Issue 55, December 2019

Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE:
Happy Holidays!

The early Quakers did not recognize holidays, or “times and seasons” as they called them. Over time, that stance has softened. Still, I like to keep in mind a primary reason they had that position: Because every day is, or can be, a holy day.

       One thing I like about working at Friends Center is every day truly has that potential. Such as when you… train volunteers to advocate for a child in foster care… convene a meeting of behavioral health practitioners… train teaching artists in trauma-informed practice… match a mentor to a middle schooler… make sure children have a chance to learn and play, and girls have a chance to become leaders… And when you organize people against fracking, the death penalty, or war, and organize them for justice, peace, love, and life.

       Whatever it is that you do here—whether organizing or communications or development or admin—it means something. I’m grateful to be a part of helping this work happen. May we recognize and live that, this day and every day!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

It has been our pleasure to watch our tenants grow stronger and closer to the communities they serve. We hope that you can also reflect back and smile at the progress you have made.

        As we prepare to say good-bye to 2019 and welcome 2020, we began to consider some memorable events that you’ve all held these past 12 months; and we could think of no better way to commemorate those fabulous events than by writing you a song! Yup, that’s right, a new twist on an old classic, Friends Center Style.

  And it goes a little something like this!
On the 12^th day of the holiday season,
Friends Center gave to me:

12 tiny bakers,
11 vegans shopping,
10 tenors singing,
99 meetings,
8 am orientation,
70 kids a camping,
6 ceremonies,
5 groups meditating!
4 keystone testings,
3 Quaker Colleges,
2 many trainings
And a meeting with Mayor Kenney.

We hope that you have find this tidbit as entertaining as we do! Thanks for being the best tenants ever. Please have a safe and happy holiday and new year!

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE (AFSC)

You are invited to help change the narrative on youth and our collective power. We are not at risk; we are 3 billion strong.

The Campaign:

AFSC’s “We Are Not At-Risk” campaign is a youth-led narrative change movement that is transforming the stories media tell about young people. Throughout December and January, we will be collecting stories of youth and their allies, educating our audiences on the impacts of harmful narratives about youth, and sharing positive youth stories through social media. We will harness the power of art and collective action to enter into conversation with media outlets about who we are and the stories that we want to tell. We are #3BillionStrong, and will we make our truths heard.

The Ask:

We are calling on you, as young people and allies—as people who care about and love young people, and who see them in their full humanity—to join us in the Cherry Street room on Tuesday, December 17^th, from 11am-1pm to create art, share stories, and learn more about the campaign. Refreshments will be served.

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has much to report on its news page: www.pym.org/news.

One story is even about one of our tenants, the Tri-College Consortium Philly Program!

Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges team up for Tri-Co City classes

This fall, about 35 students from Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges took courses at the Friends Center in Philadelphia as part of a new Tri-College Philly Program.

                Students present their projects to each other and Friends Center guests.

                The courses focused on the themes of sustainability and environmental justice, from different disciplines: math, environmental studies, political science, education and anthropology.
» Read the full article.

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING (CPMM)

51^st Annual Messiah Sing-Along

The annual Messiah sing-along hosted by Ingrid & George Lakey will be Friday, Dec. 20th at 7pm, here in the Cherry Street Room. CPMM encourages all to bring a score, a friend who likes to sing (this is not a performance, but a sing-along), and also goodies to share during break.

Coming in January:

Climate Up Close:
Talk with a climate scientist face-to-face

Saturday, January 4th, 2:30 pm

Hosted by CPMM at Friends Center

Free and open to the public.

How do we know CO2 increases are human-caused?  What are climate scientists highly confident about? What will my children’s generation experience?

Meet a panel of climate scientists and put your questions to them yourself.

Climate Up Close is a group of climate scientists who believe Americans should reach their own judgments about climate science by seeing the evidence themselves and putting their questions directly to climate scientists.  Presenters include scientists from Princeton University, Harvard University and UC Berkeley.

www.climateupclose.org

TENANT NEWS

Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity

announced in its November newsletter that it has hired Taylor Pacheco and Sarah Coyle as staff attorneys:

According to the organization’s website, Pacheco “is a 2016 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School where she was senior editor of the Journal of Law and Social Change, an Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Summer Fellow, and a volunteer with the UPenn Criminal Records Expungement Clinic run in partnership with PLSE. She also interned with Community Legal Services in the Housing Unit and the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office. Her career after law school included positions with the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender and the Support Center for Child Advocates.”

Coyle “joined PLSE in September 2019 from Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (LASP), where she had been a staff attorney for over two years and ran the Media office. After receiving her JD in 2016 from Savannah Law School, she worked in a private firm concentrating in criminal defense before joining LASP, where she developed a program assisting victims of domestic/sexual violence under a program funded by the Victims Of Crime Act (VOCA).”

INTEREST OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

QuakerBooks Pop-Up Store
@ Friends General Conference

1216 Arch St # 2B, Philadelphia

Dec 18 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Pop-up bookstore with a selection of books and pamphlets of interest to Friends. Many newer publications, some hot off the press! Subjects include Quaker practice, spiritual deepening, anti-racism, environmentalism, and many children’s books. If you are looking for a particular book, it is recommended you call FGC (215) 561-1700 in advance.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

COMING SOON: ALL-GENDER, ACCESSIBLE RESTROOM FOR 1501 CHERRY ST. BUILDING

        At the request of one of our equity partners, the American Friends Service Committee, we will be converting the first floor shower room in the 1501 Cherry Street building into a fully accessible, all-gender restroom.

        The Friends Center board of directors enthusiastically endorsed the idea, as it will increase both our restroom capacity and provide more equitable access for all people.

        Construction starts in mid-October, and will take a few weeks. The contractor plans to cordon off the work area so people can still pass by to use the existing women’s room and access the first floor office suite. Inevitably, there will be noise and disruption. We hope you can live with it for a short while, knowing that a larger benefit is on the way.

        By the way, the existing shower room on the second floor of 1501 will remain. It’s part of our green building practice, for those who walk or bike to work.

        Thank you in advance for your patience with the construction phase of this project. Please let me know if you have any questions.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

World Quaker Day is Sunday, October 6!

Please see the last piece in this newsletter for more information.

Mighty Writers hosts Anti-Violence Town Hall here

On Friday, 9/27, in the Rufus Jones Room, Mighty Writers held an Anti-Violence Town Hall for Philadelphia youth impacted by violence, as part of their MightFest. Click here for coverage by NBC10 and WHYY

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE (AFSC)

Bystander Intervention Do’s and Don’ts

If you witness public instances of racist, anti-Black, anti-Muslim, anti-Trans, or any other form of oppressive interpersonal violence and harassment, use these tips on how to intervene while considering the safety of everyone involved.  

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)

PYM Families Autumn Community Playdate

We’re excited to invite PYM Families to our next Community Playdate for Apple and pumpkin picking, autumnal FUN at Solebury Orchards in Bucks County.

The Community Playdate is an opportunity for fellowship and learning with our PYM Family community.

                We’ll meet on Saturday, October 12 at 9:00am at Solebury Orchards in New Hope, PA. Kimani Keaton, Children and Families Program Facilitator, will be there to greet and gather our group, and then lead families on wagon rides to pick apples and find the perfect pumpkin in the patch.

In case of inclement weather and cancellation, we’ll email those who have registered (see below) and post on the PYM Families Facebook page. No parking, entry or wagon ride fees; apples are $1.50/lb.

Questions? Contact the Youth Engagement Coordinator mwennerbradley@pym.org or ChildrenAndFamilies@pym.org

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING (CPMM)

You Are Welcome Here

Join us for worship at 11 AM every Sunday at Friends Center

Central Philadelphia Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is a large, urban Quaker meeting, diverse in many ways. We welcome visitors throughout the year.

• We worship by gathering and silently waiting for the Spirit to guide us.
• We celebrate diversity and welcome people from all walks of life. We are a welcoming and affirming congregation for LGBTQ people.
• We are also involved in various activities to further peace and social justice.

TENANT NEWS

Singing City Fall Concert–The Road Less Traveled Singing City and Lyric Fest together in concert.

Saturday, October 5, 2019, 4 pm: Haddonfield United Methodist Church, 29 Warwick Rd., Haddonfield, NJ 08033

Sunday, October 6, 3 pm: Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 23 S. 38th St., Phila., PA 19104

Songs of journey and diaspora, welcome and belonging, leaving home and finding home. A timely program exploring world-wide migration and America’s roots as an immigrant  nation.

Bartol Foundation (@BartolFdn) Workshop: Introduction to Trauma-Informed Practice for Teaching

Tuesday, October 15, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM at Friends Center

More information can be found here on the Bartol Foundation website.  

Recap of Living Building Challenge
with Community Ventures

Green Building United recently completed a “Living Building Challenge” for infill affordable housing with our tenant, Community Ventures. Read about it here.

https://greenbuildingunited.org/newsroom/recap-lbc-demonstration-project

EVENTS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

This year’s theme is Sustainability: Planting Seeds of Renewal for the World We Love.

Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas (FWCC), invites you to join Quakers around the world for the 6th annual World Quaker Day.

Across our churches, meetings, countries and sections, we feel the power of God connecting us in to a faithful family. We celebrate all expressions of Quaker worship!

Learn more and see photos at www.worldquakerday.org.

Issue 52, September 2019Friends Center Tenant Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

I hope you had a good summer! The fall is often a time of renewed vigor and commitment, as well as cooler temperatures. When it’s nice out, please feel free to crack open the windows. As a LEED Platinum green building, it’s designed to use natural air conditioning.

                Fall also comes with an uptick in the use of Friends Center’s event spaces. Please be sure to book your events well in advance!

                Our staff does their best to balance the needs among our many tenants as well as the many outside groups that rent our facilities. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we do our best to accommodate your requests. I also want to say how much I appreciate the good work of Shakirah Holloway, Erick Emerick, Jennifer Williams, Ed Waters, and our evening/weekend staff, who together keep the event facilities humming; thank you!

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

CONSTRUCTION ON RACE STREET

If you drive or bike down Race Street, be aware that there is street construction this week, possibly for as long as a month. The city is apparently replacing street light wiring on both sides of the street.

Find Us On…

Are you and your organization following Friends Center on social media? If not, we encourage and invite you to do so. We like to feature the posts of our partners and tenants!

• Facebook:      @FriendsCtrPHL
• Instagram:     @friends_center
• Twitter:          @FriendsCtr

Also be sure to check out Friends on 15^th , our new podcast. We will soon be getting it listed on many of the podcast directories. Meanwhile, check out the podcast page on our website.

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE (AFSC)

All migrant children moved from Homestead detention center!

The American Friends Service Committee was one of several groups protesting the conditions and treatment of children at the Homestead facility and organizer Mariana Martinez declared victory.

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)

Laramie: Travels with Josh

“Hello, my name is Joshua Ponter. I am a member of Haddonfield Monthly Meeting in South Jersey’s Philadelphia area. I have embarked on a year-long mission to travel around the country collecting stories about the founding of different meetings and looking at the way we practice Quakerism today. I will be blogging about my travels on the PYM website. Find my latest entry here. Please email me at JPonter1@gmail.com if there is anyone from your meeting who would like to sit down with me and speak to some of your history—or if you would like more information on me or my project. Thank you!”

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING (CPMM)

Come one, come all to the meeting weekend

October 11-13:  Uncovering Mysteries!

At Friends Center

The weekend will start on Friday, October 11, with a potluck and a dramatic reading of an original play about Mary Fisher, an early English Friend who undertook a dangerous journey alone to Turkey to tell the Grand Sultan about Quakerism.

 Saturday will feature several workshops, including one on spiritual gifts offered by the Gifts and Leadings committee and a workshop led by Carolyn McCoy entitled “Opening to the Spirit.” After a catered lunch, families will enjoy a midday swim at Friends Select School as well as crafts and games. A highlight of the afternoon will be a tour of the “mysteries” of the building, including the secret safe and the windows and doors to nowhere. A talent show will follow a taco dinner, and will end with a fun overnight sleepover. Sunday morning before worship will feature a pancake breakfast.

TENANT NEWS

Singing City and Lyric Fest together in concert

Fall Concert–The Road Less Traveled

Saturday, October 5, 2019, 4 p.m.

Haddonfield United Methodist Church, 29 Warwick Road, Haddonfield, NJ 08033

Sunday, October 6, 3 p.m.

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 23 S. 38th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Songs of journey and diaspora, welcome and belonging, leaving home and finding home. A timely program exploring world-wide migration and America’s roots as an immigrant  nation.

The Alternative to Violence Project Presents

AVP: Introductory Workshops for Radical Peacemaking

Friends Center

Choose 1 day: Fri. September 6^th, or Sat. September 7^th

9:30 am – 4:00 pm (Sign in at 9:30, workshop at 10:00 am)

Complimentary lunch included. This event is free to attend, and registration is required

Click to Learn more about AVP.

EVENTS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER

Peace Day Philly

Peace Day Philly is the Philadelphia region initiative for the International Day of Peace, September 21. We invite individuals, communities, organizations and civic leaders to use this powerful global platform to build peace on personal, local and global levels. Participate in a way that’s meaningful for you and your organization! Learn more.

Welcoming Week

Friday, September 13, 2019 –
Monday, September 23, 2019

The City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs partners with more than 30 community organizations for 10 days to honor the city’s multiculturalism. The week’s aim: Engage immigrant communities like Philly’s Latino neighbors and neighborhoods, with a variety of to-be-announced events. Learn more.