EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Tenant Handbook Now Available Online
Friends Center now has an online Tenant Handbook!

The page links to our guidelines and policies, including community standards, catering guidelines, holiday schedules, key fob policies, and more. It also has links to request forms for room reservations, and for phone/Internet changes.

We did a “soft launch” of the page a few months ago. Now, we’d like to make it more visible—and to get your feedback. Please look at the page and let me know if you have questions or want to suggest additional information to post.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

STAFFING UPDATES

We are happy to announce Teneshia Washington is our new substitute evening/weekend desk clerk. You may know from her other roles with Prisoner Visitation & Support and Physicians for Social Responsibility – Philadelphia Chapter. Please introduce yourself if you don’t already know her!

Receptionist Jennifer Williams welcomed her new child, Josiah, in late December. Mother and baby are doing well. Please join me in wishing Jennifer, husband Stefan, and their family all the best.

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

In case you missed it last month, New Century Trust joined us as a tenant in the 1520 Race Street building in January. They work to end political and economic inequalities facing women and girls in Greater Philadelphia. They were founded in 1882; one of their co-founders was a Quaker.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace’s Pennyslvania office moved out at the end of 2017. Their local field organizer is not far away, though; she now works with the local chapter of the ACLU!

PHONE SYSTEM UPDATE

As mentioned in an email to all tenants, the phone system is being transferred from AFSC to Friends Center. We will be working with the service provider, Watson Communications, to make the transition as seamless as possible. Costs and services will remain the same for the moment. We will have to switch out some digital or analog phones for “IP” phones, but that is a fairly quick process.

PARTNER NEWS

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends hosts Friends in Fellowship, a series of evening talks at the Historic Arch Street Meeting House, our sibling site at 4^th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia.

These fun talks are designed to bring Friends & “friends of Friends” together for fellowship, refreshments, and networking. Events are free & open to the public.

• More info and full schedule: www.pym.org/fellowship

Event 1/25, 7 pm:  “Teaching to the Heart, Teaching to the Mind”

• Sydney Coffin, English teacher at Edison-Fareira HS in North Philadelphia and a Yale National Initiative Fellow: methods for fostering students’ creative expression through poetry and art.
• Chris Bond, social studies teacher at West Windsor-Plainsboro North HS: impact of research in neuroscience on the importance of learning standards that involve social and emotional aspects of students.

American Friends Service Committee brownbag presentation:
“Tools for a new movement: Economic Activism”
Friday, Jan. 26, 12:30-1:30 pm
Martin Luther King, Jr. Room

Join AFSC’s Dalit Baum for a presentation entitled “Tools for a new movement: Economic Activism.” See the emails and the flyer in the lobby.

TENANT NEWS

Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE) founder Mike Lee leaves to join DA’s office; Zane Johnson named managing attorney
» Philadelphia Magazine
» PLSE Press Release
 
Art-Reach organizes MLK Day art project for students from Overbrook School for the Blind
» Read more

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Next Monday: YEAR-END CELEBRATION FOR YOU,
OUR BUILDING RESIDENTS!

You’re invited to join us on Monday, 12/18, 1-2 pm in the front lobby for some light refreshments and networking. We want to thank you for being part of the Friends Center community and wish you the best for the holidays and a happy new year.

Thanks for joining us on the Green Building Tour

Erick and I enjoyed the opportunity to show off our LEED Platinum certified green building to several tenants recently. We even saw some mushrooms on the green roof! We’ll schedule another tour some time in 2018. Stay tuned.

STAFFING CHANGES

Jennifer Williams, our extraordinary receptionist, is expecting a baby soon, of course. Her last day before leave will be this Friday, 12/15. Please join me in wishing Jennifer, husband Stefan, and their children all the best for their growing family!

We have hired Judy Pluciennik to help as an interim desk clerk. You may know from her previous roles with American Friends Service Committee and, before that, with Friends Center. Please welcome her back if you already know her, or introduce yourself if you don’t.

