Volunteer

The Bridge Action Group for Social Justice and Community Care is made up of people who wish to walk the Bodhisattva path through socially engaged Buddhism that acknowledges our interdependence and awakens the heart of great compassion in our city through mutual aid.

We work to be a bridge between Clouds and the wider community and a bridge between different groups working in the social justice space in our sangha so that we might collaborate effectively with one another. From interfaith action, peaceful presence at non-partisan protests, to supporting sangha and community members in need, Bridge is the place to roll up your sleeves and get to work on issues you care about. For more information, questions, and to get involved, contact our Executive Director, Renkyo Heather, at ed@cloudsinwater.org

Are you interested in joining our Board or getting involved on one of our committees? 

We are looking for volunteers who are excited about helping Clouds thrive! Below are our committees. For questions, please contact our Board Chair, Autumn Amadou-Blegen, at autumn@cloudsinwater.org, or the Committee Chair listed in your area of interest.

Fund Development: This one is all about fundraising and building community engagement. And the only committee with the word FUN in it! Event planners, money-minded folks, creative thinkers, and people ready to roll up their sleeves are welcome. Assists in planning fundraising events and donor drives as well as engaging in long-term development strategizing, grant writing, and other fund development work. Assists the Executive Director in donor stewardship and engagement efforts. 

Contact our Development Chair, Brigid, at: Brigid@cloudsinwater.org

Finance: Develops and reviews fiscal procedures, a fundraising plan and annual budget, and submits quarterly financial reports to board. Our chair is willing to mentor anyone interested in learning more about finance, so this is also a learning group!

Contact our Board Treasurer, Betsy, at: Betsy.David@hennepin.us

Governance: Supports board engagement and recruiting, makes recommendations to the Board on governance policies, practices and procedures, and monitoring compliance. Conducts annual evaluation of Executive Director and Guiding Teacher. If you’ve got a policy / biz brain, this is for you! 

Contact our Board Chair, Autumn at: autumn@cloudsinwater.org

There are so many ways to volunteer in the center itself, and below are just a few! If you’re interested in being involved in the day-to-day support of Clouds, see below for ways to get involved. We often organize into groups we call ryos. 

For any volunteer questions or ideas, you can always email:

info@cloudsinwater.org

Temple Cleaning: We have a great crew that cleans our bathrooms, kitchen, common room, and zendo. Do you love to keep things tidy? This is for you! Contact: temple.stewards@cloudsinwater.org 

Garden: Do you love to garden? This is the ryo for you. Planning begins in early spring and the gloves go on once it’s warm enough to get digging! Contact Patricia at: patricia.a.deboer@gmail.com

Data Entry: We always need help updating records, cleaning up our database, and preparing for mailings. For data entry support, please email our ED, Renkyo, at ed@cloudsinwater.org. 

Flower Team: Have you noticed our beautiful flower arrangements? This lovely and inspiring practice is courtesy of our flower ryo. To learn more, contact: flowers@cloudsinwater.org 

Sunday Greeters: Extroverts, unite! If you’re interested in being one of our greeters on Sundays, this is the place for you. Contact: greeters@cloudsinwater.org

Tenzo Ryo: Love to cook? We always need help in the kitchen to prepare delicious and nourishing meals for our sesshins. Contact: tenzo.ryo@cloudsinwater.org 

Building and Facilities: Are you good with a wrench? Know your way around a building’s HVAC system? If you’d like to help keep our building ship-shape and assist with problems before they get bigger, this is for you! Contact: building-grounds-ryo@cloudsinwater.org