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Merit Makers

Every week, there are seen and unseen heroes that help keep Kadampa Center running.
Here are just a few!

Thanks go out this week to David Strevel, Cary Brief and Paul Krebs who worked hard repairing current leaks in our roof as well as preventative maintenance. They also replaced the stained ceiling tiles for a fresh new look. It takes many hands to keep our wonderful Center well maintained and we appreciate the labor and time involved from our marvelous volunteers. Thanks guys!

Thanks go out this week to the Wednesday night Lamrim students who have stepped up to help with the Karma Yoga simple tasks presented to them on a sign when they walk in the door. When we all work together to help keep the Center we love clean for teachings, practice and meditation it makes it a welcoming place for all who enter. Thanks guys and keep up the good work!

Thanks go out this week to Venerable Lhamo, Gary Mickey, Patti Pandya and Joey Gooch for setting up the beautiful Tara altar in the middle of the gompa for Tara practice that took place last Saturday. Gary and Joey set up the altar early for the volunteers to set up for the practitioners. It's always a happy time when everyone is working to make the altar a beautiful centerpiece for the Tara Practice. Thank you everyone for your kind offering of service to our Center!

Thanks go out this week to the Blalock family. Living in VA missing our Center and our family, they sent us a loving note of gratitude and informing us a tree has been planted in our honor in one of our National Forests. "Your tree, a gift that endures, will help replenish a magnificent forest and preserve the habitat of the wildlife that call it their home." Thank you guys for your enduring kindness!

We happily invite visiting teachers to our gompa several times a year. Everything that happened with Venerable Amy's visit last weekend depended on the hard work of a few people who hosted the teacher, drove her to and from teachings, and organized all the logistical details behind the scenes. Big thanks to our Visiting Teachers team - Linda Saah, Suzy Boehm and Laura Carballo. Thanks also to Susan Potter, David and Elise Strevel, and our drivers and sponsors!

Thanks go out this week to all of you who attended our Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. We completed tasks, areas were cleaned and Dharma burned! It was fun to hang out and chat with all who stopped by to offer their kind generosity of service. Thank you to: Pam Shengler, Elise Strevel, Suzy Boehm, Brady Lorenzen, Zane and Kai Perryman, Sherri Harmon, Jackie Loy, Mangus/Roald/Avelyn and Christy Batts, Brian D, Joey Gooch and Erin Sloan. Looking forward to next year!

Thanks go out this week to John Kelley for stepping in to volunteer as a bookstore clerk. (Pun intended, he volunteers with a cast on his foot.) Our bookstore serves the Center and its members in many ways and John happily comes in early and stays late on Discovering Buddhism nights to make sales and chat with the students. Thank you John, you are appreciated!

Thanks go out this week to all of you who pledged for the 2020 Annual Appeal! Every year we come to you with heart felt speakers, lovely graphics, mailings, emails and more to inspire your generosity. We raised almost $182,000 with our combined efforts in support of the Center we all love so dearly. The teachings continue to thrive as well as our strong commitment to our teachers and the Dharma because of each one of YOU! Thank you to everyone for Looking to the Future: the bright, hopeful future of our beloved Kadampa Center.

Thanks go out this week to Joey Gooch and Patrick McGinity for steadfastly, year after year, preparing our fire pits for the Dorje Khadro Fire puja on New Year's Eve. They take the time to set up the fire pits, maintain the fires for us and then clean up after. We are grateful to you guys for making it easy for us to burn away our negative karma and start each year with a clean slate. You are both appreciated!

Thanks go out this week to Vivian Magarino-Gomez for treating us to yummy food every Sunday Tea - the last Sunday of each month. We all love walking out of the gompa after the teachings to be welcomed by tasty selections prepared by Vivian. It's a great to take the time to share food and conversation with those we may know well and others we just met! Thanks to all of you who support Vivian whether in set up or clean up. You are all appreciated!