Finally, I’m both sad (for us) and happy (for her) to announce that Nadia Beliveau will be leaving us after this month. She will be moving to a new home and job in upstate New York. We thank her for her service and wish her all the best!

SEEKING EVENING/WEEKEND DESK CLERK

Given the changes noted, we are seeking another evening/weekend desk clerk.

• Click for job description.
• If you know someone who might be interested, please have them email me. No phone calls, please.

UPCOMING HOLIDAY CLOSURES

• Christmas: Friday 12/22, Saturday 12/23, closed EARLY after Quaker meeting, 12/24; Monday 12/25
• New Year’s Day: Monday 1/1
• MLK Day: Monday, 1/15

There is also a change for 2018:

• We will be OPEN on Saturday, June 16.

• On Saturday, May 26, Memorial Day weekend, we will be OPEN but the air conditioning in 1501/1515 Cherry Street will be OFF for maintenance. We hope it won’t be too hot.
• Click for the full 2018 Holiday Schedule as revised.

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Welcome, New Century Trust!
In early January, New Century Trust will join us as a tenant in the 1520 Race Street building. New Century Trust works to end the political and economic inequalities facing women and girls in Greater Philadelphia. They conduct research, convene partners, provide grants, and advocate for systemic change. They were founded in 1882, and one of their co-founders was a Quaker.

Thank you for picking up packages promptly.
Please continue!
You’ve all been doing GREAT in securing your packages from the lobby soon after they arrive. Thank you! Please keep it up as the volume of packages grows before the holidays.

TENANT NEWS

CAIR says “U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision on Trump’s Muslim Ban Ignores Impact on Citizens and Their Families Abroad”: Press release.

Singing City: Holiday concert, Dec. 17

Girls Inc.: K’Nex donates to Girls Inc.’s STEM Gems, company CEO visits

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

GREEN BUILDING TOURS

As mentioned last month, we will conduct at least two green building tours for you, our tenants. You’re also welcome to bring a friend or family member.

To come along, just meet Erick and me in the front lobby at these times:

• Monday, Nov. 27, 2 pm
• Tuesday, Nov. 28, Noon

Tours take about half an hour. If there’s enough demand for a third date, we’ll try to find another one in the near future.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

 2017 Holiday Closures

Please note these year-end holiday closures:

• Wed. 11/22: Close early at 6 pm
• Thurs 11/23 & Fri. 11/24: Closed
• Fri 12/23 & Sat. 12/24: Closed
• Sun. 12/25: Closed after Meeting for Worship
• Mon. 12/26: Closed

2018 Holiday Closures

Please download and save the full list of 2018 holiday closures from our website.

EVENTS

Friends Child Care Center Bake Sale
Bring your appetite and your dollar bills for affordable snacks and drinks! In the lobby, Nov. 13-17.

“Diplomacy, Not War, with Iran and North Korea”
Nov. 15, 7-9 pm, Rufus Jones Room
Presented by Coalition for Peace Action and the United Nations Assoc. of Greater Philadelphia
Panelists Joseph Gerson, Medea Benjamin, Mary Day Kent, and Rev. Bob Moore address these two urgent international situations. More info.

TENANT NEWS

WHYY Interviews PHAN Director about ACA Open Enrollment, 10/30/17
“ACA open enrollment…well… opened Wednesday 11/1.  We get details from Pennsylvania Health Action Network Executive Director Antointette Kraus.”  (The segment with Antoinette starts around 3:45 or so in this episode of NewsWorks.)

“It’s time for a leader like her”
AFSC’s new General Secretary Joyce Ajlouny was featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article on 11/5/17:
Read more.

Billy Penn makes Friends Center post their “Instagram of the Day”!
Shoutout for the fall foliage in the courtyard.

If you follow Friends Center on social media and want us to follow you back, just send us a direct message via your account, or mention it to Jennifer Williams at the front desk. She will make sure it happens!

