Helping Hands Newsletter2025-12-25T20:41:29-08:00
  • A man in colorful attire prepares food outdoors surrounded by bowls and onlookers.
A smiling person applying lipstick in front of a mirror.

HELPING HANDS NEWSLETTER

  • A group of monks in robes standing outdoors under sunlight.

My Visit to Vietnam

This spring, BGR founder and chair Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi traveled to Vietnam to give the keynote address at the UN International Day of Vesak celebration, held in Ho Chi Minh City, on May 6. In this essay, Bhante shares a personal account of his travels in Vietnam leading up to the UN event.

  • A woman feeds a child sitting on the ground outdoors.

The Dismantling of USAID

The Trump administration’s eradication of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will have “deadly consequences for millions of people living in dire humanitarian emergencies and extreme poverty,” according to BGR partner Oxfam America.

  • Buddhist monks walking outdoors, one holding an umbrella over another.

A Trip to Arunachal Pradesh

In February 2025, Buddhist Global Relief founder and chair Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi traveled to Arunachal Pradesh, India, where BGR supports two projects through the Maha Bodhi Society (MBS).

  • A serene elderly man in traditional robes smiles warmly outdoors.

Remembering Hozan Alan Senauke

By Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi • Reflections on the life and impact of the Berkeley Zen Center abbot, founder of the Clear View Project. Alan was one of the leaders of Engaged Buddhism here in the United States, serving as executive director of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship from 1991 through 2001 .

  • A group discussion outdoors with people seated and a speaker standing.

We Ignore Climate Change at Our Perils

By Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi • The destabilization of the Earth’s climate system is the most perilous crisis humankind has ever faced. BGR's founder offers a teaching on this topic through the lenses of food insecurity and the Dharma.

  • Group of boys and men posing in front of a community building.

Meals for Orphans in Bangladesh

A project with the Bangladesh Buddhist Missionary Society provides food for orphaned children from impoverished families at the Orphans’ Home Complex in the remote Chittagong Hill Tracts region.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

During the coronavirus crisis, Buddhist Global Relief is continuing to fund projects providing food, education, and other necessary support to the world’s most vulnerable people. Many of the communities we serve worldwide are experiencing immense need as this epidemic spreads among vulnerable and medically underserved populations. If you have the ability to help, please consider donating to BGR. You can contribute by PayPal or credit card here or by check mailed to: Buddhist Global Relief, 2020 Route 301, Carmel, NY 10512, USA.

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