A Beautiful Short Story
On Saturday, June 29th, we held our first ever Community Benefit. We were a bit nervous, but there were beautiful displays, moving sharings, five venerable Bhikkhus teaching and encouraging, and by the end over $25,000 offered or pledged. That’s more than the TOTAL dana for the last 12 months. Yup. Oh, and Luang Por Pasanno offered a Buddha rupa too. You should have been there.
A Bountiful Longer Story
In the morning we sat. In the afternoon we reviewed our current homeless state, our financials, and Dharma Rain as a potential future home. We asked for people to make a one-year commitment of regular monthly dana to provide a the sound financial base we would need wherever we ended up.
By day’s end there were monthly pledges from 20 people ranging from $10 to $500 and totaling $1,625. That’s adds up to $19,500 for the year. Wow. Thank you. We also received over $1,100 in immediate cash donations.
In addition two other Buddhist groups are each prepared to contribute $250 a month for use of the building one evening a week. That’s another $500 a month which is $6,000 a year (assuming of course that we had the building.)
Our aim is to establish $4,000 in regular monthly contributions for one year. That would ensure we can operate the building, pay a mortgage on it and support programs and the spiritual director to at least the current level.
So 12 days after the Board met to talk about financing our next home, it looks like we are half way to our first goal. A great, great start. It will take many more people and a lot of reaching out to get the second half, but the opportunity is worth it.
A Double Bonus Appendix
There were two additional offerings in support of buying Dharma Rain
1 – Luang Por Pasanno (no less) offered, should we manage to buy Dharma Rain, to gift a Buddha rupa suitable for the large shrine room. That seems auspicious to me.
2 – Two community members were already out of the starting blocks, pointing to the need for a down payment and their intention to help. Specifically one pledged $5000 to get that started and a the other said she’d like to offer a substantial sum when the time came. Ding! Ding!
… and your part in this story?
To enjoy what has been offered; to please make a pledge yourself; to reach out to others for their help and support; to come to Dharma Rain and see for yourself what could be.
Regards, Alistair Williamson
(on behalf of your grateful Board)