Issue 71, April 2021

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Although this newsletter is going out late in April, it has plenty of interesting information. Send us your updates, so we can share more news again in just a few weeks. Happy spring!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

Shredding Day II – First week of May

Shredding Day was so successful, we’re making a sequel!

Please drop off paper for shredding inside the loading dock entrance in the Meetinghouse basement, Monday, May 3—Thursday May 6. (The vendor will be here very early that Friday, so Friday is too late to drop material off.)

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)

Runway to Annual Sessions 2021

May 4—July 24, 2021

The Runway to Annual Sessions is filled with virtual workshops, gatherings, Business Q&As, an All Ages Gathering, and a Collaborative Fair!

            During the week of Annual Sessions, July 27 through August 1, we will gather to begin our week with the 4th Annual Spiritual Formation retreat. Following the virtual retreat, we will connect as a yearly meeting in All Ages Worship, Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, five fantastic keynotes, an awesome Artist in Residence, Youth programs, Young Adult programs, Fellowship, worship sharing, Affinity Spaces, epistle writing, and Bible studies.

            This year’s Annual Sessions theme is “Uproot Injustice, Root Justice” and is present and woven into all aspects of our work together including Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, our keynote presentations, the Collaborative Fair, and the workshops. 

            To receive the latest schedule of events, registration details, upcoming events and stories, please check the Annual Sessions page and sign up for our weekly News & Events newsletter.

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE (AFSC)

Despite Chauvin conviction, trauma of police violence continues

Young Black and Brown people in the Twin Cities need accountability and healing

SAINT PAUL, MN (April 20, 2021) A Minneapolis jury found Derek Chauvin—a white police officer—guilty for the murder of George Floyd. George Floyd—a Black 46-year-old Minneapolis resident—was killed by Chauvin and three other officers on May 25 of last year. Floyd’s murder sparked widespread condemnation and protests across the Twin Cities and across the country. The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)—a Quaker social justice organization—organized against this killing and police violence nationwide.

»   Read the full statement from Shanene Herbert, director of AFSC’s Healing Justice program in Saint Paul.

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING (CPMM)

CPMM member .O will talk about her transforming love ministry on June 6, 2021. This is part of a series, Meeting for Worship with Attention to Ministry, sponsored by the Committee on Gifts and Leadings.

» Calendar Listing

TENANT NEWS

CAIR-Philadelphia

Statement on Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict

(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 04/21/21) — The Philadelphia Chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) welcomes the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd….
            CAIR-Philadelphia Civil Rights Attorney Timothy Welbeck said, “A guilty verdict, while satisfying in that it brings a measure of justice to Derek Chauvin’s heinous actions, is still an incomplete measure. It will never bring back George Floyd and it is just the first step in addressing unchecked police violence against people of color.”
            He continued, “The criminal justice system that we have is broken at its very foundation. The murder of George Floyd is one of the most grotesque illustrations of that. I’m glad to see a guilty verdict. This is what we were hoping for and anticipating. Just as the prosecution said in its closing arguments, ‘you saw what you saw,’ America saw what it saw. And I am relieved that at the very least, we have some semblance of accountability in this moment.” Welbeck concluded by saying, “This conviction is a start, but there is much work to do…”
            Said Mohammed Zubairu, President of the Executive Committee of CAIR-Philadelphia, “The Muslim community of the Greater Delaware Valley must continue to speak out on issues of justice in our locality and our country. As Americans, this is our First Amendment right. As Muslims, this is our obligation, to correct wrongs when we see them, and certainly not be part to them by action or inaction.”
» Read the full statement

GENDER JUSTICE FUND

Trust-based philanthropy offers us a path to power sharing, beyond the pandemic

“By lifting restrictions on the use of funds and relying on grantees to tell us what they needed, we made seismic shifts in the distribution of power in our sector,” says guest columnist Farrah Parkes.

» Read the full piece

SCATTERGOOD FOUNDATION

PA Pardon System:

Join The Scattergood Foundation & Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity for a conversation about the PA Pardon System. Held on 5/17 at 9am with DA Larry Krasner, Jeffery Brown and a host of others. Register here

Aligning policy & practice through local grantmaking efforts
by Caitlin O’Brien & Alyson Ferguson for Generocity:

The Scattergood Foundation will award four $20,000 grants to grassroots orgs as part of its new grant program, Policy Meets Practice: Think Bigger Do Good Support Local.

» Read more

American Rescue Plan Act and Philadelphia Behavioral Health, by Joe Pyle forGenerocity:
» Part 1

» Part 2

SINGING CITY

Featured on WRTI’s Friday Choral Connection!

This Friday, April 30, 1:30 pm

WRTI-FM, on the radio at 90.7 FM and online wrti.org, presents Friday Choral Connection, which airs every Friday at 1:30 PM. This program, which started last September, has been extended through June 2021. Singing City will be featured on April 30.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

PROGRAMS AT DILWORTH PARK

Center City Fit
Mondays & Tuesdays, April 12-October 12, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.

