Issue 49, June 2019

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Our big news is visible for all to see, at least all who are outside the 1501 Cherry Street building on either Race Street or 15^th Street. Keep your eyes peeled and you will see what I’m talking about.

                After a very busy spring, June is still almost as busy, with a film premiere, a vegan flea market, several graduations, and more. As always, I would like to thank the Friends Center staff for all they do to provide the foundation for the work that you do—I am so grateful to you.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

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AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Film Premiere: Elder Voices

• The film by Academy Award-winner David Goodman will premiere Wednesday, June 12 at the Friends Center Race Street Meetinghouse at 1501 Cherry Street in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. A panel discussion will follow the screening.

‘Elder Voices: Stories for These Times’ draws parallels between WW II and now

Philly Vegan Pop: 3^rd Birthday

• On June 12 be sure to join V Marks the Shop for their Philly Vegan Pop in celebration of their 3rd birthday.

Energy Co-op Networking Reception & Annual Meeting

• Come for an evening of networking with Co-op members, staff, and energy professionals from throughout the region followed by a presentation about the state of The Energy Co-op.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about recent developments at The Energy Co-op and reconnect with our community of energy consumers.

What: 2019 Networking Reception and Annual Member Meeting

When: Thursday, June 20th, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Where: The Friends Center, 1501 Cherry Street

Philadelphia, PA 19102

Light refreshments will be served. So that ECA may accommodate all who wish to attend, please RSVP here.

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EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary of AFSC, will be one of three plenary speakers for the annual conference of Friends Association for Higher Education (also a Friends Center tenant). The other plenary speakers will be Maurice Eldridge, Vice Chair, The Chester Fund for Education and the Arts and Pendle Hill board member, and Frances Rose Blase, Provost of Haverford College (a participant in the Tri-College Consortium Philly Program, also a Friends Center tenant). Join teachers, scholars and educational administrators on the beautiful campuses of Swarthmore College and Pendle Hill Quaker Study and Retreat Center. The theme is “Truth and Inspiration” and other topics of interest to Friends and educators through presentations, panel discussions, and the plenary talks.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)

PYM Families Community Playdate

June 15, 2019 @ 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Where: Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic Philadelphia, PA 19131

Contact: Children and Families Program 215-241-7171Email

Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (CPMM)

Join CPMM for meeting for worship on Sunday mornings at 11am. Be sure to ask for a parking placard to avoid any run-ins with PPA.

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TENANT NEWS

New Century Trust:

1. Carey Morgan Leaves New Century Trust

Carey Morgan leaves New Century Trust for Livelihood, the financial advising company she’s cofounded

2. Farrah Parkes Joins New Century Trust: “I have always wanted my work to be about making a difference”

New Century Trust, which works to build the economic and political power of women and girls throughout the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, announced it has named Farrah Parkes its new executive director. Parkes has worked for more than 15 years in the nonprofit sector. The new executive director of New Century Trust says that the private foundation’s focus on gender justice is a perfect fit.

Farrah Parkes: ‘I have always wanted my work to be about making a difference’

Spark:
Seventh-grader Brooklyne Spraggins wins award for her business plan for a food truck.

That thing you do: What happened around Philly in May

From left: Tara O’Neill and Jamie Gumina of KPMG; Brooklyne Spraggins, S. Weir Mitchell School; Elaine Melchiorre, Executive Board Vice Chair of PFCU; and Jeff Ryan, Executive Board Chair of Spark. (Courtesy photo)

More than 100 seventh-grade students from four Philadelphia schools—S. Weir Mitchell School, Middle Years Alternative, Boys’ Latin Charter School, and Henry C. Lea—came together May 21 for a project-fair style event at which they presented the career interest projects they developed with professional mentors. It is an initiative of Spark Philadelphia, a career exploration and mentoring nonprofit. Throughout the 2018-19 school year, Spark mentors—including architects, web developers, and engineers—volunteer to work with middle school students in a 13-week workplace-based mentoring program.

Brooklyne Spraggins, a seventh-grader at S. Weir Mitchell School, worked with mentors from KPMG to create a business plan for a Parisian food truck, complete with merchandise and a menu.

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EVENTS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

PYM: Friends in Fellowship

Quakers Got Talent Concert

When: June 17, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Where: William Penn Charter School – Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts 3000 W School House Ln Philadelphia, PA 19144
Cost: $35 or pay your age

Contact: Grace Sharples Cooke215-241-7115 Email

This event will benefit PYM programs and gather our community around a fun event. Quakers Got Talent will feature an 8:00 PM performance with Rachel Zatcoff, a Broadway star, plus Emily Drinker (singer songwriter) and Zenaida Peterson (slam poet). Together they are donating their talents in support of our programming.

