Mt Hope Learning Center Volunteer Partnership Letter
To: All SMCP Members, Sangha and Friends
From: Ginny Adams, John Mattson, Michelle LeBrun for Shambhala Council
Date: April 28, 2016
Dear SMCP Sangha:
The Shambhala Meditation Center of Providence (SMCP) is starting a neighborly volunteer partnership with the nearby Mt. Hope Learning Center, and we are delighted to invite each of you to participate. There are numerous ways to become involved, from donating flowers or baked goods for the upcoming annual spring plant and bake sale sale on May 7 & 8 (see Flyer) to spending time helping the MLHC serve their young and adult communities and operate the office.
If you would like to help out or donate for the upcoming sale on May 7 & 8, please contact John Mattson. The Center will donate platters for the bake saleAt a recent AWAKE! program on March 16, our guest speaker Ms. Hannah Resseger, Program Director for the Mt. Hope Learning Center, presented an overview of the programs and work of the MHLC in support of local children who attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary school and older students and families who live in the Camp Street/Cypress St. neighborhoods.
This SMCP initiative stems from one of the goals of a leadership retreat held in July last year to go out to the community.At its April 7 meeting, the SMCP formed a consensus agreement to reach out to our membership for volunteers and assistance in developing this partnership between the Mt. Hope Learning Center and the SMCP. The chance to develop a volunteer service partnership between the Mt Hope Learning Center and the SMCP would be beneficial for both parties. As part of our commitment to service and developing an enlightened society, the SMCP will be offering to give time, attention, and energy to serve those who are in need of assistance in the local community. In return, we will be contributing to the growth and development of young people locally, and setting the stage to put the principle of basic goodness into action.
Among the possible services and opportunities Hannah identified for Mt. Hope were:
21st Century After School Program/Young Women’s Group
- Meditation for a Staff Meeting: Wednesday between 1:00 and 3:00pm
- Meditation for Young Women’s Group: Friday between 6:00 and 8:00pm
- Meditation for After School: Monday – Thursday between 4:00 and 5:00pm
- Homework Assistance: Monday – Thursday 3:45-4:15pm
MHLC Needs:
- Front Desk: Monday – Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm
- 20th Annual Plant & Bake Sale, Saturday, May 7th. They are looking for flower donations, volunteers and promotion.
- Plastic pots- preferably one gallon size.
- Volunteers that will help dig them up and pot them.
- More plant sources.
- Volunteer to plant seeds inside.
- Donate nice platters and containers to put baked goods in for the sale.
- Donate small frames with glass (5×7, preferred but any size is great) for kids art work to be sold.
It is important that the people who offer to help with these efforts feel comfortable and valued with the commitments they will be making. To that end, we will offer both coordination of the volunteer services and some member training to prepare any interested volunteers for service. We realize that the commitments that we make to help others, must be kept. Thus, any members who wish to become involved will need to be reliable, patience, and able to commit quality time, since developing mutual trust in this relationship is very important.
John Mattson and Michelle LeBrun, who live in close proximity to the Mt. Hope Learning Center, will jointly oversee the logistics of the partnership on the SMCP side. In order to begin this new partnership smoothly, we would like ask all interested members and friends of our Center to let us know if they might be interested in joining in providing service to the clients and staff of Mt. Hope Learning Center determine how much interest there is in supporting this partnership.
If you are interested in participating, and for further information, please contact John Mattson or reply to [email protected] to let us know how you would like to contribute and what times and days you might be available to help out. A sign up sheet will also be posted in the main greeting room at the Center.
Those who wish to assist in meditation will be asked to work together with one of the Center’s Meditation Instructors as an assistant. Others may be able to work individually or in teams, as the service warrants.
We thank you for your consideration and look forward to developing a strong mutual partnership between the SMCP and the Mt. Hope Learning Center.
Warmly,
Ginny Adams, Center Director John Mattson, Council Michelle LeBrun, Council