Get ready to get moving! Professional instructors and trainers from Optimal Sport 1315 Walnut will host free outdoor fitness classes for participants of all skill levels. Monday evenings will be dedicated to Zumba, and Tuesdays in April will focus on Boot Camp before transitioning to HIIT classes in May. 

The Arts on Center Stage
Wednesdays, May 5—August 25, 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia’s robust network of arts & culture organizations, large and small, will be celebrated every week as they showcase their talent in the center of the city at Dilworth Park. Performances will range from orchestral serenades and ballet ensembles to jazz instrumentals and beyond. In support of local restaurants, guests are encouraged to dine al fresco with takeout meals from nearby eateries. Cocktails to-go will be offered to guests 21 and older, and a special menu will be available at the Air Grille. CCD and the park’s café operators have implemented increased health safety procedures throughout the park and visitors will be reminded to adhere to all CDC guidelines, including wearing masks at all times. All programs are weather permitting and subject to change. Dilworth Park is located at 1 S. 15th St., on the west side of City Hall. Visit DilworthPark.org to learn more.

Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

Issue 59, April 2020

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Lately I have been signing off on emails with the phrase, “With prayers for peace and health for all.” May we keep in mind and heart everyone who is at risk, who is suffering, who is caring for the afflicted, who is working the front lines.

                I would like to add a word of gratitude to the Friends Center staff who continue to provide facilities support on a rotating basis. Thank you, Ed, Erick, Jennifer, Shakirah, and Wil!

                We do not know yet when the stay-at-home order will be loosened or modified. When that happens, we will let you know of any changes to hours or staffing patterns that may affect you.
                A Quaker I know compared the pandemic to the dye used (usually by children) to highlight plaque on teeth. Where the dye shows up, you need to brush more. The result is you learn to brush more effectively. Similarly, the pandemic is highlighting the problems of our society. Will we start to “brush” more effectively now, reducing harm and increasing health well-being, and not just wait for things to go back to “normal”?

                Thank you, as always, for your work to help make our city, state, nation, and world a better place. It’s needed now more than ever!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

Around Philadelphia

A quote from the open letter by Mayor Kenney to Philadelphians:

“I write to tell you that even amid our silent streets, the spirit of this great city has not, in any way, been diminished by this virus.”

4/18 is International Day for Monuments and Sites

Saturday, April 18th, marks International Day for Monuments and Sites, which celebrates cultural heritage around the world and focuses on preserving and conserving historical and archaeological sites.
                In Philadelphia, we have a rich array of historical sites, including 67 National Historic Landmarks, which are those sites that are federally recognized as representing an outstanding aspect of American history and culture. Our own Race Street Quaker Meetinghouse is one of them!

                Discover Philadelphia’s 67 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in this beautifully illustrated map. Designed by a local artist, this map is both a useful guide to Philadelphia’s rich heritage, as well as a unique souvenir or gift for visitors and Philadelphians alike. You don’t have to leave the house to learn about Philly heritage. In addition to the online interactive map of the NHLs, many of them have online resources.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE (AFSC)

Check out this interview between @KUNMnews and Sayrah Namaste (of AFSC New Mexico). Quaker Group Connects N.M. Organic Farmers With Food Banks During COVID Outbreak

• Farmers have food, but many of their markets (like restaurants) are no longer buying perishable produce.
• Food banks are experiencing unprecedented need.
• AFSC program is bridging that gap.

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)

Annual Sessions 2020 Goes Virtual

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and after careful discernment, the Sessions Coordinating Committee and the yearly meeting clerking team have thoughtfully and carefully decided that this year’s Annual Sessions (July 29 – August 2, 2020) will move to a virtual space in order to preserve the care and well-being of our community. Read more here

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING (CPMM)

You can take part in an effort to virtually build, support and encourage the community that Quaker meetings have already been building in person, through worship, fellowship and social witness.

If you are already a member or attender, but do not have an FGC Quaker Account, click the link below and fill out the form to send a note to the Quaker Cloud administrator for your meeting. Be sure to let them know your name and your connection to the meeting.

Request to Join This Online Meeting

Online meeting for worship with CPMM is at 11:00 AM on Sunday mornings.

TENANT NEWS

Singing City Spring Concert:

Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn –
A Commemoration of the Children

POSTPONED UNTIL EARLY FALL 2020

• Read more here.
• Also, see this article featuring Singing City: “Choirs make the most of virtual rehearsals” (WHYY)

New Century Trust:

Philadelphia’s poverty problem is bigger than you ever imagined

Generocity, 3/16/2020

When we measure income using the federal poverty rate, the results far underestimate how many people are actually struggling to meet daily needs, say guest columnists Marianne Bellesorte and Farrah Parkes (New Century Trust). Full Article Here