outreach

"your core purpose is not what you're called to do, but who you're called to be"

- Julia Butterfly Hill

*** THE RUMORS ARE TRUE ***

the $20,000 goal was successfully met in November...thank you to all who have supported! I plan to keep The Mindfulness Challenge going, accepting donations to help other participants of the SEVA pledge reach the $20,000 mark so that they can come to Cambodia in February. In 2009 I will transition to being on the board of the Green Yoga Association, using The Mindfulness Challenge as a way to fundraise to help this amazing non-profit. I will also share the fundraising journey as well as images from my trip to Cambodia when I return in February during The Mindfulness Challenge Dharma Talk / Cambodia trip slide show- the karma of fundraising that will detial how to use the karmic principles of The Diamond Cutter to fundraise money. This will be a thank-you party / vegetarian potluck for all supporters...please stay tuned and contact me if you would like to recieve more details.

With Gratitude,

-adi

Based on the karmic management teachings shared by Geshe Michael Roach in The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life, the Mindfulness Challenge is a project designed to raise awareness and funding for the Cambodian Children's Fund while educating individuals about simple things that they can do to be more present in their daily lives. The goal is to raise $20,000 by the end of 2008 and produce a paper mandala of the responses to the question:

The desire to support this project is an act of generosity that extends beyond the amount behind the dollar sign. Everyone who contributes financially will be asked to fill out a form with an answer to the above question. Your financial contribution will help to provide necessary amenities for children in need and your personal act of mindfulness will be part of a project of infinite possibilities.

The Cambodian Children's Fund - where your donations go...

Founded in 2003 by Scott Neeson, The Cambodian Children's Fund is dedicated to helping Cambodia's poorest, most undereducated and most vulnerable children.

The program offers protection, comprehensive healthcare, education and vocational training to over 260 children of whom 150 are full-time residents in CCF facilities. The majority of the children come from Steung Meanchey, Phnom Penh's notorious garbage dump, where they work picking through garbage for recyclable items to sell. With no schooling, no healthcare and no access to basic public services, these children live in appalling living conditions and have little hope of escaping a life of destitution.

Srey Neang, a child rescued from a garbage dump in Steung Meanchey

A donation of $100 will bring a Cambodian child out of a life of poverty, hardship and abuse. You will help to provide this child with essential shelter, health care, nutritious meals, education and clothing - all in a loving, caring environment. A donation of $1,000 or more will provide for at least one child for an entire year.

Please THINK BIG as an act of mindfulness can influence many...similarly, all financial contributions will make a huge impact on these children's lives. The hope is to make this project into something that can educate others while raising money for those in need. Below is the donation letter as well as the Mindfulness challenge form that all participants may print out and mail in.

I will be touring to various Colleges, yoga studios, Universities and Environmental festivals to speak about the project and help raise awareness. For tour dates and class schedules please visit the workshop section of the classes & schedule page. Special thanks to terra pass for offsetting all of my carbon emissions for the duration of the Mindfulness Challenge tour.

Thank you for your support and please check back for photos of the project and progress reports.

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images of the project

The trash tour prooved to be an amazing opportunity for me to raise awareness about the project and learn for myself what the meaning of Mindfulness is. Traveling to over 9 cities during the months of April- June I carried all of my trash with me which was surprisingly was quite little after taking many efforts to learn how to create less trash on a daily basis. I blogged the experience and hope to have an article about the fundraising effort out soon...below is the grand finalé shot in SOHO, NYC.

June 26th, 2008 photo by Demian Mckinley

even with all of my junk mail, everything conveniently fit in my prAna shoulder bag

After traveling with the Mindfulness project I noticed the paper was getting worn from folding it and now all responses are going to be sewn into plastic pillows using plastic trash saved during the trash tour. Hopefully the plastic will protect the responses and make it easier to fold up the mandala for traveling purposes.

Images from May

from the trash tour (half way through- day 50)

donor responses sewn into plastic sleeves and then sewn together

mindfulness inspiration (select responses from supporters)