Volunteer in Louisiana or From Your Home

In Louisiana, LHA partners with organizations including Tulane and Loyola Universities, Ochsner Medical Center and the Louisiana Mississippi Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (LMHPCO), as well as other local, national and international groups. Together we host Tibetan scholars, organize cultural events, raise funds and collect material resources needed for service Projects in India. Schools and organizations send groups to India each year to volunteer time and skills while learning directly from the ancient wisdom traditions and cultures of the Himalayas. LHA also maintains community centers in New Orleans and Lafayette where Buddhist lectures, seminars, films, mindfulness training, meditation, yoga, music and other contemplative practices occur. The spaces are also offered for weddings, receptions, memorial services, celebrations and festivals. We are also involved with local community-based projects involving gardens, meals, helping neighbors and more.

For LHA's Louisiana-based projects volunteers are needed most from January through May, when the bulk of our events and projects are in full swing!

Email lha.neworleans@lhanola.com to volunteer in New Orleans or from home anywhere in the world. LHA is entirely volunteer-run and donation-funded, and thus does not have regular office hours or consistent volunteer needs. The LHA email list is a great way to stay up-to-date on LHA activities, functions and volunteer opportunities. Should no LHA project currently fit your skills or availability, we can add you to our list of potential volunteers and contact you when appropriate. If you have a plan for an affiliated project or program please contact us with your ideas about how we may be able to partner up! Thank you!

Volunteer in Dharamsala, India

To volunteer in India, email our Tibetan friends at Lha Charitable Trust. The Louisiana Himalaya Association does not organize, coordinate or in any way have responsibility for volunteers going to or in India. Lha Charitable Trust has volunteer opportunities available to choose from, and varied time frames. Since the founding of Lha Charitable Trust in 2005, thousands of volunteers from over 40 different countries have served with the organization. Most of the LHA team, all LHA Board Members, and many of our friends from around the world have volunteered with Lha Charitable Trust in India.

All are welcome to simply show up at the service center in Dharamsala and meet with a volunteer coordinator to seek placement. Or one may communicate via email with a volunteer coordinator and arrive on an agreed-upon date. Unlike some volunteer coordination services in the area, Lha Charitable Trust does not charge volunteers, who are responsible only for their own room/board and transportation costs. Completely optional services available for a fee include trip planning assistance, escort service upon arrival in India, and support during a stay in Dharamsala. However you choose to get involved, you can expect your volunteer experience with the Tibetan staff of Lha Charitable Trust, the Tibetan community, and your fellow volunteers from around the world to be an adventure and an incredible opportunity.