Clifford R. and Hope K. Lind Endowed Scholarship for Environmental Sustainability
Cliff and Hope demonstrated a deep commitment to the Mennonite Church and Mennonite institutions throughout their lives. From founding members of Eugene (OR) Mennonite Church, through continuous participation in congregational and conference leadership, to volunteering in various Mennonite outreach organizations, they were steeped in Mennonite life.
Their expression of their faith was not limited to their church involvement. They embraced lives of simplicity, self-sufficiency and conservation—perhaps initially out of necessity but substantially from a commitment to stewardship. From gardening and preserving food, to investing in home energy efficiency, to commuting by bicycle, to embracing the concept of Reduce/Reuse/Recycle, they lived-out the concept of “living lightly on the earth” before it gained general acceptance.
Through this approach to living, Cliff’s career as a public school teacher and administrator provided a comfortable home life for their household of six (although their children did not always appreciate it at the time). Cliff and Hope believed strongly in higher education and financially supported the college careers of their four children, all of whom attended Goshen College (Janet ’83, Myron ’86, Julia ’87, Carl ’89).
As the Earth’s capacity to support our human existence becomes increasingly compromised, the study and embrace of environmental sustainability is ever more important. Cliff and Hope were pleased to endow scholarship at Goshen College that is not restricted to but prioritized for students who focus on sustainability and/or environmental studies.