Friends in Fellowship is an event series that bring Friends—and friends of Friends—together for fellowship, refreshments, and networking. They are perfect for expanding your experience of Quakerism beyond Sunday Meeting for Worship.https://www.pym.org/fellowship/

Issue 48, May 2019 Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

On June 1^st, we welcome the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania as our newest tenant. The Housing Alliance is a statewide coalition working to provide leadership and a common voice for policies, practices and resources to ensure that all Pennsylvanians, especially those with low incomes, have access to safe, decent and affordable homes.

One of our longtime tenants, Community Ventures, is a member of the Housing Alliance, making for a nice connection. (See below for some exciting news about Community Ventures’ work!)

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Holiday Reminders:

• Friends Center will close for Memorial Day on 5/27.  
• There will be no air conditioning in the main office building & Meetinghouse on Saturday, 5/25.
• 1520 Race Street air conditioning will run as usual.
• 2019 Holiday Schedule

QuakerSpeak Videos Filmed at Friends Center

The QuakerSpeak video series brings weekly interviews on contemporary topics to YouTube. The channel has over 2 million views to date. Many of the videos have been filmed in whole or in part at Friends Center. We’ve compiled a list of some of them here.

Get Informed, Get Inspired, Get Involved!

Date: Saturday, May 4

Time: 10am – 3pm

Location: Friends Center

Friends Committee on National Legislation and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Legislative Policy Collaborative invite you to organize and mobilize with FCNL:

• how to make your voice heard by your Members of Congress
• Keynote: Hannah Graf Evans, FCNL’s lobbyist on Immigration and Refugee Policy
• Identify opportunities to impact national legislative policy on current issues.
• Build relationships with other energized people from your congressional district

Lunch and childcare can be provided if noted on your RSVP.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

American Friends Service Committee

Happy 102^nd Birthday AFSC! We thank you for all that you do and wish you many more successful years of changing the world! 3/30/1917

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING

Quakers Got Talent Fundraiser

Kurtz Center for the performing Arts

William Penn Charter School, 3000 W. Schoolhouse Ln, Philadelphia Pa

Date: Monday June 17, 2109

Doors Open: 7:30 Show time: 8pm

We are bringing Broadway to Philadelphia for a fundraiser to benefit PYM programs. Roy Zatcoff will perform with his daughter Rachel Zatcoff, who made her Broadway debut as Christine in “Phantom of the Opera” and is currently starring in an off-Broadway Yiddish version of “Fiddler on the Roof.” The slam poetry artist Zenaida Peterson and the singer-songwriter/NPR Tiny Desk Contest finalist Emily Drinker will add their talents to the mix.

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING

Panel on Meeting-School Relations

Saturday May 11, 2019

Drew Smith, Executive Director of Friends Council on Education, and other panelists. (Time to be determined)

In the works for next fall: Sessions on the history of public education, of Friends education, and an overview of the history of education in philadelphia to imform us about what is going on and how we got to where we are.

TENANT NEWS

Community Ventures Wins PACDC Blue Ribbon Award

Congratulations to the staff, board and residents of Community Ventures on winning a 2019 Blue Ribbon Award from the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC)! Centennial Village is a 51 unit mixed-use development that has transformed the West Parkside neighborhood. Community Ventures has transformed 44 previously vacant and blighted lots and buildings into a rejuvenated, vibrant block of affordable housing and commercial space.

http://www.community-ventures.org/pacdc-award/

After School All Stars: Hoop-a-thon, June 1

ASAS Philadelphia & Camden will host our 2nd annual All-Star Hoop-a-Thon at the historical Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania on June 1, 10 am–12:30 pm. All funds raised will expand ASAS’ programs and services for Title 1 students in our region. Register at https://afterschoolallstars.org/philcam-hoopathon19/.

CASA Annual Gala, May 8

At its annual gala, CASA will honor its 2019 “Champion for Children” Vai Sikahema, anchor of NBC10 Philadelphia News Today, former Philadelphia Eagles player and host of the weekly feature Wednesday’s Child. We will also honor our 2019 Outstanding CASA Advocates Allison Davenport and Jennifer Bellot. CASA Philadelphia is a volunteer-driven community organization serving abused and neglected children in foster care across our City. Our volunteers are in the courts, the schools, and every neighborhood speaking out on behalf of abused kids. Because of these volunteers, children attend class, stay connected to loved ones, and can return to a safe, permanent home sooner. More info.

