The Marina Educational Foundation was created in November, 2006, to honor the memory of earlier charitable work of several members of these two Hispanic-American families, dating back to the 1930s. It is dedicated to studying social change in the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean Basin and beyond, especially in such areas of sustainable, appropriate, affordable technologies as housing, energy, waste, food, herbs and education.

The officers of the Foundation are:

President: -- José Ramón Marina

VP & Exec. Dir. -- Guillermo Francisco Marina

Secretary -- Nicole Frederick Kerr

Treasurer -- Lorraine Kalfayan Marina

Registered with the IRS as a 501(C)3 not-for-profit Foundation, the MEF is located at 78 Pine Cone Dr., Asheville, NC, 28805. 828-298-6442. Gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible.