The Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple started five years ago in a small store front with twelve people and a teacher. Within weeks, our weekly services filled up the space, and we had to move to another store front to keep up with this rapid growth. Today, just two years into our new store front, we are bursting at the seams again. We have grown from 12 to an active Sangha of over 150 and newsletter subscribers of 750.
We have developed a Buddhist-based addiction recovery program that operates six times a week at the temple and other locations in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Ludington. We offer an active, growing children's program each week. Our ordained teachers are often invited to discuss Buddhism in schools, churches and other organizations throughout West Michigan.
With the success of these programs as well as our weekly services and class schedules, we have simply outgrown our current 3,000 sq ft location.
We have many more programs and services we would like to offer, but do not have the right amount and type of space to offer them.
We need the stability of a permanent temple, not a rented store front. We are the only Buddhist temple that serves Westerners in our area.
Our goal is to raise $150,000 as a down payment for a permanent structure, We are strictly a donation-based, all-volunteer 501(c)3 organization. We have enough income for operational expenses but need to raise funds for a down payment on a building. It is only with our own building that we can continue to expand our offerings in our community which, as our growth testifies to, wants us here and thriving.
Any amount you can give is deeply appreciated, Thank you!
I you can help, go to gofundme.com and type in Build Buddhist Temple Grand Rapids.
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