EVENTS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

2019 FRIENDS CONFERENCE ON RELIGION AND PSYCHOLOGY:

The Mystical & Spiritual Dimensions of Trauma & Healing

May 24-27, 2019

Pendle Hill, Wallingford, PA FCRP is one of the oldest conferences in the U.S. dedicated to individual spiritual exploration with a focus on in-depth psychology, specifically Jungian psychology.  The plenary speaker will be Donald Kalsched, Jungian Analyst. Interest Groups will meet on a wide range of topics including Creative Writing and Mindful Movement, Tai Chi, Death & Dying, the Joy of Movement, and Poetry Discussion.  http://fcrp.quaker.org/

Issue 47, April 2019 Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

I will let the cherry trees on Cherry Street speak this time, in honor of spring and upcoming Earth Day. Please take time to enjoy the courtyard and front plaza whenever you need a little break!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Get ready to celebrate Earth Day, Friends Center-style! Stop by to enjoy some water ice, pretzels and—oh, yeah—do some recycling. On Monday April 22^nd we will be collecting all of your E-waste and shredding. Let’s use the next few weeks to do some spring cleaning and ready ourselves for Earth Day J. We can’t wait to see you there!

REMINDER ABOUT ROOM USAGE
While it is sometimes possible to use a room on a drop-in basis at the last minute, you must check with the front desk before doing so. With 40 organizations here on site, and another 70-80 outside groups a year using our facilities, we are very busy! Just because a room is empty now doesn’t mean it’s not booked 15 minutes from now. Also, as a courtesy, kindly do not use the glassed-in conference rooms (134, 135, 136) on the side of the Cherry Street Room when the Cherry Street is in use for an event. Whenever Cherry Street is not booked, you are very welcome to have a conversation or take a break at the round tables under the balcony or on the comfy chairs in Room 135. No reservations are necessary. All other common rooms should be reserved with Friends Center staff. Thank you!

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC):
Annual Corporation MeetingApril 11-14 The AFSC Corporation is a body of approximately 120 Quakers from across the U.S. who gather once a year to conduct business, worship together, and connect AFSC and one another to the powerful witness of Friends’ work for peace and justice. You are invited to attend several of the events of the Corporation, especially the two public events and the workshop “dry runs” on Thursday. Come learn and engage with some of AFSC’s program work and provide feedback on the dry runs!
Public Events: Please RSVP and share!
Pedro Rios, “Love Knows No Borders” Action
Marc Lamont Hill, “Working across Borders for a Just Future”
Both events will be livestreamed. This is a great opportunity to connect with the work your colleagues in local offices are doing, as well as with Corporation members who represent AFSC to Quakers across the country. We hope to see you there!

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)
Spring 2019 Sessions News + Young Adult Friends-Led Worship to End Berks Immigrant Detention On Saturday March 23, 117 people from 50 PYM Monthly Meeting communities convened for Spring Continuing Sessions near Reading PA. A summary of the day’s events is available here.

Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (CPMM)
Film: “Quakers, the Quiet Revolutionaries”April 11, 2019, 6:30 pm
Location: Friends Select School Theater, 16^th & the Parkway Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting invites you to a viewing of this documentary about Quakers, made by The Gardner Documentary Group. The 79-minute film illuminates tells the story of a spiritual movement that has played a remarkable role in the religious, social and political life of our nation. Demonstrating an influence disproportionate to their numbers, Quakers have led anti-slavery, civil rights and women’s rights movements and been strong advocates for world peace. The event is free of charge.  

TENANT NEWS

CAIR-Philadelphia Banquet a SOLD OUT Success!
More than 900 American Muslims, interfaith leaders, and social justice activists gathered at Springfield Country Club on Saturday, March 9th, for the 13th Annual Banquet of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. US Congresswomen Susan Wild, Chrissy Houlahan, and Mary Gay Scanlon were present, along with other political, community, religious and interfaith leaders, and imams and representatives from almost all of the Delaware Valley Islamic centers and mosques. At a reception before the banquet, both Rep. Wild and Rep. Houlahan spoke movingly about the need for a united stance against Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy. Learn more about this event.

Singing City:
T-VOCE presents
Unity in Diversity: Celebrating our Differences and Embracing our Similarities
Wednesday, April 10, 2019, 7 p.m.
BOK Building, 800 Mifflin St, Phila PA 19147
This hour-long performance will explore identity, both individual and communal, through art, dance, music, and spoken word. This concert is a collaboration between Backstage Pass (Opera Philadelphia’s theater technical after-school program), Esperanza Dance Ensemble, and T-VOCE (Teen Voices of the City Ensemble). T-VOCE is made possible due to a partnership between Art Sanctuary, Opera Philadelphia, Play On, Philly!, and Singing City. Register.Note: T-VOCE rehearses here in the Race Street Room!

COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

Art that Liberates: Celebrating Creative Work by Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated People
Tickets
When: April 13, 2019 @ 1:30–5:30 pm
Where: The Barn at Pendle Hill 338 Plush Mill Rd Wallingford, PA 19086
Cost: $60 includes light refreshments
Contact: Jesse White 610-566-4507 x137 EmailEvent website

Philly Spring CleanupApril 6 | Citywide
The City of Philadelphia’s annual Philly Spring Cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 6! It’s the largest citywide cleanup of the year, and your help will make it a success.

