Funds are needed to help reopen Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, which has been closed to the public during the pandemic. Serenity Ridge hopes to reopen in December for the winter retreat. The following fundraising letter was sent recently to Ligmincha sangha members and friends.
Dear Sangha and Friends,
Rinpoche and all of us at Ligmincha send our greetings. We hope that our retreats with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, our resident lamas, and our western teachers, as well as our courses and publications, have supported you throughout this past challenging year. Like you, we are starting to enjoy the lifting of restrictions and coming back together again in person with loved ones, friends and sangha.
Thanks to many generous donations last year at the start of the pandemic, and supported by receipt of PPP funds from the U.S. government, Serenity Ridge remains ready to serve you and the whole Ligmincha community, opening the door to in-person retreats later this year. We truly look forward to welcoming everyone back to Serenity Ridge! Our goal is to fully reopen for Rinpoche’s annual winter retreat in December. [Partial reopening for 3 Doors events in the fall has been postponed due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic.]
However, the more than yearlong closing of the center has created hardship. We had to let many of our staff go, and we have had to defer much-needed repairs and improvements. If Serenity Ridge holds a place in your heart, please consider a donation to help us to reopen the center.
Our kickoff to this fundraiser was our annual summer auction, this year online. The auction coincided with our summer retreat. We are grateful to all those who participated, and helped us to raise $13,500 in donations.
To meet our $150,000 goal we need your help. These funds will help to reopen the center fully by allowing us to:
- Add a new well and water treatment system to restore water capacity and quality—an earthquake reduced our water supply ($100,000).
- Replace the 40-year old roof on the Lama House, Rinpoche’s residence when he is at the center four times per year ($20,000).
- Add food buffet stations with acrylic protective barriers known as a ‘sneeze and cough guard’ ($12,000).
- Repair the exterior of gompa/meditation hall ($7,500).
- Clear a trail/fire break from campground to stupa behind Lama House and removing dead trees ($5,000).
- Add trails to the river and old cemetery in the adjoining 75 acre of woods, purchased in 2019 ($3,500).
- Complete the installation of our ability to live stream teachings during Serenity Ridge onsite retreats ($2,000).
These improvements to Serenity Ridge will make our facilities more welcoming and safer to all, including Rinpoche and our visiting lamas, and create new practice opportunities. The trails will allow visitors to more deeply connect with nature and the elements. And access to the cemetery will allow us to provide burial services for practitioner’s ashes, in time.
We receive every size of donation, no matter the amount you are able to offer, with deep gratitude and thanks.
If you would like to donate directly online via credit card or PayPal, to donate to Serenity Ridge please scroll to the bottom on the Serenity Ridge homepage: https://ligmincha.org/centers-usa-serenityridge/ or, for Ligmincha International please go to: https://ligmincha.org/ligmincha-international-donate/.
With much appreciation,
Rob Patzig
President