-Twitter: @FriendsCtr

-Facebook: www.facebook.com/FriendsCenterPHL

-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friends_center/

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER: HOLIDAY CLOSURES
Please note Friends Center will close for the 2017 year-end holidays on the following days:

Thanksgiving

• Close EARLY at 6 pm on Wed. 11/22
• CLOSED Thursday 11/23 & Friday 11/24

Christmas

• CLOSED Friday 12/22 & Saturday 12/23
• Sunday 12/24 open for Quaker meeting for worship, closes early at 2 pm
• CLOSED Monday 12/25

New Year’s Day

• CLOSED Monday, Jan. 1

Our full 2017 holiday calendar is online here.

The 2018 calendar will be emailed to tenants and posted online after the Friends Center board of directors acts on it at their next meeting later this month.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Tenants in a Green Building: Wanna take a tour?
We often give outside groups tours of Friends Center’s LEED Platinum-certified green building features. These include the green roof, stormwater cisterns, geothermal heating and cooling system, and solar panels. Not to mention our five (count ‘em, 5!!) streams of waste.

Now, we’d like to invite our building residents for a tour, too! You’re welcome to bring a family member or friend as well.

Please email me if you’re interested. Also, let me know if certain days just don’t work for you (e.g., “never available Monday afternoon”; or “I’m only here Monday, Wednesday and Friday”).

If just a few people respond, I’ll use a doodle poll to find a date. If a lot of people are interested, we will offer 2 or 3 tours at varying times.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

EVENTS

Net Tuesday, 11/1/2017: How to Influence Online Conversations
Net Tuesday meets in the Rufus Jones Room here at Friends Center on the first Tuesday of the month. The topic for the November 1 meeting this month is, “Learn how to influence online conversations.” Doors open at 6 and discussion is at 6:30. Read more and (optional) RSVP.

TENANT NEWS

Q&A with AFSC’s Gregory Corbin: Social Justice Leadership Institute
Gregory Corbin talks about the American Friends Service Committee’s Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI), a new program helping young people in the Philadelphia area to develop as social change leaders. Read more.

CAIR assists with legal victory for mosque in Ben Salem
The Council on American Islamic Relations, Philadelphia chapter, assisted with a legal case that recently led to a settlement between the US Department of Justice and Bensalem. Read more.

Essay by CAIR attorney Timothy Welbeck featured on WHYY.org:
He notes his daughter’s “hair is perfect, though it may take a lifetime to fully convince her”: “I am not my hair.”

Art-Reach film: How ballet made a difference for students with disabilities
Congratulations to Art-Reach on the successful premiere of their film, I Am. The piece received quite a bit of coverage, including this article on Generocity.

Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance holds 7^th annual conference in late October
Seizing Opportunity in Transforming Markets

Michelle Angela Ortiz’s Monument Lab project, Seguimos Caminando (We Keep Walking)
The mutifaceted artwork by Michelle Angela Ortiz—who works for The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation here at Friends Center—honors mothers detained at Berks Detention Center, a prison outside of Philadelphia for immigrant families. Ortiz’s animated projections based on writings from two mothers detained at Berks will be displayed on the north gate of City Hall on Wednesday and Friday evenings through November 19, 8–10 p.m.

Young Involved Philadelphia: Civic Engagement Fair Oct. 12
Bethany Chisholm Yost of Girls Inc. staff serves on the board of Young Involved Philadelphia, a non-partisan nonprofit that provides programming to connect young people to Philly’s civics, nonprofits, and community development. Their annual event series, State of Young Philly, kicks off with a free Civic Engagement Fair on October 12 at Painted Bride. Register for the fair here.
The rest of the SOYP lineup is here.

Friends World Committee celebrates World Quaker Day
The first Sunday in October was World Quaker Day. See how members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), from the various branches of Quakerism, marked the occasion around the world: http://www.worldquakerday.org/

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Join us for Two Great Events, FRIDAY, 9/15!