Thousands of volunteers take part in cleaning their neighborhoods and parks each year. Your enthusiasm and dedication will make this the best year yet!

Choose from about 300 projects all over the city. You can stay local or help a different neighborhood. Grab a friend or neighbor and volunteer together! Learn more and sign up.

Issue 46, March 2019 Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Friends Center recently said goodbye (for now) to Joe Kalil, one of our several outstanding evening/weekend desk clerks. He is taking a language immersion program in Montreal. You may see him from time to time later this spring, though, when he returns to Philadelphia and works toward his goal to become an English language instructor abroad. Bon voyage, Joe!

                Meanwhile, we have hired Helen Sánchez-Stoddard and Helanah Warren as additional desk clerks. Please introduce yourself and welcome them when you see them at the desk!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Philadelphie, berceau de la démocratie américaine
(Philadelphia, cradle of American democracy)

Friends Center and two members of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of Friends, Greg and Yoko Barnes, were recently featured in this French production by Arte TV. Tune in and see us starting at about 11:30! Watch video here.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE

Bystander Intervention Do’s & Don’ts

If you witness public instances of racist, anti-Black, anti-Muslim, anti-Trans, or any other form of oppressive interpersonal violence and harassment, use these tips on how to intervene while considering the safety of everyone involved.

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING

Larry Butler Memorial Meeting for Worship
Saturday March 9th, 1:30 pm.

A memorial Meeting for Worship for a former member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting and Friends Select School faculty member Larry Butler will be held at Friends Center.  Larry was a civil rights activist, an engaged member of CPMM in the 1970s, and worked to bring LGBTQ concerns to the foreground in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.  The memorial Meeting for Worship will be held at 1:30 pm, with a reception to follow at 2:30 pm, at Friends Center.  

Here is a link to Larry’s obituary.  

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING

Continuing Sessions, March 23, 2019

10 am: Worshipful Resistance to Family Detention at Berks Detention Center
Join the PYM Young Adult Friends community, who will lead a worshipful resistance to ongoing detention of immigrant families. Learn more here.

1-4 pm: Business session

Miller Center for the Arts, Reading Area Community College,  4 North 2nd Street, Reading, PA 19601. Register here.

TENANT NEWS

C.A.I.R

THE SHALOM CENTER PRESENTS:

INTERFAITH FREEDOM SEDER +50
April 7th, 2019 5:00 – 9:30 PM

Masjidullah 7401 Limekiln Pike, Philadelphia, PA

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY

Singing City

A 200-person choir filled the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral today with a musical retelling of the 1963 Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama. This pivotal moment in civil rights history saw children protesting injustice, only to be met with violence and authoritative backlash.

Presented by Singing City, children as young as 6 years old performed alongside students and adults up to age 89! 6abc was there as singers from all walks of life gathered to commemorate civil rights and integration!

COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology

FCRP–Inspiring inner journeys for change in the world

Annual Conference

Pendle Hill

May 24-27, 2019

Since 1943, the Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology has gathered annually to provide a respite for individuals of all spiritual and religious backgrounds who wish to delve more deeply into their inner lives.

It is one of the oldest conferences in the U.S. dedicated to individual spiritual exploration, with a focus on in-depth psychology, specifically Jungian psychology. 

Jungian analyst and author Donald Kalsched will speak on “Trauma and the Soul:  The Mystical and Spiritual Dimensions of Trauma and Healing.” 

To learn more or to register click here. 

Peacemaking: Quilting our Prayers and our Practices

Pendle Hill

When: March 9, 2019, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm

Where: Firbank Art Studio at Pendle Hill
338 Plush Mill Rd Wallingford, PA 19086 USA

Cost: $100 includes lunch

Contact: Jesse White, 610-566-4507 x 137
Email Event website Pendle Hill’s vision is “to create peace with justice in the world by transforming lives.” Does that vision speak to you? Do you enjoy creating with fabric? Do you have experience with basic hand sewing? Join with other peacemakers and piece-makers to create a quilted work of art that expresses both your own fabric contribution and a shared vision of peacemaking in a quilted mandala. Led by Asake Jones

