Great news! The second grant recipient has been selected. Meet the new star for Asian Classic Institute, Alona Stoliarchuk.

ACI chose one of our own most valuable staff members to receive the first ACI Tonglen Service Grant, due to our current constrained financial situation–only four months of funding left! Alona’s importance makes her staying crucial.

Alona worked in corporate and not-for-profit marketing since 2008, with some time off to bring two beautiful children into the world. After her bachelor’s in Economics and
Entrepreneurship from Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, she was an ad agency account executive. Later, she added logistics, import/export, procurement skills, budgeting, planning, and operations to her creative and strategic marketing successes.

Alona and her family- her husband, children, parents, and beloved dog Rey- fled the Ukraine war in 2022. In exile, they lived first in Poland, then as emigrés in Switzerland. Alona’s new job there is in finance.

A spiritual seeker, Alona is a 200-hour Three-Jewels trained meditation teacher and a Kyiv-trained yoga practitioner; she meditates and does yoga daily. Beginning as a volunteer, now a staff, her digital marketing expertise drives ACI’s flourishing. She leads meditations, moderates online events like LAM RIM, and brings dharma to thousands online in 12 languages, coordinating an international social media, design, and content creation volunteer team.

Giving back is a way of life for Alona. She never stops learning and giving freely of what she learns to others. Alona speaks Ukrainian, Russian, and English, now adding German. She looks forward to keeping her Tonglen journal and practicing Tonglen meditation 30 minutes daily.

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Rocio has 15 years of experience in Property Management, five years of experience in Coaching Psychology, and expertise in both Holistic Healthcare Management and Creative Services Management. In her role as a Property Management, Rocio oversaw daily maintenance requests and efficiently resolved issues. She provided effective management and leadership to property and administrative personnel and built personal relationships with guests to enhance positive experiences.

As a Coaching Psychology, Rocio assisted clients to develop problem-solving strategies and set goals for overall well-being improvement. She also helped clients find balance and satisfaction, demonstrating proficiency in holistic healthcare management.

Rocia participated in the Green Stretch Pen project and retreat-training operations, including managing inventory and scheduling. As a highly organized and self-motivated individual, Rocio can inspire and motivate others, and her adaptability will allow her to thrive well in Diamond Mountain’s retreat center work environments. Her skills fit well working as a Management Consultant, Hospitality to help organize retreats and improve the managerial and the operation of DM’s joint use areas. As a Tonglen Grant recipient, Rocio will keep a daily practice journal, including 30 minutes of Tonglen Meditation.

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This incredible achievement demonstrates people’s commitment to supporting individuals who want to help with ACI and Diamond Mountain Retreat Center and make a difference!

We received 41 applications, and we are delighted to announce that the first recipients of the Tonglen Service Grant are Rocio Diaz and Alona Stoliarchuk. Congrats, and welcome to both of them!

Now, as part of their service, they will be performing 30 min Tonglen meditations daily. The Asian Classics Institute and Diamond Mountain Retreat Center will share the grant money and support those two new team members.

We are both committed to continuing to fundraising for the Tonglen Service Grants, and our goal is $100,000. Once the funds are replenished, we will have another round of reviewing and selecting new recipients. And we very much hope you will be among them! The Tonglen Service Grant is more than just financial support; it fosters connections, mentorship, and collaborative efforts to support the retreat projects.

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in the transformative impact next time. Stay tuned for updates on the next round of grants!

In the meantime, you may consider volunteering for the Asian Classics Institute or Diamond Mountain. You can apply for a volunteer position with ACI at https://asianclassicsinstitute.org/general-donation-page or with Diamond Mountain at https://forms.gle/Y2vjGC3vNWxRFaeKA. It’s not a requirement for a Tonglen Service Grant, but it can complement your application! And it would help both organizations a great deal.

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