 Park(ing) Day Philadelphia (all day)
For the 10^th year in Philadelphia and the 2^nd year at Friends Center, join us as we convert a parking space on 15^th Street into a temporary “parklet” and reclaim public space for people not cars. Thanks to Friends Council on Education, Friends Assoc. for Higher Education, Friends World Committee, & CASA for volunteering on our parklet. Click here for info & a map of all Park(ing) Day sites.

“Back-to-School” Tenant BBQ! (Noon – 2 pm)
While summertime is now a memory, we’re ordering in some tasty barbecue as a last bit of summer for you, our wonderful tenants! There will be veggie options as well as meat ones, plus yummy side dishes. So bring an appetite and meet some of your fellow Friends Center-ians.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

LIVING IN A GREEN BUILDING: WATER USE
Managing water is a big part of Friends Center’s green building practices.

Recently we installed a “hydration station” on the first floor, where both tenants and event customers will use it. We’re excited to have a bottle filler now! As of this writing, the counter says we have saved the use of 860 bottles. Keep it up, friends!

At a much larger scale, we manage as much stormwater here on site as possible with a green roof and a graywater system. Our goals are to reduce use of potable water, and to reduce our discharge into the city’s water treatment infrastructure, in keeping with the city’s “Green City, Clean Waters” plan.

The green roof is located on the 1501 Cherry Street building. Seven species of sedum, a succulent plant, grow in a layer of soil on top of an impermeable membrane. The soil and plants hold rainwater, reducing runoff into storm drains and also lowering the temperature of the roof, especially in summer. It’s also an urban haven for insects and birds.

Seven large cisterns in the basement of the Quaker Meetinghouse collect rainwater from its roof. This “graywater” is pumped over to the 1501 Cherry Street office building to flush the toilets, thus saving thousands of gallons of the city’s freshwater resource every year.

Finally, most of the bathroom faucets and some of the fixtures in the 1501 Cherry building have automatic on/off sensors to keep water from running when no one is there.

Of course, if you see a leaky faucet, toilet, or other fixture, please let our staff know right away so we can fix it and prevent water waste or damage.

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER
Community Design Collaborative design grant
Friends Center recently engaged a volunteer team from the Community Design Collaborative to do a feasibility study for improvements to the 1520 Race Street building. Their final report will be shared with the Friends Center board of directors soon, and we will explore options. Meanwhile, here is the Collaborative’s summary of the study.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS
AFSC Welcomes New General Secretary, Joyce Ajlouny
On September 1, American Friends Service Committee, one of the three Quaker organizations that formed Friends Center, welcomed Joyce Ajlouny as their new General Secretary.

• AFSC story
• Interview in Friends Journal

Thank you to previous AFSC General Secretary Shan Cretin
Friends Center congratulates Shan on her retirement, and thanks her for her service as a Friends Center board member during her tenure.

TENANT NEWS

Art-Reach Premieres Documentary, I Am
Art-Reach premieres its first documentary film, I Am, at the Prince Theater, 9/19, 6 pm. The film follows the journey of 6 students from St. Katherine’s Special Education School and 8 dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet’s Second Company to create an original ballet.
http://art-reach.org/iam

Care: Documentary on in-home elder care
Tony Heriza, an AFSC staffer who is also an independent filmmaker, recently premiered a new documentary film on PBS. According to the film’s website, “Care pulls back the curtain on the poignant and largely hidden world of in-home elder care.”
http://caredocumentary.com/screenings/

Philly Neighborhoods profiles Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity
Michael Lee describes how he founded PLSE to advocate for a more equitable social environment for those with criminal records, including expanding access to employment and social services.
https://philadelphianeighborhoods.com/2017/08/28/social-issues-after-graduating-law-school-i-felt-it-was-important-to-give-back-to-my-community-as-much-as-i-can/

Singing City announces fall season
For over half a century, Singing City has been Philadelphia’s premier avocational chorus, committed to bringing people of diverse races, creeds and backgrounds together under the common purpose of music making. Singing City both rehearses and has its office here at Friends Center.
http://www.singingcity.org/performance.html

Executive Director’s Note

We’re very pleased to announce two promotions from within, effective July 6.