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE The big news this month is that our tenants are invited to a reception on Feb. 21 with the Tri-College Consortium’s Philly Program. (See the next item.) This brand-new pilot program has launched, and Friends Center is grateful to be the launchpad. Also, by now you’ve seen our zoning hearing notice by the front door. Today we received city approval to install two exterior signs on the main office building, identifying it as Friends Center. They should be installed in the next few months. Our goal is to make it easier for your volunteers, board members, event participants, and other guests to find us. – Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER TENANT RECEPTION February 21, 3:15 -4:30 pm Cherry Street Room Meet the Students of the Tri-College Consortium Philly Program   In November, we welcomed new tenant the Tri-College Consortium Philly Semester, which is a pilot program that started in January 2019. It is a joint effort of Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Colleges, the Tri-College Consortium. They have leased office space here, and are holding classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the MLK Room. More info   Please join us on Feb. 21 at 3:15 pm for a reception in the Cherry Street Room so the students can meet the organizations here. Bring some brochures and business cards. Perhaps some partnerships or projects will emerge!   Friends Center Fills Positions Friends Center has filled the positions it recently advertised. Thank you.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE   Why I Got Arrested at the Border AFSC’s Lucy Duncan writes about her experience with the “Love Knows No Borders” action in southern California in December. It’s the cover story in this month’s issue of Friends Journal magazine. https://www.friendsjournal.org/afsc-love-knows-no-borders/   CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING New to Quakerism or just interested to learn more? Then check out the QuakerSpeak video series, featuring members of CPMM, and produced by Friends Journal to give newcomers a better understanding of Quakers. https://youtu.be/YyTP512bEQk   PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING Interested in attending Meeting for Worship near you? Philadelphia Yearly Meeting unites 100+ Quaker meetings and thousands of Friends in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland. Quakerism is a faith of direct communion with God, lived with a sense of continuing revelation.

TENANT NEWS Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE) Join PLSE as we return to West Philly for an expungement clinic. Friday, February 15, 2019 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm 3509 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104   We will cover the creation, dissemination, and destruction of criminal records in Pennsylvania during a Know Your Rights sessions. Sit for a one-on-one expungement eligibility intake session to see if you have charges from Pennsylvania arrests that are eligible for an expungement. This clinic is FREE and OPEN to the public and operates on a first come, first served basis. No registration is needed.   Art-Reach mentioned on WHYY: Sensory-friendly museum days in Philly https://whyy.org/articles/sensory-friendly-museum-days-in-philly/ Singing City The Children’s March Sunday, February 24, 2019, 3 p.m. Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 23 S. 38th Street, Philadelphia, PA Get Tickets   Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) Take a look at this article featured in The Christian Science Monitor. It’s about Steve Gotzler, executive director of Prisoner Visitation and Support, knows firsthand the benefits of visitors for prisoners.   Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) 2019 Section of the Americas Meeting Lake Doniphan Camp and Conference Center – Outside Kansas City, MO|March 21 – 24, 2019 Theme: ¡Come and See! (John 1:46) Join Quakers from across the Americas to explore “Who is my neighbor?” and “How can we all be Friends?” through workshops, worship, Scripture and the ministry of FWCC Traveling Ministers. In a time of conflict and uncertainty, the biannual Section Meeting provides vital opportunities for personal encounters with Friends, and spiritual transformation through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Inward Christ, the Light Within. All Friends are welcome to attend. Preregistration is required

COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER Haverford College Guadalupe Rosalas: Legends Never Die January 25—March 8, 2019 A Collective Memory originated at Aperture Gallery, New York, and extends from a feature in Aperture magazine’s Fall 2018 issue, “Los Angeles.” Support for its presentation at Haverford is provided by the John B. Hurford ’60 Center for the Arts and Humanities. http://exhibits.haverford.edu/legendsneverdie/

Issue 43, December 2018
Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
As we approach the end of 2018, I am grateful to our staff for their support of all the work YOU do here at Friends Center.
And I’m grateful for your good work, too. The Friends Center community is doing an astounding and outstanding variety of work to make our city, nation, and world a better place. Keep it up!
Please join us for our end-of-year celebration as detailed below, so we can take a moment to recognize one another and to share food and fun together.
May you and yours have a blessed end of 2018, and wishing you a happy 2019 in advance!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

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AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Friends Center Year-End Celebration!
The presence of our tenants is requested for the Friends Center year-end celebration, POTLUCK STYLE!
Friends Center will provide a CHICKEN & WAFFLE BAR including fresh fruit & whipped cream and beverages. We are excited to see what delicious dishes they’ll bring. For games, good food and even better company please contact Jennifer at mailto:jwilliams@friendscentercorp.org by December 13th to RSVP.

     Joy
     Love
    Hope
    Peace
   Family
  Believe
  Friends
Celebrate

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS:
Monday, 12/24 – Center CLOSED
Tuesday, 12/25 – Center CLOSED
Monday, 12/31 – Open regular hours
Tuesday, 1/1 – Center CLOSED

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EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE
NEWS: Quaker relief worker recounts helping migrants in caravan get through Mexico — WHYY

Quaker relief worker recounts helping migrants in caravan get through Mexico

TALK: “LOVE HAS NO BORDERS: A QUAKER PERSPECTIVE”
JANUARY 14, 7:30-9:00 pm
Pendle Hill Retreat Center
338 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, PA 19086

On Monday, January 14, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, please join Laura Boyce, associate general secretary for US programs of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), in the Barn, for a first-hand report of the situation of migrants from Central America seeking refuge in the United States. She will also inform us of the work AFSC and other faith-based organizations are doing in response to the humanitarian crisis developing along the border with Mexico.

