from www.zimmerfoundation.org/about/index.php

The Zimmer Foundation for China was established to implement holistic programs to improve the economic and spiritual conditions in rural Guizhou. The Zimmer Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization established in memory of Rev. & Mrs. Gerald R. Zimmer who served in China 1936-1948.
Rev. & Mrs. Gerald R. Zimmer were Educators who, in the middle 1930s decided they wanted to be missionaries and went to China to preach and teach. They went to a very remote area in the interior, to a small town of Tongren. There they lived with the people, learned their language and customs and worked to improve their situation.

They saw a need for teachers and help to found the Tongren Teachers College, which has since grown to be a full fledged university; Tongren University. The same desire Rev. & Mrs. Zimmer had to support needy students with scholarships is being carried on today with the generosity of people like you.

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The Zimmer Foundation initiated a scholarship program in 2004 that supports the major cost of education for students annually for the second, third and final years at Tongren University. Now, over twenty students have been provided scholarships. It was our vision that at least two students will be added each year over a ten year program. Many donors have allowed us to exceed our visions of the scholarship program. The selection of the students is based upon their academic achievements and financial needs. The student’s family is identified with an income at or less than the poverty level established by the Tongren prefecture officials.
In villages of rural China, many students are the first of their family to complete college. Zimmer Foundation has arranged to financially support specific students with financial needs. The eligibility for receipt of such scholarships is first year college students with academic excellence who come from very poor families. Often these are children of farmers whose annual income is less than $264 USD. The families earn below the declared poverty level defined by each county.

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Peace Corps China blog : My Life as a Complex Adaptive System

The Zimmer Foundation

2010 November 8, Posted by sky

This a short post tonight because it is so late, but I have a great story to tell. Since I arrived in Tongren, I have heard about a man affectionately called “uncle Stan.” His parents were missionaries in China and helped set up a hospital as well as the first church in Tongren. Several years ago, uncle Stan set up a foundation called the Zimmer Foundation. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in rural China, specifically by investing in education. The foundation sponsors a scholarship fund that relieves the financial burden that many of the students, who come from remote farming villages, face at Tongren University.

I had the pleasure of meeting uncle Stan today and I must say that he is quite an amazing man. I found out that he was born in Tongren and lived here for 5 years before moving to America. He had a long, illustrious career with IBM and since he retired has dedicated his life to helping people in his “hometown”.

His story and what he is doing is extremely inspirational and I wanted to include the link to his foundation’s website for you to have a look. Hooray for good people!  zimmerfoundation.org/index.php

(taken from Sky Lantz-Wagner’s blog, skylantzwagner.blog.com/2010/11/08/the-zimmer-foundation/ )

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Measurable holistic services provided to needy students
1. Over 30 University Scholarships in rural China
a. Goal of minimun two each year
b. Meet total tutition and board for three years
c. Regular visits; banquets, outtings
2. Encouragement to local church
a. Regular visits and updates
b. Provision of Bibles and study materials
c. Provision of furnishing and church needs
3. Outreach to Local orphange
a. Encourgment to orphans
b. Visitation by scholarship students
c. Medical support
d. Collaboration with other NGOs

(from Stan Zimmer’s LinkedIn page,http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=35057346&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=uZSq&locale=en_US&srchid=1285106101376488877548&srchindex=3&srchtotal=5&trk=vsrp_people_res_photo&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId:1285106101376488877548,VSRPtargetId:35057346,VSRPcmpt:primary )