Dear friends of Springwater Center,
While the work of meditative inquiry at Springwater Center continues to touch the many who visit for retreats, guest stays, and events, our beloved Center is facing a number of staffing challenges right now. Several staff members have either needed to leave staff or take extended time off, and others are taking care of their health and needing to limit their physical contributions to the center. This leaves us in a position of fewer staff having to do more work as we welcome the many interested in the Center’s activities.
As this situation progresses, many on staff have noted a level of fatigue that calls for rest and care in order to function as a meditative community. We also recognize importance of broader questions facing the Center as we attend to the realities of aging for the founding generation. We need time as a staff to work on this transition, develop more sustainable ways of working together, and empower younger faces in roles of leadership.
With these concerns in mind, we have decided to temporarily close the Center to guest stays during the months of November and December 2025 as well as February 2026. Please consult our guest availability calendar for more specific information. Staff and administration are in active dialogue about how to make these pauses have the maximum positive impact on Center staffing while creating the least inconvenience for our friends and visitors.
All scheduled events including retreats, quiet weeks, and All Day Sittings will continue to be held. Existing reservations during November and December will be honored. Open Meditative Dialogues hosted online are another way to continue to connect with our work during this time, as are online sittings. Read more about our online offerings here.
This decision was painful in many ways. Since our founding years, we have always worked to make this place open to everyone interested in the work of meditative inquiry. However, Springwater Center was also founded as a place of meditation and inquiry for its staff. We believe that supporting the well-being of staff will ultimately result in a healthier, more vibrant, and more beautiful retreat center to offer our
guests. We ask and thank you for your patience in working with us during this time.
How can you help?
As our friends have heard about this closure, many have expressed concern and a desire to help. One of the greatest gifts that our friends and members can give during this time is the space and patience to allow us to engage in the crucial work of building staff resources. Beyond this, consider expressing your support by:
Making a donation. Donations are always welcome, and right now they are a great way of helping offset income that will be lost by this closure. Read about our 2025 annual appeal here.
Explore volunteering. Volunteers, especially those with familiarity with and an interest in the work of Springwater Center, are a great resource in bridging our staffing gap and staying open to as many as possible.
Help spread the word about our staffing needs. Springwater has been seeking vital support in areas such as housekeeping, repair and maintenance, kitchen assistance, and groundskeeping. If you know someone who might be interested in life on staff at Springwater Center, we encourage you to put them in touch with us to begin a conversation.
We thank you for your understanding and patience as we engage in this important work of community renewal. As we finalize our 2026 calendar which will be published in the coming weeks, we look forward to another year together.
With gratitude,
Mark Bruno
Co-administrator, Springwater Center