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING
NEWS: A home-grown ‘Messiah’ sing-along marks 50 years in Philly — WHYY
Friday, December 7, 7 pm
Join Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of Friends in the Worship Room for the 50th anniversary of this festive sing-along of Handel’s “Messiah”!

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING
One Quilt, One Yearly Meeting
Quilts, Quilts and oh yeah more Quilts! Check out this short skit launched by PYM’s community engagement team promoting Friends Quilts. The project was birthed at Continuing Sessions in November of this year.

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TENANT NEWS
Anna Crusis Women’s Choir
Winter Coat Concert 2018
Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion
2110 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19103
This venue is accessible via wheelchair. The performance is visually interpreted.
Date: December 8, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
December 9, 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Cost: $10.00 – $35.00

Declaration of Interdependence – Join us as we sing music from Moira Smiley, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Lin Manuel Miranda, the students from Marjorie Douglas High School in Fla., and a host of others. Help us make a joyous noise for all to hear!
Community Sing ½ hour before each performance

Singing City
Holiday Concert – Dave Brubeck’s La Fiesta de la Posada
Sunday, December 9, 2018, 3 pm
The Church of St. Luke & the Epiphany
330 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA

With Bill Carter and Presbybop and Elizabeth Weigle, soprano
The Mexican tradition of “La Fiesta de la Posada” recreates Joseph and Mary’s search for a room at an inn-a universal story of faith, community, and the joy of sharing. The second half features jazz with Presbybop, playing holiday favorites!

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COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

A Feast of Carols
December 8, 2018 – 5PM
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Chestnut Hill
Mendelssohn Brass Clara Gerdes, organ
Mendelssohn Club’s signature program, blending seasonal music from around the world with beloved holiday sing-along carols. This season’s program includes two brilliant neoclassical miniatures, Four Motets for Christmas by Francis Poulenc and Sing With Joy, Glad Voices Lift by Hugo Distler. Purchase tickets here

Issue 42, November 2018
Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
In November we welcome two new tenants to our community at Friends Center.

First, the Tri-College Consortium Philly Semester is a pilot program starting in January 2019. It is a joint effort of Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Colleges, the Tri-College Consortium. They have leased office space on the first floor of 1501 Cherry, and will hold classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the MLK Room. We are planning a tenant reception for the students to meet the organizations here. Perhaps some partnerships or projects will emerge! More info.

Second, the ACE Mentor Program of America will soon join us, also on the first floor of 1501 Cherry. They are a national group whose local affiliates match architecture, construction, and engineering (ACE) professionals with students, particularly in public high schools. More info.

We appreciate these additions to our community of organizations working to create a better world.
– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER
Our tunnel repair project is wrapping up. Thanks again to everyone for your patience, especially the staff, parents, and children at Friends Child Care Center and other tenants in 1520 Race.

As mentioned in an email, we’re also doing repair to the brick wall on the Race Street side of the 1501 Cherry office building.
• Mural Arts Program has hired a masonry contractor to repair the Race Street wall of the 1501 Cherry office building. It was damaged when their contractor removed their mural.
• Work started in early November and should continue for about 3 weeks, depending on weather.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to keep our facilities well-maintained and weather-tight.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE
WHAT WOULD JUSTICE LOOK LIKE?
MOVING TOWARDS A JUST PEACE IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL

Join the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the Quaker Palestine Israel Network (QPIN), and Pendle Hill December 14-16, 2018, for a weekend of exploring what it will take to realize a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel.

AFSC and Quakers have been engaging in Palestine for over a century and working for peace with justice since 1948. After decades without change, this conference will open up a conversation about what is needed for a just future.

An impressive array of experienced and actively engaged speakers from the area, as well as from the United States, will be there to inform and guide this conversation. To see bios of the speakers, a preliminary schedule of the program, and to register, click here

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING
Ending Cash Bail in Philadelphia
Last month, CPMM and Power co-hosted a panel discussion on this topic. If you missed it, a second forum takes place Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1 906 S. Rittenhouse Square. Click here for more info.

