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Service
Community Service Committee
Our new Community Service Committee is working to provide sangha members with tangible ways to support those in need on local, state, and national levels. Please reach out to us if you have questions or ideas for service projects, or if you are interested in joining our efforts.
Maryland Food Bank
At the end of 2025, we hosted a virtual fundraiser for the Maryland Food Bank, a non-profit organization leading the movement to end hunger in Maryland which has an extensive network of community and organizational partners across the state that distribute food to Marylanders who need it. Clare Sangha members raised $3,600 with this effort.
For more information about Maryland Food Bank, visit https://mdfoodbank.org/about/
Knit and Crochet Items
We are currently creating knit and crochet items, such as hats, scarves, blanket squares, and completed blankets, for Warm Up America Foundation, a nonprofit that began in 1991 to distribute volunteer-made knitted and crocheted goods to people in need across the country. To learn more about this organization, visit https://warmupamerica.org/ If you are interested in donating items, contact the Community Service Committee here for more information.
Social Activism
Zen Community of Baltimore/Clare Sangha takes seriously our commitment to cultivate wisdom and compassion by applying the three Zen Peacemaker Tenets to our daily lives: practicing not knowing, bearing witness, and taking action. In light of current events in our nation and state, the teachers and board of directors support and empower sangha members who choose to take safe and appropriate actions to assist those who are suffering as a result of recent activities involving the inhumane and deadly treatment of immigrants, people of color, and citizens exercising their right to free speech and peaceful protests. Each person should determine their level of comfort and capabilities regarding such participation, as this is not a requirement of sangha involvement but instead a potential pathway to deepening your commitment to practice and to the Bodhisattva vows.
The following are examples of some of the skillful actions you might consider taking to show support for your values (with additional resources below):
- Writing to or calling your local, state, and national lawmakers
- Voting in local and national elections, including midterm elections
- Attending peaceful demonstrations
- Providing financial or physical support for people and communities who have been affected by ICE raids
- Taking training on how to safely and effectively record the actions of ICE personnel
- Distributing information on how to react if approached by ICE personnel
We are kicking off the Community Service Committee later in February to further facilitate support for responsible social activism and to consider voluntary activities we may decide to take as a group. Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress, and we are interested in your feedback and ideas. You can communicate with or join the committee by sending an email to ehrmana@claresangha.org.
Additional resources:
Zen Peacemakers
The Three Tenets:
https://zenpeacemakers.org/the-three-tenets/
Human Rights Campaign
Tips for Preparedness, Peaceful Protesting, and Safety:
https://www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety
ACLU
Know Your Rights – Protesters’ Rights:
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights
Know Your Rights – Recording and Documenting Police and Federal Agents:
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/recording-and-documenting-police-and-federal-agents
NAACP
Staying Safe During a Protest:
https://naacp.org/resources/staying-safe-during-protest
No Kings
Eyes on Ice – Document and Record: