Amy Balentine is the leader of the SBA/SBN Practice Circle, a meditation group sponsored by SBN which meets the 2nd and 4th Sunday every month, 8:00 p.m. Central Time (9:00 p.m. Eastern). For more information on this group, click here.

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I live in Tennessee and feel a connection to the area where Hurricane Helene hit in Tennessee and North Carolina. My family has visited the area for years, my son attends college at the University of Tennessee, and most importantly, there is a beloved sangha outside of Asheville, North Carolina -  Southern Dharma -  where I have attended retreats.  

Southern Dharma is currently engaged in a large, sustained effort to provide care to hurricane survivors in the area and have been doing a very impactful job with their assistance to not only Asheville, but to smaller, harder to reach, communities. They are receiving support from larger sanghas around the country and are collaborating with agencies like World Central Kitchen. However, they will need ongoing support as the needs are enormous.

Southern Dharma will be holding a Zoom meeting on 19 October to share information about the state of the area and what they are offering as well as future needs. To learn more about Southern Dharma’s activities concerning Hurricane Helene and to get the link for the meeting, click here.

To donate to Southern Dharma's Hurricane Helene Relief Fund, click here.  

They are also offering dorm space to those willing to volunteer a week at a time and have been gathering dharma teachers and counselors to offer free wellbeing and counseling services to the community. You will also find links in the newsletter to volunteer your time in that capacity as well.

Of course, there are many, many good agencies to donate to and other areas of the country, such as Florida, needing help in the face of the hurricanes, but this is a place where I have a personal connection and know the retreat center where this good work is occurring. If you've been a part of disaster recovery, you know that it is exhausting, and that there is more need than resources. I encourage us all to offer our loving kindness and tonglen practices to those impacted by the hurricanes.