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING

Friends in Business Fall Dinner
PA Governor Tom Wolf
A Businessman’s Take on State Government – Up Close and Personal

December 5, 2018
Refreshments: 6:00 pm
Talk: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:15 pm

New Venue: The Acorn Club
1519 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

$65 per person ($30 for registrants aged 35 & under)
• REGISTER HERE

TENANT NEWS

Green Building United workshop at Friends Center that featured Community Ventures:
https://greenbuildingunited.org/newsroom/2018-demonstration-project-water-petal-review

CAIR Philadelphia hosted an interfaith press conference in response to the mass shootings at the Pittsburgh synagogue and the Kroger in Kentucky, and to call for end to divisive and bigoted remarks from politicians. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting was one of the participants. KYW-AM’s news report is here.
Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE)
Legal Records Expungement Clinic.
When: November 9, 2018 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Drexel University Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Parnerships
3509 Spring Garden St Philadelphia, PA 19104
This clinic is FREE and OPEN to the public and operates on a first come, first served basis. No registration is needed.
Graciously hosted by the Drexel University’s Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships

Bonus: PLSE got a mention in the recent New York Times Magazine article about Larry Krasner! It’s about halfway through the article.

COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

‘A Dream Deferred’ exhibit wants to inspire visitors to ‘engage the systems that are doing you wrong’
Little Giant Creative’s multimedia exhibit, on display through Nov. 17, uses multimedia to explain redlining’s legacy in Philadelphia. Learn more here.

Issue 41, October 2018
Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
The autumn is here, fall weather not so much—yet. When it does arrive, feel free to open windows in the office spaces to let fresh air in.

Some time soon enough, our geothermal system will be switching over from cooling to heating. While we are proud of our leading-edge open-loop system (read about it here), it does take quite a bit of effort to maintain. Thank you to our operations team of Wil Mason, Ed Waters, and Erick Emerick, the people who are making those efforts.
– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER
The tunnel repair project is coming to a close. The brick pavers are being relaid (weather permitting), and then the play yard fence will be reinstalled. We anticipate reopening the “C” door early next week, and the entire project should be done in the next two weeks. Thank you again to everyone for your patience while we do this necessary work.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting & POWER present:
“IMAGINING PHILLY WITHOUT CASH BAIL”
October 24
6:00 PM — Registration & refreshments
6:30 to 8:30 PM — Program
For more information call Dana Reinhold at 215-510-7125.

CPMM will host a panel discussion including the Defenders Association and the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, and a local resident who has experienced the current unjust bail process. The cash bail system traps poor people in long-term pretrial detention because they can’t afford bail. This can cost them their jobs, homes, healthcare and custody of their children while they wait for their day in court.

To end cash bail, we need a better alternative. Come learn about the current system and how we can work together to replace it. Please invite anyone you know who could benefit from information about the current bail system or would like to explore or support better alternatives.

And if this date does not work for you: The Philadelphia Ethical Society is presenting another panel discussion on this same topic, on Thursday, November 9th, 6:30-8:00 pm, at 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square.

TENANT NEWS

Friends Council on Education
https://www.friendscouncil.org/TeachingBlackBoys/

Singing City
Street Requiem
Sunday, October 21, 2018, 3 p.m.
Old First Reformed Church of Christ
151 N. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA

Singing City will perform the Philadelphia premiere of Street Requiem, with Corinn Altomare, mezzo-soprano, and Colin Doyle, tenor. This cantata by Australian composers Kathleen McGuire, Andy Payne, and Jonathon Welch features a powerful variety of musical styles, ranging from gospel to South African freedom music. It was written to bring a sense of peace, remembrance and hope to communities struggling with homelessness. Special guests Rabbi David Straus and Rev. Rebecca Fitzpatrick will lead the choir and audience in a remembrance of those who have lost their lives on the streets. Liz Hersh, Executive Director of Homeless Services for the City of Philadelphia, will be part of an audience Q&A at the end of the concert. Audience members are invited to bring items of clothing and toiletries that will benefit Bethesda Project, a local organization that serves the homeless in Philadelphia. The work of Shoot From Within Photography will be on display-selected photos from Perseverance With Dignity, a series of images depicting homeless people in Philadelphia.

COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

Quakerism 101 at Lancaster Friends Meeting
Sun, Oct 21, 2018 1:00 PM
Sun, Apr 21, 2019 2:30 PM
Lancaster Friends Meeting (map)

Lancaster Meeting is offering Quakerism 101, based on a curriculum developed some years ago by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. The course consists of six monthly sessions, and will begin on Oct. 21 after Community Meal, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. We will meet in October and November, then in January through April. The leader will be Joan Broadfield, from Chester Meeting.

Friends Fall Festival
October 13, 2018, 9 am – 4 pm
Downingtown Friends Meeting
800 E Lancaster Ave
Downingtown, PA 19335
The Friends Fall Festival will be filled with family fun, including face painting and hay rides, gently used thrift items, a garden sale, scrumptious baked goods and homemade foods, a silent auction, craft vendors selling quality items, and an authentic early 19th century Quaker wedding, all accompanied by six hours of live entertainment. Rain or shine.

