Here is a PDF of our 2025 Holiday Schedule.

Other closures will be announced on our home page and on our BlueSky account, @friendsctr (https://bsky.app/profile/friendsctr.bsky.social).

Thanks to the Friends Center staff, especially Shakirah and Carla, for organizing Bring Your Own Mug Day! We provided treats as a way to thank our wonderful nonprofit office tenants here in Center City Philadelphia. Our organizations include both Quaker organizations & non-Quaker nonprofits whose missions align with Quaker values.

Friends Center Corporation is a nonprofit partnership of three Quaker organizations: American Friends Service Committee, Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

Friends Center’s campus consists of the historic Race Street Quaker Meetinghouse, the 1501 Cherry Street office building, and a brick-paved courtyard that serves as an urban oasis with shade trees, native plants, and lots of birds and pollinators.

The Covenant House PA Sleep Out returns to our courtyard outside our Quaker Meetinghouse overnight on Thursday, 11/21/2024.

As Covenant House writes, “The Sleep Out is not about pretending to be homeless. We Sleep Out to show our solidarity with those who are — and to let the world know about the ever-growing population of young people who face homelessness.”

The Sleep Out raises critical funds to help Covenant House provide 24/7 shelter, sanctuary, and support to youth overcoming homelessness. Importantly, Covenant House is an inclusive, safe space for youth and young adults.

NBC10 interviewed Alexia Clarke from Covenant House PA about the Sleep Out recently. Watch the segment here.

For the first time since 2020, Friends Center will increase its event rental prices as of January 2025. Book now to lock in current rates!

friendscentercorp.org/event-space/

Friends Center’s hydration station on the first floor recently had a milestone: The bottle-filling counter estimates that we saved 100,003 plastic bottles—and counting!

It’s just one small part of Friends Center’s green building features.

Registration is now open for fall 2024 continuing sessions of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers).

Sessions will be at Arch Street Meeting House & online.

The theme is “Called to Healing.” Join Friends for worship, fellowship, and faithful listening, to deepen our witness for peace, justice, and healing.

You can learn more, see the schedule, and register here.

Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting of Friends (Quakers) will meet at Historic Arch Street Meeting House this Sunday, 10/27.

There will also be a community celebration of the 220th anniversary of the Meeting House!

For more info see philadelphiaquarter.org.

Graphic by Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Signe Wilkinson, herself a Quaker.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers) will hold an online threshing session on climate witness on 10/29, 7-8:15 pm.

This is Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s proposed climate benchmark:

1. Measure carbon footprint of YM operations, gatherings, and facilities
2. Identify how YM could be carbon net zero by 2030
3. Invite monthly meetings to strive for 50% carbon reduction for members & meetings by 2030

Friends are invited to this threshing session to consider the benchmark prior to fall Continuing Sessions on 11/8/2024. Read more about it.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is one of the equity partners of Friends Center. As such, Friends Center’s LEED Platinum green building is already helping advance the benchmark.

The session will be held via Zoom. Please register here to get the link.

Thanks to Committee of Seventy‘s We Vote campaign for sharing useful information for voters.

One option when making a plan to vote is voting by mail. If this option works best for you or your loved ones, please make sure to submit your application for a mail-in ballot by 5 pm on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

That’s *1 week from today*!

In Philadelphia, see the website of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, https://vote.phila.gov, for more info.