From the Director
Time for Community
As always, thank you for making our city, state, nation, and world a better place. We appreciate that you choose to do it here at Friends Center. In these urgent and uncertain times, it is more important than ever to have the community, connection, and collaboration here. We are grateful that Friends Center serves as a container to hold space for your work. We count on you to keep going forth and doing it, even as circumstances change daily!
—Chris Mohr, Executive Director
Around Friends Center
Closed for Juneteenth, June 19
Friends Center will be closed on Thursday, June 19, for the Juneteenth holiday. Here are some activities and resources for the day:
» Philadelphia parade and festival
HVAC maintenance 6/19-20
Friends Center’s heating, ventilation, and cooling system will be off for needed maintenance on June 19. It will be off at least through Friday morning, 6/20. It may be warm in the facility on Friday. You may wish to work from home that Friday if you can.
EVENTS
Acts of Reparation Film Screening, Sun., 6/15, 7 pm
Acts of Reparation follows two friends as they explore what reparations means to them. Selina, who is Black, and Macky, who is white, have been friends and filmmaking partners for 25 years. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Breanna Moore, whose scholarly expertise is the abolition of the slave trade in the 19th century. Sponsored by Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting, reparationWorks, and the Grassroots Reparations Campaign.
» Details and link to register.
Friends Center events: A great value for a Center City venue!
As always, please let your colleagues, peers, and friends know about our meeting spaces. We provide a great value, robust facilities, the convenience of Center City, and a friendly staff—and always a nonprofit discount! Thank you.
Equity Partner News
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)
Registration is Open for Annual Sessions
PYM Annual Sessions takes place in late July at Cheyney University and on Zoom. The theme is “Members One of Another.” PYM is glad to partner with Cheyney—the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU). They were founded in part with a grant from a Quaker family. Friends are invited to join as a community, either in person or online, based on what works best for you.
» More info and register here.
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
AFSC Speaks out on National Guard Deployment to Los Angeles
» Read AFSC’s statement
Photo: Jon Krieg, AFSC (taken in Iowa!)
People’s Tribunal – Fridays with Fetterman
AFSC is part of a coalition called “Fridays with Fetterman.” They recently held a “people’s tribunal” here. Read the WHYY article.
Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting (CPFM)
CPFM Hosts Quakers Walking from Flushing, Queens, NY, to Washington, DC
In May, a group of Quakers walked from Flushing, Queens, NYC, to Washington, DC. They stopped at Friends Center to present to CPFM. They brought a copy of the 1657 Flushing Remonstrance, a petition from Dutch settlers in Flushing to Pieter Stuyvesant after he banned Quakers, then a new sect. The neighbors said they would be good neighbors to the Quakers and treat them by the Golden Rule.
The Quaker Walk 2025 called on Quakers and everyone today to be good neighbors to immigrant neighbors today. Read the story by the Associated Press.
Decal on Quaker walk support vehicle, while at Friends Center.
Tenant News
Joyful Readers
Not Joyful news, unfortunately
» Philadelphia tutoring program focused on student literacy cut by DOGE. Chalkbeat News.
» Philly lost $10.2 million in the latest round of DOGE funding cuts to AmeriCorps. The cuts targeted eleven education programs, including CityYear, Teach for America, and Joyful Readers: Inquirer.
» Nonprofit Quarterly: Hillary Kane, PHENND
» Lawsuit filed by 24 states + DC
Tract Association Of Friends
New website
Ordinarily we would not necessarily focus on an organization’s new website in this newsletter, but in this case, it gives us an opportunity to tell you more about one of our quieter Quaker tenants!
Founded in 1816, the Tract Association has published pamphlets, essays and books on Friends beliefs, concerns, history, and practice. They also have a calendar numbered with the months and days according to traditional Quaker practice (Firstmonth and Firstday, etc.).
» Website: tractassociation.org
Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative
10th Year Anniversary Celebrations Kick off
Congratulations to PYSC on kicking off its 10th anniversary celebrations with a reception here at Friends Center!
Gender Justice Fund
May was Masc Ally Month
In May, Gender Justice Fund recognized Masc Ally Month. This year’s events focused on fighting transphobia.
Physicians for Social Responsibility PA
PSR-PA opposes PGW rate hike
PSR-PA is among those groups telling regulators to reject potential PGW rate hike and to plan better for climate impacts.
» Initial story on WHYY, May 7
» Follow up on June 10: Philadelphia Gas Works says it is seeking facts in the rate hike case. Climate advocates say the utility is trampling on First Amendment rights. Read more.