Outreach activities at City Center include distributing food to homeless people; providing dharma books, pen-pals, and meditation classes for prison inmates; working with families in transitional housing; enhancing cultural diversity within Zen Center; facilitating the formation of satellite sitting groups; and advocating for compassionate action on social issues. We welcome volunteers for Outreach activities. See below for details.

Food Distribution to Homeless People

Activities with Children and Families

Zen Center Prison Program

Buddhist Prison Correspondence (click for more information)

Prison Correspondence Book Sale (click for more information)

Sitting & Discussion Group for People in Recovery

Contacting Us

Food Distribution to Homeless People

Join us one Sunday morning each month in the Zen Center dining room to put together bag lunches and then distribute them to homeless people in San Francisco. We begin at 10 am and are usually finished by 12:30 pm. It's fine to come for part of the time, but keep in mind that we usually leave Zen Center around 11:45 to distribute the lunches. For upcoming dates, please contact outreach@sfzc.org or 415.354.0379.

On Thursdays from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, we make soup in the Zen Center kitchen and distribute it to homeless people in San Francisco's Civic Center area. Please call us at least one day in advance if you would like to participate. Contact the Outreach office at outreach@sfzc.org or 415.354.0379 for more information and to confirm dates.

Zen Center organizes field trips, tutoring, recreational, and educational activities for children and families in neighborhood transitional housing. Volunteers with ideas, energy, transportation, talents, and/or planning skills are warmly invited to get involved. Contact the Outreach office at outreach@sfzc.org or 415.354.0379.

The Zen Center Prison Program has three components:

Prison Correspondence: We match prisoners who wish to discuss their Buddhist practice with volunteer pen pals. You need not have learning in Buddhist scholastics; merely a compassionate heart, a wish to be of service, and about half an hour a month. All mail comes through the Zen Center office and you may, if you wish, choose a pseudonym to protect your anonymity. We also have a fund which allows us to send Buddhist books to prisoners at no cost to the pen pal. Guidelines, a sample first letter and on-going support is provided.

Yoga and Meditation in Jail: We visit the San Francisco jail on a regular basis bringing meditation and yoga to the incarcerated. This requires a commitment to a couple of hours at the jail at least twice a month. We are very interested in teachers of yoga or tai chi; especially women and people of color.

If you are interested in the Prison Correspondence Program or Yoga and Meditation in Jail Program, please contact Outreach Coordinator Jeffrey Schneider at or 415.354.0379.

San Quentin Sangha: The description and details for this Program will be posted soon.

This is a drop-in group for those interested in exploring the connection between Buddhist teaching and practice and recovery work. We meet in the Buddha Hall, begin with a period of meditation, and follow with a discussion. The group is led by practitioners in recovery. Donation requested. For more information, please call the Front Office at or by phone: 415.863.3136.