Once an immigrant himself, Urgen Sherpa (in the middle with a mic) now leads the United Sherpa Association and does much good in his community. Photo courtesy of the association’s website.
On the morning of his first day in the U.S., Urgen Sherpa was surprised to find his name in the United Sherpa Association‘s newsletter, listed under the newly arrived column. Twenty-one years later, he is in his second term as president of the association. Every Friday since the pandemic began, this tall man with a kind face stands outside the group’s Buddhist monastery and oversees the weekly food drive.
Sherpa’s last name comes from his ethnic group, the Sherpas. Most Sherpas live in Nepal, India, and Tibet and practice Buddhism. Many Sherpas have immigrated to the U.S. An estimated 10,000 live in New York City and have created a vibrant community in Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, according to the association.
What started in 1994 as a way for the Sherpas of New York to gather grew into a community association with over 600 members. They host sports tournaments, potlucks, Buddhist philosophy classes, and now, food-drives. Their base of operations is the Sherpa Kyidug, a monastery in Elmhurst, which they built in 2008 with money the community raised. Sherpa lives near the monastery and visits every day.
On a Friday in December, dressed in a suit, Sherpa looks professional and approachable. Volunteers and people attending the food drive talk to him with ease and seem comfortable around him.
He stops mid-interview twice, first to offer hot tea to another passing journalist and then to talk to the local pastor walking by.
“He is very helpful and has enthusiasm,” said Tshering Sherpa, the treasurer of the association. “He is very capable and skillful. He always takes the first step when it comes to doing work… looking forward, let’s do this, let’s do that. He says that and does a good job. He acts like how a president of a Kyidug should.”
Much of the work Sherpa does falls in line with the association’s beliefs. “One of our guiding principles is from Buddha’s philosophy, Buddha’s teaching. According to that philosophy, we are open and helpful,” explained Sherpa.
The association puts the philosophy into practice through the group’s charitable work.
On March 4th, 2020, Sherpa and the board members held an emergency meeting to respond to COVID-19. Bracing for the worst, the association collected $10,000 to make care packages to distribute to the community.
“We did not reject anyone. We did not reject anybody’s call. We were successful in giving to everyone … if there was nothing left today, we promised them to have it tomorrow. We made a note. We would look and see that someone did not get a mask yesterday, and we would call them and get them a mask today,” Sherpa explained.
As the months passed, funds from the state and city government and local organizations started coming in. The association began doing more. They provided relief funds to Nepali international students, lent a hand to other charity organizations, and ran their weekly food drive.
Sherpa participated in everything.
“Wherever there was a need, he would just run to help,” explained Phurba Sherpa, the vice president of the association. “He would be there night and day, going to shops to check if there were masks and sanitizers. He would go and bring the things for the packages.”
Sherpa (Urgen) has always been an active president. Beyond the pandemic, he has initiated neighborhood cleaning programs, strengthened ties with other local Nepali organizations, and helped the community get counted in the 2020 Census.
Although his work has gained attention and awards from local government officials, Sherpa never brags about it.
“I’ve heard he asks newspapers to not put his pictures up,” Phurba Sherpa said. “The journalists asked me why he does not like articles written about him. It’s because he believes that to get the recognition you have to do the work and show it.”
Sherpa gives credit to the association or his board members when his work attracts attention. He often says, “we” when talking about the work. He sees himself as part of a group, not as its central leader. As president, he cares more about the association’s work and growth than his own honors and accomplishments.
“I only like to show awards that also bring more light to the association,” Sherpa said.
Tags: Buddhism City College Journalism community Community action community engagement community response COVID-19 Do good Food Drive immigrant Sherpa United Sherpa Association Urgen Sherpa
