indeed. The children and families Clinica Verde will help are woven into our lives as the human family. As we care for them, they will have greater strength to continue their very important contribution to their community and to the world they grow up in.

“We receive a sacred gift when we witness with compassion someone’s desperate plight and convey that story to people who have the ability to help change those circumstances. Even a small gift will make a substantial difference and you will be richly blessed in the process.”

If you’re inspired by Marilyn’s example, you can donate to our cause: Make a Donation.

Today an article on our project ran in our hometown paper, The St. Helena Star. Writer David Stoneberg did a great job telling the story and providing local readers with an introduction to our work in Nicaragua.

You can read the article here:  Clínica Verde in the News

I’d also like to draw your attention to an exciting new partnership with family winery Clark~Claudon. Clark~Claudon has chosen Clínica Verde as one of three charitable nonprofits to benefit from their Making a Difference program. That means 50% of proceeds from the sale of their 2004 Estate Cabernet purchased by you (or your friends!) will go to the work we’re doing to build a prototype of an environmentally sustainable health clinic. This is superb wine, and we are honored to be a part of their charitable vision. Find out more at Clark~Claudon Vineyards Making a Difference.

Last Tuesday, Aug. 19, Boaco Mayor Vivian Orozco signed the papers that finalized the donation of 1 manzana (1.75 acres) of land for Clínica Verde. Mayor Orozco offered the donation last October at our annual meeting of the board in Nicaragua, and we had been persistently navigating the challenge of obtaining title since then, so this was a day of celebration. We had a board meeting in California that night, and toasted this big step forward. 

By Wednesday morning, our project manager in Nicaragua Johny Siman had already contacted engineers to do soil and water absorption tests and met with a local architect. We have a great team working on this, and are ready to get down to work!

We’re so grateful to Mayor Orozco for his generous donation and for supporting our efforts to bring a sustainable health clinic to families in need to this region of the country.