Participants in the Quaker Walk 2025 visited Friends Center on 5/11/2025.

A group of Friends from Brooklyn Quaker Meeting organized the walk as a Quaker/interfaith pilgrimage for peace and justice. They are walking from Flushing, Queens, to Washington, DC, to “affirm & defend everlasting human rights across all borders.”

They are carrying with them a copy of the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657. The remonstrance was a letter from settlers in Flushing (now part of Queens, NYC) to Peter Stuyvesant, Director General of New Holland, who had banned Quakers and Quaker worship. They wrote to say they would not, but would welcome any Quakers, and people of other faiths, who approached them with love. They said they would do unto others as they would have done unto them.

Today Quakers are well established. These Friends today call us to welcome new immigrants and other faiths in the same way that our neighbors in Flushing welcomed us in 1657.

Here is a photo of their support van in our loading zone. You can see the windows of the Race Street Quaker Meetinghouse reflected in the van windows!

The side of a van with a decal that says: "Walk to Washington. Walk to Washington. The Quaker-interfaith pilgrimage for peace & justice, walking to DC to affirm & defend everlasting human rights across all borders. ALL ARE WELCOME. Quakerwalk2025.org." The Race St. Quaker Meetinghouse's windows are reflected in the van window!

APRIL 2025, Issue 100!

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Welcome to the Pennsylvania Policy Center!

Penn Policy in blue superimposed on a yellow representation of Pennsylvania on a map. Text in lower right says Pennsylvania Policy Center.

In these days of uncertainty, this kind of advocacy at the local, state, national, and international levels is more important than ever. Friends Center is glad to be a facility and a community for PPC and all of the organizations here who are working to create a better community and world.

Please join me in welcoming Pennsylvania Policy Center, our newest tenant. According to their website, PPC “creates the tools that political officials, opinion leaders, grassroots organizations, and the people of Pennsylvania need to expand our vibrant democracy, secure our freedom, and seek economic justice in Pennsylvania.” They conduct research, develop policy ideas, educate legislators and advocates, and partner with grassroots organizations.

—Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Earth Day E-Waste and Shredding Collection Drives

The Friends Center’s annual Earth Day E-waste and shredding day is upon us. Collection for this will start Monday April 14th and will continue until Monday April 21st.

Collection will take place in the front lobby. Please refer to Erick’s email for materials that will be accepted. Yes, you can bring items from home!!

Let Erick know if you have other questions: (215) 241-7190 or eemerick@friendscentercorp.org.

Thank you for your participation!

TV episode filmed at Race Street Meetinghouse: now showing?

In late 2023, the Worship Room in the Race Street Meetinghouse was the setting for a scene in “Dope Thief,” based on the novel by Dennis Tafoya. In the book, one of the characters takes a break and decides to attend a Quaker meeting for worship.

The show is now streaming on Apple TV. If anyone watches it, please let us know if Friends Center made the final show or if we ended up on the cutting room floor!

» Show streaming on Apple TV

» Inquirer feature article

EVENTS

Friends Center event spaces: A great value, right in Center City!

A group is viewing a presentation in Friends Center's Cherry Street Room.

Friends Center continues to provide a great value, with robust facilities, a convenient Center City location, and our friendly and staff. We serve a wide variety of community organizations, both local and non-local, in addition to all of our tenant organization. We can also host weddings and memorial services.

Please let your colleagues, peers, and friends know about our meeting spaces, and be sure to tell them we always have a nonprofit discount! Here’s a shareable link:

» Book your next event at Friends Center!

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)

Local Quaker Meetings support PYM’s lawsuit

PYM involvement in DHS lawsuit. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Text is below a graphic of a scroll with scales on it.

As mentioned last time, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting sued the Department of Homeland Security in January for reversing the “sensitive sites” policy, which would allow ICE to conduct immigration enforcement actions inside houses of worship, among other locations. A judge granted a temporary injunction to prevent ICE from entering the plaintiffs’ houses of worship without a judicial warrant.

Many Quaker monthly meetings—the local congregations of Friends—have approved minutes of support. They are collected on PYM’s website here.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

AFSC Corporation Meeting to be held at Friends Center April 24-26

The AFSC Corporation is the highest level governing body of AFSC. This year’s theme is “Healing Through Justice: Our Collective Journey.” Publicly accessible programs include several workshops and a commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. The event will include a conversation with AFSC’s Archivist, Don Davis.

» Learn more.

Healing Through Justice. Our Collective Journey. A group of people in orange t-shirts is sitting on the steps of a public building, such as a capital, while one person addresses them from behind.

Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting (CPFM)

CPFM to Host Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting;
Head of Brummana Friends School in Lebanon to Speak

April 27, 12:45 pm

CPFM is one of eight meetings in Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting of Friends. As its name implies, the Quarterly Meeting (PQM) meets once a calendar quarter, except in the summer, when Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has its Annual Sessions.

CPFM will host the next meeting of PQM here at Friends Center. The featured speaker will be David Grey, head of Brummana High School, a Quaker coeducational day and boarding school in Brumanna, Lebanon. It was founded by British Quakers in 1873.

» Register here

TENANTS

In-Advance

Spadework training at Friends Center
May 8-9, 2025

Spadework is In-Advance’s community organizing training program. This training will focus on “Back to Basics”: base-building. developing leadership, and organization as spaces for transformation.

» Learn more and register here.

Singing City

1. Spring Concert: Remembrance & Resilience Through Song

Thursday, May 1, 7:30 p.m.
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel
8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027

Sunday, May 4, 3 p.m.
The Church of the Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Singing City and Nashirah, Julia Zavadsky, director, will collaborate on a concert featuring music with themes of resilience and hope, including Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Mari Esabel Valverde’s When Thunder Comes, and Rollo Dilworth’s Weather.

2. New Executive Director

After 16 years as Executive Director, Lauren Anderson will retire at the end of May. As a long-time member of the choir, she hopes to enjoy many more years singing with this remarkable ensemble. Her grandfather, the Rev. A. Herbert Haslam, in his work with Philadelphia’s Fellowship House in the 1940s, was the catalyst for the choir’s creation. Founded by Elaine Brown, it began as Fellowship House Choir in 1948.

After an extensive search, Singing City has hired Michael Bolton, to start June 1. Michael has worked on community initiatives at Opera Philadelphia and as a host on WRTI, among many other pursuits.

Congratulations, Lauren, and we look forward to welcoming Michael!

Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative

2024 Annual Report

PYSC’s report highlights a year of growth, impact, and momentum for the future of youth sports in Philadelphia. This past year, PYSC:

✅ Launched the Philly Youth Sports Fund, securing city investment to support community-based programs.

✅ Hosted the PYSC Summit: Sports & Mental Health, bringing together experts, coaches, and advocates.

✅ Expanded partnerships to provide more kids with access to quality coaching, safe spaces, and life-changing opportunities through sports.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Friends Select School

Community Pantry on Race Street

Friends Select School is now hosting a community pantry on the 1600 block of Race Street.

A year ago, they initiated a pantry pilot program for spring semester. The pilot was incredibly successful, and the school decided to formally continue the pantry, which is now open to anyone in the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please help spread the word by sharing the following announcement:

Friends Select School Community Pantry

The FSS community pantry is located on the 1600 Block of Race Street, mid block on the south side of the street.
The pantry accepts and offers dry food goods, canned items, individual snacks or beverages, toiletries, clean socks, and clean hats & gloves seasonally.
The pantry can not accept prepared food or meals or any items that need to be refrigerated.
Items can be placed directly into the pantry, or, if the shelves are full, items can be left at FSS reception at 17th and the Parkway.

If your organization is interested in hosting a drive for pantry items and would like to schedule a drop-off time, please contact Margaret Smith (margarets@friends-select.org).

WIDER QUAKER COMMUNITY

“The Return of Benjamin Lay”

Quintessence Theater
7137 Germantown Ave. (Mt. Airy), Philadelphia
May 1 – May 18, 2025

Painting of Benjamin Lay, an 18th Century Quaker dwarf who was a radical abolitionist.

A play based on Marcus Rediker’s book The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist,is coming to Philadelphia’s Quintessence Theater in Mt. Airy. Given the themes, we thought folks at Friends Center might be interested.

From the theater:

“2025. In the silence of a Quaker meeting house, Benjamin Lay – shepherd, sailor, revolutionary, and the British Empire’s first revolutionary abolitionist – returns from the grave almost 300 years after his death, as feisty and unpredictable as ever.

“The 4ft “David” confronts the “Goliath” of slavery as he demands once again to be readmitted into the Quaker community that disowned him for ideas considered dangerous and disruptive.”

» Tickets available here.

Quaker Voluntary Service seeks an Executive Director

Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) is now accepting applications for a new Executive Director. You would be a great fit for this position if you believe Quaker spirituality has something to offer social justice movements and young adults; you have interest and skills at administration and financial management; and you have experience working with nonprofit structures, including board collaboration and staff supervision and management. See the full job description at https://quakervoluntaryservice.org/employment/.

How to apply: Email a cover letter and resume to the QVS Board Executive Director Search Committee, at ExecSearch@quakervoluntaryservice.org. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis as applications arrive, with priority given to applications received by April 15, 2025. Desired start date is July 1, 2025, but can be flexible for the right candidate.