Shakirah Holloway will be our new Events and Administration Coordinator. She’ll handle your tenant events and coordinate outside event rentals. To book your in-house events, please continue to email Shakirah, call her at (215) 241-7098 (Courtney’s old number), or use the online form.

Jennifer (Hatchell) Williams will be our new daytime Receptionist. She will assist with office and marketing tasks as well.

While we’ll miss Courtney Feild, I’m pleased that Shakirah and Jennifer are stepping up to increase their responsibilities.

In addition, Freeman Miller is our newest substitute desk clerk. Freeman is a retired Mennonite bishop. We’re glad to have a member of another historic peace church join us!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

REMINDER: Building CLOSED July 4 & Sat. July 8

Friends Center will close early at 6 pm on Monday, July 3; remain closed on Tuesday July 4; and reopen as usual on Wednesday, July 5, at 7 am.

Friends Center will also be CLOSED on SATURDAY, JULY 8, for maintenance of the geothermal heating and cooling system.

LIVING IN A GREEN BUILDING: FIVE STREAMS OF WASTE

We hope you agree that one of Friends Center’s best features is that it is a green building complex. Energy-efficient buildings using clean energy sources, managing stormwater runoff, and reducing fossil fuel uses are one of the best tools for stopping climate change and maintaining a clean, healthy environment for everyone.

As part of our practice, Friends Center has five streams of waste. To help you fulfill the green mantra, “reduce, reuse and recycle,” here is a brief guide:

1. Office paper: Just what it says. Don’t mix other recyclables in with your paper.
2. Cardboard: break down boxes and leave them near the bins (in the 1501 Cherry Street building in the elevator lobbies). You can also call for a pickup if there is a large quantity.
3. Mixed recycling: Similar to what you recycle at home, but with office paper separated out: Cans, bottles, most types of plastic. No aluminum foil, styrofoam, or paper products.
4. Compost: All food waste goes here! In addition, you can compost paper cups and plates without wax coatings; compostable cold drink cups; and compostable utensils.
5. Trash: Everything else that doesn’t fit in the above categories.

In the NEWS

Don’t Call Kensington a “Hellscape”

Inquirer op-ed co-written by Joe Pyle, Scattergood Foundation

Mike Lee Named to Billy Penn’s “Who’s Next Law”

Mike, the executive director of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, is one of 16 young minds shaping Philly’s legal landscape

Race Street Meetinghouse featured in PHL Airport Exhibition

If you fly through Terminal A at PHL in the next year, stop by the new World Heritage City exhibition. It features all 67 National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia, including our own Race Street Quaker Meetinghouse. Read the story in the Inquirer.

Historic Arch Street Meetinghouse on CSPAN History

Our sibling site was featured on CSPAN History recently.

 

News From the Director: Springtime… Mostly

Today you’re invited to our Pop Up Lemonade Garden out front! We’ll have light refreshments and the aforementioned lemonade to celebrate the arrival of spring… or maybe that’s summer… With climate chaos, it’s hard to tell. You can also enjoy the return of our bistro table and chairs on the Meetinghouse porch.

Please take a moment to admire our newly planted native shade garden out front, as well as the new native plants in the courtyard. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Roots to Re-Entry crew did the work last Thursday and Friday, so not only did we gain native plants, we supported this important program that enables returning citizens to get training for landscaping and horticultural jobs as they transition back into society.

The large fluctuations in temperature are tough on the system, in particular, in the 1501 Cherry Street building, you may notice it’s a bit warm one day and a bit cool the next. While we are very proud of our geothermal heating and cooling system, the changes are tough on the equipment. Rest assured, we monitor the system closely and adjust the controls as best we can based on existing conditions.

