for the Practice of Tibetan Buddhism in the Gelugpa Tradition
Our grounds now boast a beautiful three-stage composting system where we can place yard clippings and wilted flower offerings to return to the earth. Big thanks to Todd Ferrell and Patrick McGinity for designing and building this elegant compost bin!
Thank you, Todd and Patrick!
We will be enjoying blooming pansies throughout the winter and a bright colorful spring, thanks to many who came out on a recent Saturday to spruce up the entry and offer flowers around the stupa. Many thanks to Kim Goll, Kim Lillig, Jacqui Harris, Eric White, Erin Clancy, and to the Mercer family -- Nicole, Victoria, Nathaniel and Dylan -- for beautifying our Center!
Thanks to all!
We recently spent a weekend filling and blessing many statues for our members. All our sangha and quite a few volunteers were involved in the process. Many thanks to Tim Powell for providing lots of milk tea for the sangha and volunteers for the entire weekend of the statue filling and blessing. The refreshments helped keep everyone refreshed during all that hard work!
Thank you, Tim!
Our gardens and grounds are looking clean and spruce thanks to Megan Meyers, Kevin Murphy, Jacqui Harris and garden coordinator Kim Goll. On a recent Saturay morning they raked, weeded, trimmed trees, deadheaded flowers by the stupa and tidied up Emily's garden
Thanks to all!
Big thanks to the volunteers who came out and got their hands dirty cleaning the retreat spaces at Noland's farm. Sandy Carlson, Todd Ferrell, Tim Powell, John and Ed Costelloe, Elise Strevel, Mia and Maude Stafford. The place is now a lovely environment for the Fall retreat, thanks to their hard work!
Thank you all!
Cleaning our shared space at Kadampa Center is a twofer -- purification practice while serving others! Our rockin' crew came to clean every nook and cranny
before Venerable René's visit, singing, smiling and shining every surface.
BIG thanks to: Peter Cranford, Michele Matich, Lindsey Street, Lisa Besso, Kim Lillig, Jen Sanford-Johnson and of course Jill Marie!
Thank you all!
During our weekend of statue filling and blessing, our team of volunteers worked long, hungry hours. Christy Batts came to the rescue, cooking a delicious and healthy meal for 15 people who came to help fill the statues for blessing. She managed to create a gorgeous lunch with special diets, no allergens and no black foods - now that's talent!
Thank you, Christy!
Our thriving community enjoys so many wonderful classes and resources -- and those resources are here for us in part because of the dedicated work of our bookkeeper, Joanna Smith. Joanna keeps on top of paying our bills, reconciling bank accounts, and making sure everything is in order financially. We couldn't do what we do without her cheerfully offered work.
Thank you, Joanna!
Tim Powell and Carol Laing for coordinating logistics on Sunday mornings - every session they provide much needed assistance making the programs run smoothly and helping our teachers. We are very grateful!
Thanks Tim and Carol!
Some of the most important work supporting our community goes on quietly in the office, in the mundane tasks of bookkeeping. For many years, Cherie Sutorus has helped make deposits, track credit card payments and organize our records, always with a happy spirit.
Thank you, Cherie!
For more than a decade, Robbie Watkins has served our community as our Kadampa Center Director. Drawing on his many years of Dharma practice, Robbie works with a light touch, welcoming all and always guiding us with an eye to serving the wishes of our teachers, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Geshe Gelek, and to benefiting all sentient beings.
Thank you, Robbie!
Our Kadampa Center bookstore has expanded its offerings in the past year, thanks to Kolleen Mitchell, our retail sales manager for the store. Under
Kolleen’s enthusiastic guidance, the store’s selections have grown to include an altar and practice section, a section of items for animal welfare, T-shirts and shoulder bags, and much more.
Thank you, Kolleen!
Geshe Gelek often mentions that practicing together in a group increases the merit — each of us benefits from the merit and experience of those sharing the practice. We provide a daily opportunity for shared meditation practice at 7:30 a.m., thanks to the kindness of our meditation leaders: Kathleen Newport, who coordinates the meditation leaders, and Adam Atri, Barb Baranski, Colin Eckhart, Rosemary O'Day, Jill Marie, Richard Potter, Royden Saah, Andre Smith, Carol Vogel and Heidi Von Ludewig. Thank you all!
Over the course of several months, our kitchen has slowly started to look and function better, with the addition of ’new’ cabinets, sinks and countertops. Many thanks to David and Elise Strevel and Donna for donating gently used cabinets, and to Patrick McGinity, Joey Gooch, Susan Daniel, Kim Goll, Kim Lillig and Jampel for much work installing everything.
Thank you, all!
We have a well-stocked library with a variety of texts, video and audio covering a wide range of Dharma and related topics. Our library is coordinated by Liz Rourke, who makes its rich resources available to our members.
Thank you, Liz!
We use dried and ground cedar and juniper trees to fill holy objects such as statues. A couple of cedar trees recently came our way, and Noah Wright and Chris Baranski put in many hours of work chopping and drying them for future use.
Thank you, Noah and Chris!
In the midst of a tropical storm and torrential rains, Kadampa Center held our first offsite Family Camp at Noland’s farm this month. Everyone had a fabulous time, and it all arose in dependence on the kindness of many volunteers. While many parents had official roles, all the parents helped out in many ways!
Big thanks to: Kara Weilding — coordinator, Lee Clark — kitchen cleanup, Sarah Wright — art, Valerie Jones — coordinator, Rob Warren — cook, Keith Ferreira — drama, Vincent Batts — meditation, Brian Wright — meditation, Don Brown - parent
All the parents are very thankful for our non-camper adult helpers and special visitors. We couldn't have done it without Geshe Gelek, Geshe Sangpo, Venerable Choekyi, Venerable Lhamo — discussion, Joey Gooch — nature, Elise Strevel — planning and cook, Sandy Carlson and Sarah Brooks — Saturday activities, Barb Baranski, Chris Baranski — cooks for taco night! and Suzanne Weigand — orientation and cleanup.
Big thanks to all!
The summer gardens got a facelift at the June garden work day. Helping to weed, put down weed cloth, mulch the gardens, and plant a few more summer bulbs were Karma Lhundup, Kevin Murphy, Kim Goll, and Carol Vogel.
Thank you all!
Our Kadampa Café had been dormant for several years when, this past winter, Siddhi Shonibare took on the task of reviving it. Siddhi envisioned a vibrant enterprise that would offer delicious goodies to our members while also providing income to support our center. She recruited a great team of volunteer bakers to provide a consistent stream of delightful delicacies. With the Café now on a firm foundation, Siddhi is turning her energies to other activities.
Thank you, Siddhi!
Our recent Inside Happiness event was a great success, thanks to the hard work of many volunteers who organized a venue, tickets, publicity, a raffle and Kadampa Café baked goodies for folks to buy. Many thanks to Venerable Choekyi, Steep Smith, Sandy Carlson, Elise Strevel, Julie Cox, Jim Barnes, Jeffifer Shoemaker, Barb and Chris Baranski, Louise Miller, Marianne Hartman, Christy Batts, Traci and Guillermo Haas-Thompson, Karen Mastroianni, and Becky
Thank you all!
