Caring Circles at the
Mindfulness Community of Milwaukee
What is a Caring Circle?
It is a small group of sangha members who come together to respond with compassion and practical help to someone in need. The needs could be acute or chronic. They could be connected to childbirth, death, chronic illness, declining health, painful separation, and loss, or any other life event where community support is crucial.
Beginning a Caring Circle
The Circle includes 1 to 12 other people, depending on the situation and people’s preference. To begin a Circle, one person meets with the individual facing difficulties, and together they review the situation, compile a list of needs, and decide what the Caring Circle can provide.
Central Coordinator
One person serves as the central coordinator and devises, for example, a visiting schedule, a meal delivery schedule, or a way to arrange rides. That person also ensures that the lines of communication stay clear and organized. In some cases, other members of the Circle could take specific responsibility for given areas, depending on their talents and availability (such as helping with financial paperwork or health care issues). Anyone in the sangha can offer to help with specific areas.
Caring Circles can help with many needs
- Meals How often are meals needed? Are there any dietary restrictions? Does the person prefer meals dropped off or someone to help prepare and cook them?
- Bills and other financial paperwork
- Grocery shopping and other errands
- Yard work –Mowing? Raking leaves? Shoveling snow?
- House cleaning – How often? Should sangha members themselves help with cleaning, supervise other paid workers?
- Laundry – What items should be cleaned? How often?
- Pet Care –Feeding? Walking? Grooming? Taking to vet?
- Rides
- Funeral planning
- Meditation – Would the person like to have members of the caring circle or sangha come to meditate with them? If so, how often and for how long?
- Liaison to the Sangha – Caring Circle member who can email or call sangha members to keep them updated with the person's condition, as desired by the person.
Thanks to Steve and Jeanne Lowry and Carolyn Wood for pioneering Caring Circles.