U.S. Tour Volunteer Application Form at Magnolia Grove Monastery

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Volunteer at our monastery during the US Tour! 

We are in need of volunteers to help support two of our upcoming retreats during this US Tour: 

A general retreat: I Have Arrived I am Home: Aug. 30–Sept 3 and a Healthcare Retreat: Sept. 6–10.

To best support us, we would like to request that you have already attended at least one retreat with us and if not, at the very least, that you have attended 1 Day of Mindfulness at Magnolia Grove Monastery for your application to be considered.

1. Arrival and Departure Dates
2. What do volunteers offer during the U.S. Tour Retreats?
3. Basic requirements
4. Accommodation
5. Confirmation Email
6. Application Form

Arrival and Departure Dates

We would like to encourage you to help us be a volunteer for the whole duration of 18 days and if you’re unable to volunteer for the whole duration then we also have options 2 and 3. 

Arrival and departure dates:

Option 1: Aug 24–Sept 10 (18 days)

Option 2: Aug 24–Sept 3 (11 days)

Option 3*: Sept 3–Sept 10 (8 days) (This 2nd retreat is reserved for Healthcare providers so we also reserve this volunteering opportunity for Healthcare providers.)

For all our Arrival Days: please arrive by 12pm for lunch

We will have an orientation for our volunteers in the evening at 7pm and we would like everyone to have ample time to arrive with ease, set up your tent in the daylight/find your room easily. To best support us, please arrange to arrive on time so we can have one orientation rather than a few orientations for individual late comers.

We would like to request that all our volunteers arrive a few days before the retreat starts so that everyone can have time to settle in, adjust to our monastery setting, get acquainted with the different service meditations, connect with other volunteers and the monastic community. 

For all our Departure Days: we ask that everyone leave on the Sunday of the retreat you’re attending (or the Sunday of the 2nd retreat if you’re attending both retreats) or early Monday morning after breakfast (Sundays: 9/3 or 9/10 Mondays: 09/04 or 09/11)

After the retreat ends, we ask our volunteers to stay behind to clean up and have a farewell closing tea which should end latest around 4-5 pm. We normally are more flexible with departure dates and time but for this US Tour we really need to prepare for the following retreat and at the end, to wrap up before we attend our next segment of the US Tour in Deer Park Monastery, CA and ask for your understanding and support.

What do volunteers offer during the U.S. Tour Retreats?

• Your quality of calm presence and your practice of mindfulness
• Coordinating families for mindful service
• Fulfill the responsibilities you have signed up for
• Helping lead dharma sharing groups with various tasks such as potwashing, sanitizing and drying utensils, cleaning the restrooms, meditation hall team, chopping vegetables… etc.
• If not helping in the above mentioned tasks, then helping in the children’s program.If not helping in the above mentioned tasks, then helping in the teen’s program.
• Being a photographer and making a retreat slideshow.

Basic requirements:

• good physical and mental health.
• can be a work leader and work harmoniously in a team
• to have at least one retreat experience or a Day of Mindfulness at Magnolia Grove Monastery
• age between 18 and 65
• be proficient in English—enough to communicate with others.

Accommodation:

All volunteers are asked to camp during the retreat and bring your own tent, sleeping bag, and any camping equipment you need (pillow, yoga mat/thin mattress….etc.)

The financial contribution for tenting is donation-based.

While we ask our volunteers to camp, if you have health reasons which require you to stay in a room, the fixed suggested donation is $200 (a 50% reduction from the retreat cost).

Please fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you after you submit this application.

If you have any questions related to volunteering, please don’t hesitate to email us at volunteers@magnoliagrovemonastery.org

Confirmation Email:

After we review your application, please wait for a confirmation email before continuing on to registering on our website (unless you plan to attend the retreat regardless of being a volunteer or not, which in this case, please go ahead and register and we can adjust pricings after) and if you are confirmed, the office will send you an appropriate contribution link which suits you.

We are grateful for your helping hands and hope to build our multifold community at our monastery.

Thank you for your heart of gold!

—The Magnolia Grove Monastery U.S. Teaching Tour Team