Jeff Bridges Tours Greyston Foundation, Introduces “Head for Peace”

POSTED: JANUARY 2012

Jeff Bridges, actor/activist and Academy Award winner, (far left in photo) toured the Greyston Foundation in Yonkers recently with world-renowned Zen Buddhist teacher, Bernie Glassman (right in photo) to launch the “Head for Peace” Campaign together.

Bridges has been a friend and student of Bernie Glassman for over 10 years, is an active supporter of Zen Peacemakers, founded by Glassman, and is leading the fundraising effort, “Head for Peace.”

Bridges personally sculpted 108 ceramic heads that become sponsored by individuals who share the intention to embody and promote peace around the world. Each “Head Keeper” is given a book honoring a generation of 18 heads, a “Head for Peace” Certificate, a signed photograph of the head, a “Here’s the Deal” document and a box and pillow for the head. Each sponsorship is good for one year and can be renewed, passed on to another sponsor or returned to “HeadQuarters”. All proceeds will be donated to the Zen Peacemakers.

“I made these little heads,” Bridges said during his Greyston visit. “This is such a complicated thing to talk about. I like to do ceramics and I always had a hunk of clay left over. I found myself making these little heads in sort of an aimless place. I kind of let my hands rip. Before I knew it, I had a whole slew of these little guys and they all had different spirits.”

Bridges introduced Glassman’s Head named, “Charlie” which was given to him on his 70th birthday.
“I mean, it was just a lump of clay, I thought nobody would love the head as much as I do. But I thought every now and then, it’d be nice to give my friends a little head,” Bridges said during the tour, which the gathering erupted in laughter. “Hey, that’s your dirty minds, not mine.”

Bridges toured Greyston Foundation in support of Glassman’s vision to create holistic support services for the low-income and the homeless in Southwest Yonkers.

Begun by Glassman in 1982, Greyston Foundation now serves more than 3,200 community members annually through its programs. Greyston Foundation is a national model for comprehensive community development and is best known for the Greyston Bakery, which has provided jobs and opportunities for hundreds of individuals. The Bakery’s mission is to work as a force for personal transformation and community economic renewal while operating a profitable business that bakes high quality gourmet products, for clients including Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. The Greyston Foundation is a $15 million integrated network of for-profit and not-for-profit entities that provide jobs, workforce development, childcare, housing, after-school programs and a comprehensive HIV health care program.

“Having spent decades teaching Zen and working in Socially Engaged Buddhism,” said Glassman, “I am now spending these early years of my ’70s serving in socially engaged projects in places including India, Israel, Palestine and back at Greyston. I am grateful to Jeff and others who partner with us in this work to Head for Peace.”

The founder of the Zen Peacemakers, Zen Master Bernie Glassman, is a leading proponent of social engagement as spiritual practice. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer of Buddhism in the West and as a founder of Socially Engaged Buddhism and spiritually based Social Entrepreneurship.

He has proven to be one of the most creative forces in Western Buddhism, creating new paths, practices, liturgy and organizations to serve the people who fall between the cracks of society.

For more information about Zen Peacemakers, visit www.zenpeacemakers.org.

For more information about Greyston Foundation, call 376-3900, ext. 295 or visit www.greyston.org.

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