Thanks go out this week to our greeters: Jason Jenkins and Karen Beesley. Your consistent kind offering of greeting our members and visitors with a smiling face has been beneficial to all. Thanks for helping folks feel comfortable no matter if this is their first time entering a Buddhist temple or their 521st. You are appreciated! Others are welcome to sign up for this volunteer position too. See our website.

Wow! Hasn't Venerable George's visit been wonderful? Our hearts skip with thanks to all the volunteers who made his visit great - drivers, greeters, our great media guys Brian Dyer and Chris Baranski; Karen Mastroianni and David Machles who hosted him in their home, Susan Potter who hosted the sponsor tea, and our crack Visiting Teachers team - Linda Saah, Suzy Boehm and Laura Carballo, who put in tons of work organizing his visit. Big thanks to all!

Thanks go out this week to our All Star Mowing Team! Big shout out to leader Scott Dickerson and team members: Paul Krebs, Tom Stanton, Josh Henson, Chase Haddix and Peter Cranford. Thank you so much guys, for keeping our grounds groomed and looking good all summer long. We appreciate the generous effort and time you gave to the Center during the hot summer! Thank you so much.

Many thanks for a successful Adopt-a-Stream trash collection event at Lake Johnson on Saturday, November 2. They gathered 9 large bags of trash from the waters’ edge, making the environment a little better for all sentient beings! Thank you: Paul Krebs, Sandra Hess, Jon Morris, David and Elise Strevel, Virginia Morris, Alex Hess and Link Freedom.

Thanks go out to Tim Mulhern who donated funds to purchase our new Flower Offering Station! You can now make flower offerings under the pergola outside and find all the vases, tools, water and inspiration you need. This is also the location to empty spent flowers that you might notice on the altar. Thank you Tim for your generous heart that helped to create a lovely place for us to make offerings on our beautiful altar! You are appreciated!

Thanks go out this week to Paul Krebs for coming in each Wednesday to clean our floors in the main area, water the plants and take care of the altar flowers. He joins the team with Gary Mickey who cleans the gompa each week and Tom Stanton who empties the garbage and tidies up the bathrooms. Our Center is much cleaner and more hospitable because of you guys. You are all appreciated!

Thanks go out this week to Naga Dhoopati, Peter Cranford and Meredith Bass. All three were early for an event and asked if they could help. Yes! Working together they dusted all the Dharma books in the library and Bookstore in a flash. Teamwork makes everything more fun and go much faster. Thanks guys for asking and your willingness to step up. You are appreciated!

Thanks go out this week to Paul Krebs, Patrick McGinity and Joey Gooch as our faithful Serenity Gardeners. They tidied up our flower beds, trimmed the bushes and pruned branches away from our building. It takes many hands to keep our grounds healthy and in a beautiful condition we can all be proud of. We welcome all to join in effort to help out during grounds days or to pick weeds in the gardens during times that work for you. Thanks guys for giving up time on your weekend!

Thanks go out this week to our new pen pals Kadampa Center Prison Project, Jason Jenkins and Kyle Caldwell! All of our pen pals diligently pick up their letters, correspond and discuss the dharma in a casual and meaningful way, and help the inmates stay connected. There are many more inmates in need of a pen pals. Go here, https://kadampa-center.org/pen-pals to join the team! Thanks guys for your age old skill of letter writing.

Thank you to all of our supporters, sponsors, and any who exerted joyful effort for the 6th Annual Dharma Camp. Thank you Geshe Gelek, Geshe Sangpo, Ven. Khando-la, Nolanda Monastery, Ann Skvarcius, Alexandra Kholina, Jorie Walker, Lauri Robbins, Gary Mickey, Jack Shannon, Julie Jones, Don Brown, Kelly and Andrew Hutzel Celina Low-Jones, Sue Stern, Erin Sloan, Marita Schlesser, Sandi Mitchell, Annalisa Jaynes, Jampel, Jill Marie, Amanda Henry, Donna Seese, Karen Edwards, Sandy Carlson, Bobby Taboada, Viviane Kraus, Olga Kissin, and Vincent Batts.

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