A message and a request from President Zack Becker and Abbot Gaelyn Godwin

Dear friends and members,

Your Zen Center is a beacon and a refuge for so many people. Yesterday, a typical Sunday, our meditation halls were overflowing with members, friends, newcomers, and steadfast leaders of the center. Every room was full, and the Center hummed with well-being.

As we enter June, we would like to start by thanking you for your generous help in Maintaining the Refuge that Houston Zen Center has become for the world. Our classes, retreats, and daily program are a benefit to our city and everyone outside the city. We also have two requests: First: we have a gap in our budgeting, and we ask you to help us bridge the gap. Second: our work restoring the prairie on our land in Chappell Hill is proceeding at a very sustainable pace. We ask you to help us maintain this pace. Please see our following description.

2. Close the Gap: Our budget gap is the result of increases in utility costs that we did not anticipate, along with some unexpected maintenance expenses. As we reforecast our budget for accuracy, we respectfully request your assistance in closing the gap. We are currently facing a budget shortfall of $35,000.

2. Maintain the work on the prairie and in the grove. With the help of our neighbors in Chappell Hill, and many volunteers from HZC, we have achieved the clearing of a substantial portion of the grove. With creekside stabilization, and initial planting, several acres of the grove are now welcoming for meditative walking and restorative adventure. This work is proceeding even in the absence of the federal grants that we had expected to receive this year. The grant program was canceled along with other programs last year. For the rest of the year, we anticipate investing $5,000 for extra labor (in addition to our volunteer efforts) plus the $5,000 shortfall from the labor we have utilized to date: $10,000

With your help we can close the gap and continue the restoration of the prairie at a sustainable, steady pace.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the projects, or the gap.

Sustained by your on-going generosity, Houston Zen Center will continue to thrive and benefit countless beings.

With gratitude,

President Zack Becker and Abbot Gaelyn Godwin

With grateful bows,
Abbot Gaelyn & President Zack

Did you know that thousands of people attend our classes and events in Houston at the Houston Zen Center urban campus? From our basic Introduction to Zen Series, to our advanced teachings on Karma, Zen Poetry, the Fundamental Teachings of the Middle Way; from our half-hour introduction, to our 7-day sessions, we provide a full range of entry points for seekers from all spiritual traditions.

Please accept our thanks for all your help, gifts of time and treasure, that support your Zen Center in its mission to provide a refuge for peace and spiritual growth. Your good wishes and aspirations for ensuring the well-being of the visitors to Zen Center, including the many beings living on the land, are powerful forces for beneficence in the world.

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