Gay Buddhist Sangha volunteer opportunities

Greeter

Duties: greet folks as they arrive; provide brief orientation to newcomers - where to sit, removal of shoes, directions to upstairs bathroom, and overview of program (silent meditation followed by speaker's talk); hold the dana bowl for donations at the end of the meeting. Time requirement: once a week or more, depending on your availbility.

Experience: none required, just your enthusiasm and loving-kindness!

Webmaster

Duties:  Upload calendar notice on a monthly basis; upload audio files of speaker's talks on a weekly basis; record speaker's talks on a weekly basis; and perform occasional updates of website as needed.  Time requirement: 2-3 hours monthly.

Experience:

Attention to detail; good knowledge of English/grammar. No website experience required as all web work is done in plain English using templates. You do not need to know HTML code.

This group is co-sponsored by Gay Buddhist Sangha and Gay Buddhist Fellowship of San Francisco, and is an extension of the Prison Outreach Program of the San Francisco Zen Center.

Currently about 50 members (corresponding with about 75 inmates) comprise the network of practicing Buddhists who provide support for gay and lesbian inmates interested in beginning or deepening a Buddhist practice while incarcerated. We provide this support through regular correspondence and encouragement, books and literature, and referrals to other resources.

We also act as a network to support each other as we write to those in prison. We recognize that such correspondence presents its own set of challenges and that there are precautions to be taken that benefit both parties and also foster a helpful, trusting and rewarding pen-pal relationship. We provide guidelines, sample letters, helpful references and reprints of material that can be forwarded to inmate penpals.

We are of various schools and traditions in Buddhism, have different practices, and we are by no means teachers, spiritual leaders or scholars. We are simply friends of the Dharma (the teaching, the way of living the path of the Buddha) who believe that those on the inside and the outside of the walls can benefit from each other's practice as we correspond (co-respond). We all have our "prison walls" and we are all connected.

Why is this needed? We recognize the special challenges and hardships that exist for anyone in prison wishing to pursue a spiritual practice, and realize that gay men in prison face additional challenges and safety risks, making their spiritual practice all the more important, yet more difficult. We are the first network of penpals exclusively for gay prisoners.

While we are a group of 'penpals', our emphasis is on one's Buddhist (spiritual) practice. We do not develop romantic relationships with penpals, exchange photos, or provide money or other favors (give or take) to help inmates get around the restrictions under which they live.

Our wish is that all beings will know happiness, and the causes and conditions of happiness; that all beings will be safe from harm, be healthy, be peaceful, and be loved.

Email to sign up or receive more information:  Gay Buddhist Sangha.