Following a national search in the fall of 2025, Friends Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Erick Emerick as its new Executive Director.

Erick has served Friends Center for more than 20 years in a wide range of roles, most recently as Assistant Director of Operations and Vendor Management. He brings deep institutional knowledge of the Friends Center campus and its operations, and is already leading efforts to enhance and upgrade the facilities.

Erick is well known to Friends Center’s partners, staff, tenants, vendors, and visitors. As an alum and the parent of three students at Friends Select School, he is deeply connected to the neighborhood and understands the unique role Friends Center plays in the life of Philadelphia.

Erick looks forward to working closely with the Board of the Friends Center Corporation to strengthen Friends Center’s role as a vibrant hub for Quaker values, community, and activity.

Please join us in welcoming Erick to his new role.

As of 11/1/2025, Friends Center seeks a new executive director.

(Our former executive director, Chris Mohr, left Friends Center as of 10/31/2025 to become General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends.)

Read the job posting here.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Building Skills for Spiritually Grounded Nonviolent Action

11/23/2025, 2-5 pm

Led by Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting and the Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT)

Celebrate Friends Center’s 50th anniversary by joining us for the next in our series of free, community-oriented trainings nonviolent action.

Join CPFM & the Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) for an immersive training designed to equip you with the essential tools and strategies of powerful nonviolent direct action. Whether you consider yourself new to taking action or a seasoned action taker with expertise to share, this interactive workshop will deepen your understanding and sharpen your skills with a focus on:

• Power, Targets, and Rebels: we will explore how to identify key decision-makers and understand the crucial role of rebels within a movement ecosystem. We’ll dismantle the conventional understanding of power and discover how to leverage consent and influence for change.
• Beyond Marches and Rallies: Campaigns don’t win all at once – they win through taking successful steps. Being able to break down the steps towards winning is a key skill for successful strategizing. Practice designing inventive actions, and share ideas for creative, strategic tactics. 
• Download Flyer to Share
• Register here

As we’ve posted on our website and social media regularly this year, 2025 is Friends Center’s 50th anniversary as the Quaker hub for peace & justice in Philadelphia. We’re celebrating with a series of workshops on nonviolent action.

Today we hung banners on 15th Street and on Race Street to highlight our anniversary.

Learn more at https://friendscentercorp.org/fc50.

The historical marker for the American Friends Service Committee has been refurbished and returned. Thank you to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for caring for this important reminder of the Quaker legacy here at Friends Center.

Friends Center’s office building opened in 1975–50 years ago!

To celebrate our 50th year as the Quaker hub for peace and justice in Philadelphia, we decided to host a series of trainings in nonviolent action.

See the webpage for FC50, or download this flyer and help us spread the word!

Uh oh! Our other historical marker went missing.

Fortunately, it’s just that PA Historical & Museum Commission took this one down for maintenance, too! (See previous post.)

Our second sign commemorates Civilian Public Service and the involvement of Mennonite, Church of the Brethren, and Quaker agencies, such as American Friends Service Committee.

Here are the headless pole and the actual sign commemorating Civilian Public Service.

Friends have had a presence at our present site since the 1840s. The Race Street Quaker Meetinghouse was built in 1856.

The American Friends Service Committee, founded here in 1917, has a historic marker recognizes their work for… Wait, what? It’s gone!

On closer inspection, a tag from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission says the AFSC sign is down for maintenance. Whew!

Finally, here is a view of the actual sign when it was in place (and before the Philadelphia Family Courthouse was built).

For good measure, here’s the other historical marker on our campus, for Civilian Public Service. It’s still in place. This is the same photo we used on our History page.

We so appreciated the flowers and kind note from the American Councils of Learned Societies (ACLS) after they had a meeting here recently!

You too can book your event at Friends Center. Our event venue is conveniently located in Center City Philadelphia. And there’s always a nonprofit discount! Learn more.