Issue 40, September 2018
Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Friday Fun! See below for news of our Tenant Cookout and Park(ing) Day mini-park this Friday.
Tunnel Repair Update
Our tunnel repair project will be wrapping up in the next few weeks, which means the tent and fencing will disappear and the play yard will reopen. Whew!
I would like to thank our general contractor, Haverstick-Borthwick; structural engineer, Keast & Hood; waterproofing consultant, WJE; as well as all the subcontractors. As construction projects go, it is relatively small, but complex, and they’re all doing good work.
Thank you as well to Friends Center staff, equity partners, and our tenants for adapting to this much-needed project.
In particular, I want to thank all the staff, parents, and children of the Friends Child Care Center for working with this disruption to their routine. From executive director Raechel O’Neal Coats to all the staff and families, you all have been so understanding and patient. Thank you!
– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER
TENANT COOKOUT!!
Fri., Sept. 21, 2018, noon – 2 pm
The Friends Center is organizing a tenant cookout this Friday as a small token of appreciation for all of the good works done by the many non-profit and Quaker organizations that we house. We are proud to work alongside you all and hope that you will join us for a sunny afternoon of food and fun. The cookout is scheduled to begin at noon, the free door prize drawing will be at 1 pm and events will be winding down around 2 pm.
PARK(ING) DAY
Fri., Sept. 21, 2018, 10 am – 3 pm
Join us on 15th Street between Cherry street and Race Street for Park(ing) Day, the international day to reclaim urban space for people, not cars.
Could you volunteer to help with Park(ing) Day?
We need help setting up our “parklet” 9-10 am and to staff the display for an hour or two at a time during the day. Please let Jennifer Williams know, either by talking to her on your way by, emailing, or calling (215) 241-7100.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS
Central Philadephia Monthly Meeting (CPMM)
Book Discussion
Please join CPMM for a discussion of Marcus Borg’s book, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, facilitated by Carolyn McCoy. We will meet in the Lucretia Mott Room, September 23, 1:00-2:30 pm.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)
2018 Quaker College Fair
Saturday, September 29th from 11:45 am – 3pm
Co-sponsored by Friends Association for Higher Education (FAHE) and PYM
Come to Friends Center to hear a discussion on the college admissions process and how to find the right school, and meet representatives from numerous historically Quaker colleges. Register here.
Also, the PYM website currently features a story about O., who is a member of CPMM. The piece wonders if we ever consider the facts of our biological existence as containing stories that can also illuminate our spiritual journeys: A New Creation Story: Embracing Love.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
After the Crash: Re-imagining Trauma Recovery
Friday, September 21, 2018, 4:30-8:00 pm
Created by a youth alumnus of the Social Justice Leadership Institute, Ruja Ballard, this event aims to start the process of healing in our community, especially in our POC youth. There will be workshops, activities, and group discussions, and therapists will be on site. This is a chance to learn about trauma, how it affects us, and the steps we can take to break down the negative connotations towards getting help from others. It is an exploration of community wellness, mental health awareness, and healing practices through art. Please email cagosto@afsc.org with questions or to RSVP.

TENANT NEWS

Art-Reach picked Katie Samson to be its director of programs
Welcome, Katie! As reported in Generocity:
The six-year Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts veteran, who worked first as an arts educator then as assistant director of museum education at the institution, joined the accessibility-focused arts nonprofit on Sept. 10. She has previously worked as a disabilities studies faculty member at West Chester University. The Wayne native also serves as co-director and spokesperson for the Katie Samson Foundation, which fundraises for research and quality-of-life programs for people with spinal cord injuries.
Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility
14th Soul of Medicine Brunch Event
Sunday, Oct 21, 2018, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
College of Physicians, 19 So. 22nd St., Phila.
This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of impact on our communities! Learn more and register here.

CASA hosts Salesforce “Un-Conference” NPSP Day
Thurs., October 11, 2018, 9 am – 5 pm
Rufus Jones Room
Join CASA for a day of learning and networking related to the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack. Learn more and register.

COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

Underground Railroad Presentation
September 20, 2018, 7:00 pm
Friends Village, 331 Lower Dolington Rd, Newtown, PA 18940
Join us for an inspiring presentation about the critical roles both Quakers and Bucks County played in the operation of the Underground Railroad. Come listen to Jesse Crooks of the Doylestown Historic Society and the Rev. David Jackson of Mount Gilead Church share stories of bravery, sacrifice and the secret network of kind communities who helped many people on their journey to freedom.

Radnor Friends Meeting’s 300th Birthday celebration
September 22, 2018, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Radnor Meeting, Conestoga Rd Villanova, PA 19085
Join Radnor Quakers for a day of wholesome interactive activities, puppet show at 11 am, and lots of food. Tour the buildings and grounds, meadow and stream. There will be a Quaker art show and a presentation by Change Angels. This is a free event. Children welcome.