A Place to Land, A Place to Grow, A Place to Connect

Neighbor’s Grove is more than housing—it’s a foundation for rebuilding, reconnecting, and belonging. In partnership with Pathways Vermont, we offer transitional housing and support for people reintegrating into the community after incarceration, homelessness, or other periods of instability.

When the four-unit apartment complex next door to Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community suddenly became available after the owner’s passing, we knew we had to act. Rather than see it converted into market-rate housing, we stepped in to preserve it for Addison County—creating both a home for those in need and a new expression of our practice: Community-Zen guided property management.

Neighbor’s Grove is our response to the urgent need for affordable, supported housing. But it’s more than that. It’s an experiment in what’s possible when a community takes responsibility for its neighbors—not as charity, but as shared life. Here, housing is not just shelter—it’s an opportunity for stability, dignity, and the deep practice of being together.

More Than Shelter

A roof over one’s head is just the beginning. With Pathways Vermont’s expertise in the housing-first model, Neighbor’s Grove provides not only a place to stay but a safe, stable environment where people can rest, heal, and reconnect. This program supports individuals transitioning out of incarceration, homelessness, and addiction treatment programs, offering a critical bridge to community life.

In Buddhist teachings, stable housing is recognized as one of the four requisites—alongside food, clothing, and medicine—necessary for personal transformation and spiritual practice. Without a safe place to land, supportive neighbors, and a chance to form new patterns, rebuilding a life is nearly impossible. Housing is not just shelter—it’s the ground on which stability, growth, and belonging take root.

This work isn’t separate from our Zen practice—it is our Zen practice. It’s a natural extension of what we’ve been building through Gather, our community meals program, and our ongoing care efforts. At its heart, Neighbor’s Grove expresses our Bodhisattva vow: to meet suffering not with grand solutions, but with steady presence, open hearts, and practical action.

How You Can Help

Caring for our neighbors also means caring for the place they call home. As part of our stewardship of The Grove, we’re working to keep these homes safe and warm:

• $22,000 was recently invested to reinforce the foundation of one of the buildings.
• $15,000 is needed for weatherization and new windows in the older building.

Your gift to Neighbor’s Grove is a direct way to support people doing the good and hard work of reintegrating into community life. In the tradition of begging practice, we ask you to consider making a donation—not as charity, but as a shared commitment to the well-being of our community.

Join us in this work. Give today. Thank you!

In addition to giving online, you can also send a check made out to Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community, via US Mail  to:

Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community
P.O. Box 818
Middlebury, VT 05753

Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community, Federal Tax ID # 82-0768267 is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt non-profit under Section 501 (c) (3).