Remember also, you are welcome to open the windows to let in fresh air! We just ask that you close them again at the end of the day to prevent intrusion of water, bugs, or people.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

Around Friends Center

New! ONLINE TENANT HANDBOOK
You can now refer to Friends Center’s policies and guidelines—such as for key fobs or catering—as well as our forms—such as to add or subtract phone or Internet users—on our new Tenant Handbook web page: https://www.friendscentercorp.org/?page_id=3741

COFFEE SOCIAL AT TABLEAU MAY 15^TH
Our neighbors at Tableau, PAFA’s full-service café have invited us to a coffee social on Monday, May 15^th from 2-3pm. This is a great opportunity to meet your Friends Center and Cherry Street neighbors.

ON THE TABLE PHILLY
Presented by The Philadelphia Foundation and the Knight Foundation, On the Table Philly is a forum designed to engage Greater Philadelphia area residents in an open dialogue, foster new relationships, and inspire solutions to strengthen communities.  On May 23^rd, Philadelphia residents across the region will gather in small groups to share a meal and discuss the opportunities and issues we face in our region. If you are interested in hosting one of these gatherings, Friends Center is prepared to donate the space credit-free, please contact Courtney. To learn more about the event, click here.

YANG STYLE TAI CHI
Just a reminder that our free Tai Chi is now running. Classes are Mondays from noon to 12:50pm in Room 136. All are welcome.

In the News

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES NEW GENERAL SECRETARY
Read about Joyce Ajlouny, American Friends Service Committee’s next General Secretary.

PHILADELPHIA LAWYERS FOR SOCIAL EQUITY, PENNSYLVANIA BAR FOUNDATION AWARD
On May 10^th, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE) will receive the 2017 Louis J. Goffman Award, from the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation. The award recognizes individuals and organizations committed to outstanding pro bono service. Read more here.

Physicians for Social Responsibility: Workshop on the Health Impacts of Air Quality
On Communities in the Vicinity of Philadelphia’s Refineries
Friday June 16, 2017
Physicians for Social Responsibility, along with Philly Thrive, is presenting a public health workshop about air pollution. This free event is being held JUNE 16^th. For more information visit here.
Featuring the community perspectives and the research of
Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens and Dr. Peter DeCarlo
South Philadelphia Health and Literacy Center 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
1700 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145-2392

Emergency Evacuation Trainings

Friends Center conducts quarterly emergency evacuation trainings. These trainings are open to everyone; especially those new to Friends Center. The next trainings are scheduled for 10am July 11th, and October 10th. If you have any questions, please contact Erick.

REMINDER: Smoke-Free Facility

We thank you for not smoking on our campus, including any outdoor brick areas inside the gates and fences.

Mid-Week “Refreshment” & Wellness Opportunities

INFORMAL, QUAKER-STYLE BIBLE STUDY

All are welcome at this small group to explore scriptural themes in a progressive framework that is relevant to our times. Monthly Meeting Room, Meetinghouse Wednesdays, Noon-12:30pm

FIND QUIET IN QUAKER MEETING

You are invited to sample of half hour of expectant, “waiting” worship in the manner of Friends. These is no set program or agenda. It may be silent, or not, if people feel led to speak out of the silence. Monthly Meeting Room, Meetinghouse, Wednesdays, 12:30-1:00pm

YANG STYLE TAI CHI

Relaxation and mindfulness are at the heart of Tai Chi practice, which can be conceived of as a form of mediation in motion. All are welcome. Room 136, Mondays, 12:00-12:50pm; Drop-in practice, Room 136 Wednesdays 12:15-12:45pm

INSIGHT MEDITATION

Meditation helps us on many levels, from simple relaxation to freedom from suffering and full liberation of heart and mind. You are invited to participate in guided meditation in the Vipassana (insight) tradition. Monthly Meeting Room, Thursdays 12:15-12:45pm

 

For your once in a lifetime wedding, consider the simple beauty of The Friends Center Meetinghouse. Ideal for couples looking for a unique venue or those seeking a traditional setting for a non-traditional ceremony, our rooms can be transformed into your very own wedding wonderland. As a LEED Platinum facility, we are also an eco-friendly option. Whether you’re hosting your closest family and friends or accommodating 500, this National Historic Landmark provides the perfect setting.

