Healthy snacks, Books, etc.
Prison Dharma, in addition to holding weekly meditation and one-on-one mentoring, provides ongoing supplies. as needed.
BookDrive
In response to inmates request for reading materials, we reached out to the larger Buddhist community. Bodhi Tree Meditation Center donated used books with which Vipassana Kailua held a Book Sale at Hawaii Association of International Buddhists' 2019 Dharmachakra Festival. Proceeds from the sale were used to purchase new meditation and dharma books for our students. Katogmatiling received many new books from the Pema Chodron Foundation, bringing the total to almost 100 new books. So far, three Hawaii prisons have received new books.
Individuals from Oahu's Buddhist community also donated magazines, which is an ongoing need. Please contact lily@katogmatiling to donate magazines.
DVD Drive
During the Coronavirus lockdown all classes and visits were cancelled. We received an anonymous donation from a friend of Prison Dharma, which we used to purchase over two dozen DVD's on guided meditation (sitting, lying down, standing, or moving), and inspirational dharma/related docu-dramas and contemplative music. These were donated to our WCCC students in lieu of weekly meditation classes.
Healthy Snacks
During the pandemic, snacks were donated to support weekly DVD Movie Nights. As of December 2020, $1,000 worth of snacks have been delivered. Carefully selected for their nutritional content, these snacks are very well received during COVID lockdown. They serve as a reminder to our students that they have not been forgotten.
We accept contributions of any amount from everyone, as we hope to continue this drive as long as the pandemic lasts. Please contact r_siciliano@yahoo.com