The Austin Zen Center supports the local community through a variety of programs. In addition, many members of our sangha bring practice into the world through volunteer efforts independently of AZC or by working in helping professions. By working together a team from AZC can effectively combine public service with practice and support of fellow practitioners.

Community Service. This includes interfaith programs, hospice and home care, and drug and alchohol recovery. (more)

Prison Work. The Zen Prison Project has brought volunteers into the Travis State Jail, Travis County Correction Facility and Lockhart prison, where we teach serveral classes in meditation and Buddhism every week. This project started at AZC but has expanded to include members of sister Austin sanghas, particularly Plum Blossom Sangha. We also arrange mail correspondence with prisoners who have expressed an interest in Buddhism, and arrange for them to receive books. (more)

Contemplative Practice Beyond AZC. AZC provides support for outlying Zen groups and meditation instruction on site at nonprofit organizations. Group meditation instruction can be arranged for commercial and nonprofit organizations.AZC supports smaller Buddhist and meditation groups in various ways, including providing practice leadership for sesshins and other events at the places these groups meet, and providing practice opportunities for individuals at our larger center. We maintain a registry of people and groups outlying areas and when we discover a match put them in touch with one another. Practitioners from AZC are frequently asked to give frequent presentations to high school and college classes. We make ourselves available to come to talk about any aspect of Buddhism. Classes also come to us to get a feel for our practice environment. (more)

Life Event and Pastoral Support. Our priests are available to conduct Buddhist ceremonies for the major live events of birth, marriage and death: Baby Naming Ceremonies, Weddings and Funeral Services. We also provide pastoral counciling to our sangha members on request. (more)

Volunteers.

Please contact the outreach coordinator if you are interested in participating in one of these programs.

Given the level of activity and fast growth of AZC we also have a constant need for volunteers to help inhouse at AZC, cleaning, preparing for events, processing books for the library, gardening and maintaining our buildings, as well as serving various zendo roles.

Donations.

Donations can be made directly to Austin Zen Center and earmarked for Outreach or for a particular outreach program. Please attach a note to any donations to indicate for which program the funds should be spent.

For most practice and educational programs at AZC a substantial amount, often all, of the cost of the program is recovered through fees. Many of our outreach programs, in contrast, benefit or make direct material or financial contributions to needy people, with little opportunity for recovering costs. Therefore many of these programs merit special consideration from donors and benefactors. Some of these programs, such as the prison program, and their benefits are in a position to grow in direct proportion to donations received, as money rather than volunteer support is the limiting factor. Please consider sponsoring one of these programs if you are in a position to do so.

When outreach services are contracted as part of another budgeted event, then AZC will generally set a fee for these services. For wedding ceremonies, for instance, we typically request 10% of the entire budget for the event.