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Help in a restaurant at our vibrant community! :)

5.0
(159 reviews)159

The experience

Join our team of volunteers and immerse yourself in a vibrant community!

We need help with meal preparation, pot washing, dishwashing and other tasks.

Enjoy comfortable accommodation and 3 meals a day. Benefit from free access to meditations and evening classes (in French), with English meditations twice a week. Plus, enjoy free laundry services.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute, learn, and thrive in a supportive environment!

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

Cooking: Choose the menu, pick ingredients and cook delicious dishes.

Kitchen Hand: Help prepare, finish and serve meals.

What you get

2 days off per week

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Team Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other people.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Beginner French or Intermediate English

Over 18 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Our non-profit charity offers an extensive program of retreats and meditations throughout the year. We are students of kadampa Buddhism, and in this respect the center organises teachings and meditations based on Buddhism (we do not practice yoga or other alternative spiritual approaches). We welcome volunteers throughout the year to help us run the centre. Volunteers are free to take part in noon meditations and evening teachings (in French) if they wish. In their free time and on their days off, they can go hiking, take walks in the surrounding woods, read or relax.

Activities & Shift

The day usually starts at 9am at the earliest and ends at 8pm at the latest. The team of volunteers usually rotates every day between helping the cook & washing up, potwashing and dishwashing. Shifts can last from 1h up to 2hrs, with 2 or 3 shifts per day, leaving time free during the day to do whatever you want.

Rules

We offer picks up at Ecommoy's train station (10kms away) situated between Le Mans and Tours.

A phone interview will be arranged prior to your arrival.

You will also be asked to fill out a volunteer application form with your contact information and other essential information to best organize your stay.

Although it is not at all necessary or required to be a Buddhist or to become a Buddhist to come and stay at our Meditation Center, you will have the opportunity to live on a daily basis with and within a community of modern buddhist practitioners. This entails refraining from harmful or negative behavior during your stay, such as killing, stealing, abusive behavior, noise pollution, use of alcohol or illegal substances, etc. We ask everyone to sign a commitment in this regard, for the well-being of each and every one and for the preservation of the standards of this institution.