When Giving Becomes a Way of Living
Maitreyi Leila Zemke
November – December 2025 • Vol 4, No 19
Watch animals in the wild and you will notice they instinctively care for their kind, look out for one another, and act from a shared sense of belonging. Humans, despite all our complexity, aren’t so different. Something within us feels complete when we help others, and now science agrees.
A 2024 Lancet Healthy Longevity study found that volunteering can ease loneliness and lift overall well-being. Another study in ScienceDirect (2023) linked com-munity service to sharper cognitive performance in adults, while research in JAMA Network Open (2023) showed that young volunteers tend to flourish emotionally and show fewer behavioral issues. Even brain imaging reveals that selfless service reshapes regions tied to stress and emotion—helping us feel calmer, kinder, and more connected.
For many, and personally for me, one meaningful avenue to experience this has been Maitribodh Peace Services—a USA-based nonprofit that blends service with spiritual growth. It’s not a typical volunteering setup where you check boxes and move on. It’s a community, a family of friends, where everyone is welcomed, supported, and encouraged to grow. Maitribodh offers a platform, where people can come together when they feel lost or alone, unsure of where to start giving back. Whether through instructing or participating in our signature 20-minute, free meditation service, called Maitri Sambodh Dhyaan, or partaking in a prayer and healing (prayling), called Maitri Light, volunteers explore inner peace while serving others.
The community also nurtures mentoring and emotional support for anyone seeking direction. With over 100 active volunteers and more than 50,000 collective hours of service over the years, it’s a growing network of hearts united by purpose. The purpose is to spread love and peace, genuinely!
Across the U.S.A, Canada and Mexico, small groups meet in what they call Soul Nourishing Centers—places for reflection, or quiet togetherness. There are food drives in Iowa and Los Angeles; a group in Montana donates blankets to the homeless shelter in the frigid winter. There is an online “I Listen U” initiative offering a listening ear, and “Earth Embrace,” a movement for mindful living and sustainability through activities, like Mother Earth Prayer, tree planting, and various other activities. YGPT (Youth for Global Peace and Transformation) is a safe space for youth to express themselves and become socially and spiritually conscious beings, mentored and guided by love and care from the community.
In a world that often feels divided, opportunities like these remind us that service isn’t just about helping—it’s about remembering our shared humanity. Let’s reignite this united spirit in the holiday season.
If you would like to explore more about Maitribodh Peace Services, or to discuss inspiring ways in which you can give back to your community through collaboration, you can reach us by email at maitreyi.leila@gmail.com. You can also reach us at (406) 451-9015. Learn more at: MaitriBodhUSA.org.
Join us for Power of Peace, a free 90-minute session in Bozeman on November 8th at the Soul Nourishing Center. Contact Maitreyi Leila for more information.