Volunteer Profile: Seth Nathanson

Seth is our head cook, so technically he is more "employee" than "volunteer".  However, like all of our staff members, Seth spends additional time each week "off the clock" at the Cafe as a volunteer.

Age: 51
Occupation: Chef, World Peace Cafe
Favorite World Peace Café Dish: Mushroom Stroganoff

Recently, you transitioned from a part-time volunteer to our full-time head cook.  What have been some of the challenges you have faced during this transition?  What have been some of the rewards of your new role?
The biggest challenge I have faced is that there is so much to learn, in a very short time.  In addition to learning the recipes, and keeping up with the food inventory, I'm trying to work the changes we want to make to help us serve more people, faster.  Some things we've tried have worked, others have teetered on disaster!  The important part, for me, is to remember that there will always be things going wrong, but if I focus on the positive, they are not problems for me.  I can smile at myself, patiently accept the situation, and be excited about trying the next thing.

You have been a volunteer at the World Peace Café since our early days, including during our planning and build-out phases.  What created your initial interest in volunteering for this project, and what has sustained your interest over the past two years?
The Cafe is a wonderful project on so many levels!  On the surface, instead of supporting Rameshori Buddhist Center by asking for donations directly from the public, we work hard to provide them with healthy, good tasting food, in a peaceful, loving environment.  Dig deeper, and you find sincere spiritual practitioners developing humility and patience through service to others.  Look even further, and there's the opportunity everyone is given, just by walking through the door, to be touched by their experience, and develop their own sincere wish to learn more about why we are here.  World peace truly develops one person at a time.