Abode Volunteer Application 2021

We're so grateful that you're applying to be at the Abode!

Our volunteer program requires 25 hours of scheduled work a week and 5 hours of spiritual/nature studies, in exchange for room and board and access to our facilities, classes and Abode sponsored programs.

This year will be a unique program, welcoming a smaller number of volunteers and focused primarily on individual and small group retreats. Living in community at the Abode during this time will call upon your flexibility, initiative, creativity, and cooperation as we strive to keep everyone safe while serving our guests and their spiritual journeys. The health and wellbeing of our volunteers, guests, and staff is our highest priority.

As a result, each 2021 Volunteer Experience session is unique to the individual -- tell us about yourself and what you're hoping to give and receive. Take time to answer the following questions and once complete we will reach out to discuss your application.

I look forward to connecting!
- Khaldun Michael Sturm

1. Please give us your basic contact information *This question is required.

Legal First Name

Legal Last Name

Preferred or Spiritual Name

Street Address

City

State

Zip

Country

Email Address *This question is required. This question requires a valid email address.

Phone Number

What are your preferred pronouns (He/his, she/hers, them/they, other?) *This question is required.

2. The 2021 program/retreat season will run from the middle of March to approximately the end of September/October. When would you like to arrive, how long would you like to live and volunteer at the Abode, and when would you like to depart? Do you have flexibility in these dates?

*(Please note that our season is subject to change based on the ongoing pandemic and local/state/national regulations. We will do our best to give as much notice as possible if any changes to the season are necessary.) *This question is required.

3. What draws you to the Abode and the Volunteer Program? *This question is required.

4. What skills are you hoping to acquire at the Abode? What would you ideally walk away with after your time here? *This question is required.

5. Though the Abode is an interfaith oriented community, at our core we are affiliated with the Inayatiyya, a universalist lineage of Sufism. It is not a requirement to be a member or to join at any point, though practicing/exploring your own spirituality is expected as a component of volunteer life at the Abode. What do you know about this path of Sufism? Is there anything you would like to know? *This question is required.

6. We take a broad view of spirituality - are you actively practicing or involved in any spiritual tradition? What do you do to practice? If you’re not actively involved, how do you hope to engage spiritually at the Abode? What do you hope to experience by being immersed in a universalist spiritual community? *This question is required.

7. We love to have Staff and Volunteers share their interests, passions, and skills. What do you love to do? Poetry? Music? Yoga? Something else? *This question is required.

8. What do you hope to gain from your time at the Abode? *This question is required.

9. Have you ever lived in community before (of any kind)? *This question is required.

10. How do you deal with interpersonal conflicts? Can you give an example of a difficult time you had with a colleague or living mate, and how it was resolved? What did you learn from this situation? *This question is required.

11. The Abode has typically divided volunteer concentrations into the following:

Mountain Team
Kitchen Team
Housekeeping Team
Grounds (gardens) Team
Maintenance Team
Program Support

This year we will be welcoming a smaller number of volunteers due to Covid regulations, and moving between volunteer concentrations will be part of day-to-day life. We'll be focusing mostly on supporting individual and small group retreats this season.

What experience, if any, do you have in any of the above? Are there areas that you feel particularly drawn to or areas that you have concerns about working in?
*This question is required.

Abode Volunteer Application 2021

Introductions