Volunteer Opportunities

If you are interested in helping out with any of these projects, or have done similar jobs and have any advice on how to proceed, please contact the maintenance supervisor at evan@greatvow.org.


Projects to be accomplished this year:

   
The Spring Garden. See the Spring Garden News Page for what has already been accomplished on this project.
 
     
     

Build concealing boxes for the new cold air returns in the guest hall. We have completed the framing of one, and would like to finish all four of them before October.

These new cold air returns will greatly improve the efficiency of the heating system in the guest hall.

 
     

Paint exterior of the monastery. We're nearing completion of this project. We're looking for volunteers to finish the front of the monastery. There will be a work party on August 24 and 25. Please email Danno if you're willing to help out.

 
 
Repair, strip, and wax dining hall floor. This is an important project that must be taken care of soon. Any information on repairing and waxing vinyl floors is appreciated.
 
Insulate the guest area - this will probably done by a professional.
 
Expand Jizo Garden. We have 108 Jizos that were removed from a Japanese cemetery that was being relocated. We are expanding the present Jizo garden using these Jizos. The project includes trail work and landscaping. See the page on summer residency for more details on the residency work exchange program.
 

Energy-saving upgrades:

  • Put insulated curtains on all sliding doors.
  • Replace hot water tanks with more efficient models.
  • Weatherproof all doors (this is nearly done).
  • Retrofit gym lighting to take energy-saving T-8 bulbs
  • Insulate all hot water pipes.

 

Future Projects

   

Repair and paint soffits. The soffits are the “overhang” that surrounds the monastery walk ways. Some of the areas need to have the exterior sheet rock replaced or repaired, and others need to be scraped and re-primed.

 

Redecorate the guest hall: install double sinks, replace folding screens with some sort of light colored drapes, replace furnaces, paint and re-carpet the space.

     

Re-carpet and re-organize the Shrine Room.

 

Redecorate the resident’s hall: paint and re-carpet

     

Upgrade perimeter lighting. Replace bulbs, rewire some lights.

 

Re roof and replace gutters on remainder of monastery.

     

Redecorate Musical Zendo. Re-paint, remove/replace sound baffles, and arrange for re-carpeting.

 

Upgrade Gym: remove some basketball hoops and bleachers, build a second floor, convert to conference area.

     

Redesign of the gym shower areas. Replace ceiling tiles, insulate hot water pipes, rearrange locker areas, and renew grout in gym showers. Also possibly renovate the hot water system.

 

Remove the gym equipment and swing set.

Build an awning for the hut.

     

Design and build a rack for storing zafus in the zendo and a platform for storing zabutons.

 

Replace the original school bathroom equipment with adult-size equipment, Add shelves and proper sinks with hot water.

     

Refinish gym floor patches.

 

Refurbish the kitchen back door.

     

Paint wainscoting in intersecting hallways and re-carpet them.

 

Plan and create the Fall, Winter and Summer Gardens.

     

GROUNDSKEEPING:

Expand the berry patch, put in more weed matting, finish pruning the plum trees and generally get that area into shape. Finish removing the flagpole structure.

 

     

Build a 2nd floor or loft over Zenworks.

  Reroute the cold air returns in the office.
     
Reroute ducting in the Laundry Room. In order to improve airflow and heating in the gymnasium and to reduce lint clogging, we intend to run ducting from the dryers directly to the outside.  

 


   

Accomplished projects

 
Zendo Insulation
The zendo and the intersecting hallways have been insulated with new R-38 insulation - batting in the zendo ceiling and blown-in insulation in the hallways. Thanks to generous incentives from the Clatskanie PUD the entire project was at no cost to the monastery.
Thank you Soren for all your help!
   

Parking lot Stripes
Jim, Danno, and Robbie repainted the parking lot stripes. Thanks so much!
   

Insulate Gym Showers - This job was completed by the heroic efforts of Thomas, Sugar, and Trevor.
   
 
 

 

 

Great Vow Zen Monastery
P.O. Box 368
Clatskanie, OR 97016
(503) 728-0654
Email: info@greatvow.org

©2006 Zen Community of Oregon
Site by Michelle Bagley
Updated: April 16, 2008