Sustainable Family Communities January 2014 update
10 January 2014
RE: 1.) New overview showing the WHY and HOW of your communities project (pdf attached).
and 2.) a few words on what's going on in the background of your project.
Thank you for your continuing support of our work of compassion to implement Sustainable Family Communities (SFC) as a means for assisting those living in poverty to create a higher quality of life for themselves and their families, and to reduce the number of orphans in the world.
I would like to address two important issues with you:
1. Project Complexity - Some people think that SFC is an overwhelmingly difficult project to accomplish. However, when you examine the project closely (i.e., see it piece-by-piece or step-by-step), every individual component of the project is being done today by other groups. These include Service Clubs like Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, and universities, churches and others around the world (E.g. water wells, clinics, or schools and homes) with which we will collaborate. Attached is a pictorial review of the rational that shows you WHY we have chosen to employ a comprehensive design of SFC communities, and it shows HOW the project pieces all fit together.
In truth, it is not the project design nor even building commercial businesses and homes that is the most challenging aspect of this undertaking. The real complexity and the most difficult challenge is the effort needed to deal with government regulations (at the local, state and national levels) and existing social and economic norms that these communities impact within a country. Our new model does not easily “fit” within existing systems (many of which have evolved to perpetuate poverty). We are “breaking the mold” and advocating a new way for people to live – with zero poverty, in new, small, prosperous communities that are sustainable long term. Would you like to see less poverty around you? Help us implement these communities and watch it diminish.
2. Progress: It may appear to the casual observer that not much is being accomplished by SFC because they do not see businesses or homes being built. They ask, “When will families be moving into new homes?”. Well, all of us working on this initiative want to see that also, but there are critical things that must be accomplished before the building begins (e.g. the complexities mentioned above). For example, our accountants and attorneys from both the USA and Mexico working on specific legal pre-requisites that must be resolved, important relationships must be established with key individuals within both government agencies, universities, foundations and businesses.
Excellent progress is being made and there is growing support for building a network of Sustainable Family Communities. At the same time, we are continuing the fund raising for our operations staff to stay in Mexico while the above tasks are being carried out. If you want to see us doing the construction, we need your help to get to that point by donating operating funds to keep our staff in country working on the items listed above full time.
Two of our donors recently made a short video that is now on Facebook – we encourage you to view the video at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yswahbb7rplsekb/Mommy%20v-2.mp4
As they point out in the video, you can also support our efforts by sharing this email and attachment with your social network as well as donations.
A priority at this time is the raising of operational funds (transportation, housing and food) that will be used to support our executive director while living in Mexico while we acquire the funding there for the construction.
To help with these expenses, you can make a credit card donation on our website:
http://www.sustainablefamilycommunities.org/donate/ You will notice on the donate page, that we are now also able to accept BitCoin and LiteCoin donations.
Thank you again for your interest, support, and for your compassion for the poor and orphans.
As always, we appreciate your feedback, ideas and comments.
On behalf of our team, you are appreciated!
Bob Miller