Volunteer Resources
This document contains a compilation resources to assist and support volunteers in their roles as well as tasks were volunteer help is most needed.
Table of Contents: Click on title to go to section
Resources for Open House Volunteers
Resources for Program Coordinators & Staff
Current Volunteer Needs
FACILITIES UPKEEP
ONGOING GARDEN SUPPORT
OPEN HOUSE SUPPORT
OPEN HOUSE SHOPPER
OTHER VOLUNTEER NEEDS
Important Staff / Volunteer Contacts
Resources for Open House Volunteers
- Umdze Instructions
- Host Instructions
- Shambhala Ritual and Forms – Video Transcript of teachings by Acharya Suzanne Duquette
- Sunday Open House Umdze Guidelines (Concise Version)
*To inquire about training to be a Host or Umdze for open house, please reach out to [email protected].
Resources for Program Coordinators & Staff
- Shambhala Volunteer Coordinator Folder – This includes all forms and instructions necessary for program coordinators, including email templates, rota templates, coordinator checklists, and more.
- Everyday Life Coordination Folder – These are resources specific to the “In Everyday Life” series classes.
Current Volunteer Needs
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS – SEATTLE SHAMBHALA NEEDS YOU!
After 2+ years of COVID shutdown, we are starting from scratch to build new programs, classes, and offerings, and revive old ones. Our cadre of volunteers is severely depleted, so now is the time to step up and pitch in to rebuild our beloved Center. Please see below for a list of ways you can get involved at the Seattle Shambhala Center and ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST OF POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS. Thank you!
Role: Facilities related upkeep and tasks
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours a week
Skills: Familiarity with Harrison House, experience with upkeep of a building and grounds
Job Description: Pays attention to the household and grounds including changing light bulbs, reporting broken items/fixtures or grounds issues to the co-directors, working with repair people, and take care of small maintenance needs as possible.
Role: Garden Care Team (3-4 people)
Time commitment: Spring/Summer – 2 hours/week per person, Fall/Winter – 3-5 hours once a month
Skills: Garden enthusiasm!
Job Description: Keeps an eye on the garden and helps with small tasks as needed (e.g., weeding, deadheading, etc). Attend gardening party days when able. Assists with watering during the summer months, including following the soaker hose schedule (Schedule TBD).
Role: Hosts, Umdzes, Meditation Instructors (MIs), Discussion Facilitators, and Tech Support (multiple people)
Time commitment: Up to 3-4 hours/week per person, ideally one week per month, but varies
Skills: An open heart for all roles. Training provided for hosts, umdzes, and tech support. MIs and Discussion Facilitators have specific training/experience requirements.
Job description: Hosts greet arriving meditators, direct new folks to the MI for meditation instruction, answer questions, make announcements, prepare and clean up coffee/tea/snack offerings. (For Zoom-only events, Hosts open the Zoom room, greet arriving meditators, introduce speakers, etc.) Umdzes are timekeepers, ringing the gong for meditation per instructions. Tech Support folks help make the Zoom broadcast run smoothly during hybrid events. MIs give basic meditation instruction and answer questions. Discussion Facilitators bring a topic or quote to discuss, move the conversation along, answer questions, and ensure everyone has a chance to contribute to the discussion.
Contact Susie Saalwaechter <[email protected]> if you are interested in open house volunteering.
Role: Center supplies monitor and shopper
Time commitment: Up to 1-2 hours/week per person periodically
Skills: Be fairly organized and care about the Center!
Job description: Monitor the inventory of coffee/tea/half-and-half/snacks/toilet paper, etc. for Open House and shop and deliver these items to the Center when inventories get low.
Contact Susie Saalwaechter <[email protected]> if you are interested in open house volunteering.
- Program Coordinators, Staff and Teachers – If you wish to volunteer as a program coordinator, staff member, or teacher, please reach out to Meli-Tashi at [email protected].
- Ikebana Assistance – Contact Shelley Pierce at [email protected] for more information.
- Awake in Action! – Join our Awake in Action volunteer team once a month and uplift the lives of residents of the Union Hotel, a part of Downtown Emergency Services for formerly unhoused people. To learn more, contact Sandra Noel at [email protected] or Stacy Hall de Gomez at [email protected].
- Building Maintenance – We need a cadre of people with electrical, plumbing, carpentry, painting, and general maintenance skills for occasional projects. If you can help, contact [email protected].
- Open House – if you wish to volunteer for any open house role, please contact Susie Saalwaechter <[email protected]>
Important Staff / Volunteer Contacts
Seattle Shambhala Board of Directors [email protected]
Finance Manager – Meli-Tashi Happy [email protected]
Membership Coordinator – Samuel Taylor [email protected]
Director of Practice and Education – Meli-Tashi Happy [email protected]
What are we missing? Let us know what resources would be useful to include on this page by emailing [email protected]