After your nuptials, guests can proceed to the picturesque Cherry Street Room. Nestled below the historic Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Quaker Library, the room boasts high ceilings and an abundance of natural light. After what we hope is the ceremony of your dreams, we suggest making your way to our captivating tree-lined courtyard to treat your guests to an hour full of delectable delights and mingling. Finally, choose between an intimate sit-down reception for 200 and a buffet for 100 to leave room for dancing. Whichever you decide, remember that our goal is to be a support to you and make this day as special and spectacular as you’ve always dreamed of.

About Friends Center

Since 1856 Friends Center has been a gathering place for community groups.  Our historic Quaker Meetinghouse is the perfect location to bring together family and friends for your special day.

News from the Director

The big news this month is the centennial anniversary of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), one of our three Quaker ownership groups.

AFSC was founded here 100 years ago to provide service options during World War I to young male members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, who followed the traditional Quaker peace testimony against participating in war. Today AFSC works in local communities as well as at the policy level in 16 countries.

From April 20 to 24, AFSC will have events at the nearby Sheraton Hotel, as well as several events here at Friends Center, so our shared event space is booked for that time. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Waging Peace Summit, April 20-23:
Registration is free for day guests; you’re welcome:
https://www.afsc.org/summit

Waging Peace Exhibition, through April 23
at the African American Museum of Philadelphia
http://exhibit.afsc.org/

Around Friends Center

Masonry Work
Friends Center has hired Wm. Proud Masonry Restoration to rebuild the front wall and to repoint portions of the Meetinghouse and 1520 Race Street buildings. Please be cautious around the active work sites.

New Tai Chi Class
Instructor Chris Luebbe is offering a free Yang Style Tai Chi class at Friends Center. In order to best serve interested participants, Chris has developed a survey to determine the best day and time for the class. Please contact Courtney with any questions, or to express interest in attending.

Pop-Up Lemonade Garden for May Day!!
In honor of nicer weather and the return of our porch furniture, Friends Center is hosting a Pop-Up Lemonade Garden! Meet and mingle with fellow tenants of Friends Center. Join us May 1, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm on the front porch of the Meetinghouse. Alternate in case of rain: Cherry Street Room

Tentatively, we will also host an E-Waste Recycling Drive that day. Last year we did it around Earth Day, but that is during the AFSC Centennial this year, so we don’t have the capacity to schedule it then. Stay tuned for confirmation.

In the News

Covenant House Sleep Out for Youth
On March 24, Covenant House PA held their Sleep Out for Homeless Youth: Young Professionals Edition event here at Friends Center. The event generates sympathy for homeless youth as well as funds for Covenant House’s services to support them.

See the Channel 6 News Coverage.

If you know of a nonprofit organization that needs a venue for their event, please direct them to our website:
– Hold Your Meeting at Friends Center
– New: Online Room Reservation Form

Witness to Innocence
Read about Witness to Innocence work with exonerated death row inmates, here.

Ben Franklin Parkway Centennial
Read about the $1M+ ‘dramatic’ art installation to mark Ben Franklin Parkway’s 100^th anniversary.

Updated 12/13/2017
Friends Center is recruiting 1-2 new on-call, substitute desk clerks to make sure we have the ongoing coverage we need.

The on-call desk clerk fills in when the regular day, evening, or weekend receptionist is not available.

On weekdays, the desk clerk is responsible for all of the functions of the lobby including greeting visitors and staff, answering phones, and fielding requests for service from tenants.

If called in for evening or weekend work, the receptionist provides coverage for the front desk, opens the building in the morning and closes it at night, monitors the physical plant for problems, and serves as the gracious face of Friends Center for all visitors.

JOB DESCRIPTION: Click to download.

Interested people should send a cover letter and resume to Chris Mohr. (No phone calls, please.)

The position will be open until filled. Friends Center is an equal opportunity employer.