Volunteer at Beautiful Vallecitos

Volunteers play an integral role in keeping Vallecitos running. There are generally three different needs for volunteers:

Onsite at the center during the retreat season to help maintain and improve our facilities as well as serve our retreatants.
Onsite at the center during work periods in early May and later October before and after the retreat season to help with special projects and preparing the center or as needs arise.
Offsite support as needed in specific areas as opportunities arise. (i.e. driving people to the center, grant writing, delivering large items, help with audio/recording, etc.)

Thank you in advance for your willingness to serve!

What kind of skills are you looking for?

We welcome a variety of specific skills and support. Some skills we are interested in include (but not limited to) carpentry, electrical, plumping, off-grid solar, graphic design, social media, audio/recording, land management, drivers and more. It is also essential to have volunteers who enjoy cleaning, organizing, helping in the kitchen and supporting guest comfort and safety.

What kinds of projects would I be working on?

Retreat Volunteers during the season: Together with our Retreat Manager, you would help out with daily chores such as cleaning facilities, sorting laundry, helping in the kitchen, and assisting retreatants.

Facility Volunteers during the season: Together with out Facilities Manager, there is opportunity to support maintenance tasks such as fixing fences, working on irrigation ditches, transporting guests, building maintenance and more.

Volunteers during work periods: A crew of people work on special building projects as well as cleaning and preparing the center.

What’s the commitment?
For serving at the center during retreat, we ask for a minimum of 2 weeks (strong preference for 4 weeks) for a minimum of five hours a day with variations depending on the day.

For serving during work periods in May and October when retreats are not in session, it is flexible and open and generally last between 4 days and 3 weeks.

There are also off site volunteer opportunities that are as needed and would be defined depending on the situation.

When can I come?
For onsite volunteer opportunities, we can only accommodate volunteers between generally May 1st and October 31st.

Reciprocity

Meet new people and spend time in one of the most stunning and remote landscapes in northern New Mexico while enjoying three delicious vegetarian meals a day. Volunteers “live” in comfortable, single occupancy, heated accommodations. (Please note, there is no electricity to any of our accommodations.) If there’s space, we may be able to offer you a spot on retreat after one month of service.

Do I qualify?
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then yes!
– I can stay for at least 2 weeks between May 1st and October 31st (for volunteers during retreats).
– Vallecitos is located in a remote, high altitude area far from medical services. I do not require proximity to medical facilities and I am able to walk over a mile each day, navigate uneven terrain, lift/carry objects up to 30lbs.
– I can be comfortable in a rustic and remote setting.
– I can leave my dog at home.
– I have a valid driver’s license (only required for certain positions).
– I can provide at least 2 references from people familiar with my practice and/or capabilities.
– I understand the only way to the center is by personal car. If I do not have transportation, I understand I must work with a staff member to coordinate a way to the center.

How to Apply

For those interested, please submit a Volunteer Application. If there is a match between your application and Vallecitos’ needs, we’ll get in touch with you. Please note: volunteers serving during the retreat season are scheduled in the beginning of each year therefore December, January and February are a good times to apply. Those with special skills and general availability, we will reach out as needed. Please submit a new application each year to indicate your continued interest.

...I came to Vallecitos for a retreat years ago and fell in love with it. Now as a volunteer and yogi I try to come back every summer to soak up the stunning landscapes as well as the rich dharma. This place truly calls me home.

Khalil Hassan

...I cannot express in words alone how important the retreat was for me. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is the importance of listening to my inner self. Vallecitos provided the necessary environment that makes it impossible not to go inward. When I returned home, I hit the ground running, but with a more focused direction. I attribute that to my stay at Vallecitos.

Mark Coleman

...Vallecitos has always been one of my spiritual homes. It is a place where I have learned so much about the refuge of wilderness. It is where I have discovered so much about my own nature, from the wildness of nature there. Not only is it exquisitely beautiful and pristine, it is also profoundly serene and a place of deep renewal. I feel so blessed to have been able to visit every year for the past twenty years. I am eternally grateful for that land.

Katie Gall

...Vallecitos has truly become a home to me. Working with such great teachers and mentors is an honor and being able to absorb all the knowledge and blessings that flow through the gorgeous land has shaped my soul and nourished my mind. It really is a magical place that I am forever grateful for.

Mushim Ikeda

...I was teaching at Vallecitos one year in August, during the meteor showers. Our sensitivity heightened by hours of silent meditation, we would stand outside at night and watch trails of light cross the vast dark sky, signs from what I call the Greater Reality. Unforgettable.

Swati Prakash

...The time and the space to reflect and cultivate inner calm were so valuable. This was a very healing experience for me. It also started me on the practice of meditating. I meditate every day now, just for 10 minutes, but it makes a huge difference in my everyday life and with work.

...17 years ago, I received an invitation to sit for 10 days of silence at Vallecitos. I accepted the invitation with no idea of the lasting impact the retreat would have on me. Over the years, the annual pilgrimage has provided me with tools to sustain and deepen my ongoing mediation practice. Sweeping fields of wildflowers, star-dotted nights, and bubbling streams provide a unique opportunity to directly experience interconnectedness. This gentle, wild setting is a profound environment to recharge mind, spirit, and body.

Debra Susan Abbot

...I had a tremendous experience at Vallecitos, which is one of the most rewarding and positive things I’ve done within my lifetime. I have incorporated many of the things I learned into my daily life, and it has been very healthy for me. I had to experience loving kindness, sympathetic joy and generosity to understand the full power and grace of these profound feelings and actions.

Cristina Mormorunni

...I am so much more aware of the path I want to be on and the power of the sacred in my life.

Jane Cronlund

...Since the retreat, my pace of personal breakthroughs has quickened and old dynamics seem to be changing in positive ways. I am better able to deal with previously tense situations and successfully resolve them. I have increased feelings of peace. Thank you!

Krys Kornmeier

...The view of the Aspen trees outside my casita, the cool silent mornings of meditation, the warmth of the lodge, and the exquisite majesty of the land created a gentle but powerful impression... in one short visit I have come to treasure Vallecitos.

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Volunteer at Beautiful Vallecitos

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