Understanding Volunteer Challenges and Building a Meditation-Based Process: A Case Study from the Buddhamahametta Foundation’s Acupuncture Clinic
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Abstract
Volunteer service in healthcare settings is a crucial form of community-based support, yet volunteers frequently encounter emotional strain, interpersonal friction, and organizational ambiguity that can weaken service quality and team cohesion. This qualitative case study examines challenges volunteers face at the Siriwattago Medical Clinic (Acupuncture), operated by the Buddhamahametta Foundation, and proposes a context-specific development process integrating mindfulness and loving-kindness (mettā) meditation to strengthen peaceful well-being and collaborative functioning. Data were generated through in-depth interviews with active clinic volunteers and were analyzed thematically. Three major challenge domains emerged: (1) personal readiness and emotional resilience, including stress, fatigue, and reduced confidence; (2) communication and coordination issues, including misunderstandings, unclear roles, and inconsistent task allocation; and (3) gaps in training and operational support, particularly the absence of structured orientation, ongoing guidance, and reflective supervision. These conditions contributed to frustration, diminished motivation, and episodic disharmony within the volunteer team. In response, the article proposes a volunteer development process grounded in Buddhist ethical cultivation, embedding mindfulness and mettā practices into routine preparation, training sessions, and facilitated reflection circles. The proposed approach aims to cultivate calm attention, emotional regulation, empathic intention, and relational awareness—capacities that support both effective service delivery and harmonious teamwork. This study contributes an applied Buddhist-informed model for healthcare volunteer development and offers transferable principles for clinics and foundations seeking more sustainable, compassionate volunteer ecosystems.
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