| Issue 47, April 2019 Friends Center Tenant Newsletter |
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I will let the cherry trees on Cherry Street speak this time, in honor of spring and upcoming Earth Day. Please take time to enjoy the courtyard and front plaza whenever you need a little break!
– Chris Mohr, Executive Director
AROUND FRIENDS CENTER
Get ready to celebrate Earth Day, Friends Center-style! Stop by to enjoy some water ice, pretzels and—oh, yeah—do some recycling. On Monday April 22nd we will be collecting all of your E-waste and shredding. Let’s use the next few weeks to do some spring cleaning and ready ourselves for Earth Day J. We can’t wait to see you there!
REMINDER ABOUT ROOM USAGE
While it is sometimes possible to use a room on a drop-in basis at the last minute, you must check with the front desk before doing so. With 40 organizations here on site, and another 70-80 outside groups a year using our facilities, we are very busy! Just because a room is empty now doesn’t mean it’s not booked 15 minutes from now. Also, as a courtesy, kindly do not use the glassed-in conference rooms (134, 135, 136) on the side of the Cherry Street Room when the Cherry Street is in use for an event. Whenever Cherry Street is not booked, you are very welcome to have a conversation or take a break at the round tables under the balcony or on the comfy chairs in Room 135. No reservations are necessary. All other common rooms should be reserved with Friends Center staff. Thank you!
EQUITY PARTNER NEWS
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC):
Annual Corporation MeetingApril 11-14 The AFSC Corporation is a body of approximately 120 Quakers from across the U.S. who gather once a year to conduct business, worship together, and connect AFSC and one another to the powerful witness of Friends’ work for peace and justice. You are invited to attend several of the events of the Corporation, especially the two public events and the workshop “dry runs” on Thursday. Come learn and engage with some of AFSC’s program work and provide feedback on the dry runs!
Public Events: Please RSVP and share!
Pedro Rios, “Love Knows No Borders” Action
Marc Lamont Hill, “Working across Borders for a Just Future”
Both events will be livestreamed. This is a great opportunity to connect with the work your colleagues in local offices are doing, as well as with Corporation members who represent AFSC to Quakers across the country. We hope to see you there!
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)
Spring 2019 Sessions News + Young Adult Friends-Led Worship to End Berks Immigrant Detention On Saturday March 23, 117 people from 50 PYM Monthly Meeting communities convened for Spring Continuing Sessions near Reading PA. A summary of the day’s events is available here.
Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (CPMM)
Film: “Quakers, the Quiet Revolutionaries”April 11, 2019, 6:30 pm
Location: Friends Select School Theater, 16th & the Parkway Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting invites you to a viewing of this documentary about Quakers, made by The Gardner Documentary Group. The 79-minute film illuminates tells the story of a spiritual movement that has played a remarkable role in the religious, social and political life of our nation. Demonstrating an influence disproportionate to their numbers, Quakers have led anti-slavery, civil rights and women’s rights movements and been strong advocates for world peace. The event is free of charge.
TENANT NEWS
CAIR-Philadelphia Banquet a SOLD OUT Success!
More than 900 American Muslims, interfaith leaders, and social justice activists gathered at Springfield Country Club on Saturday, March 9th, for the 13th Annual Banquet of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. US Congresswomen Susan Wild, Chrissy Houlahan, and Mary Gay Scanlon were present, along with other political, community, religious and interfaith leaders, and imams and representatives from almost all of the Delaware Valley Islamic centers and mosques. At a reception before the banquet, both Rep. Wild and Rep. Houlahan spoke movingly about the need for a united stance against Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy. Learn more about this event.
Singing City:
T-VOCE presents
Unity in Diversity: Celebrating our Differences and Embracing our Similarities
Wednesday, April 10, 2019, 7 p.m.
BOK Building, 800 Mifflin St, Phila PA 19147
This hour-long performance will explore identity, both individual and communal, through art, dance, music, and spoken word. This concert is a collaboration between Backstage Pass (Opera Philadelphia’s theater technical after-school program), Esperanza Dance Ensemble, and T-VOCE (Teen Voices of the City Ensemble). T-VOCE is made possible due to a partnership between Art Sanctuary, Opera Philadelphia, Play On, Philly!, and Singing City. Register.Note: T-VOCE rehearses here in the Race Street Room!
COMMUNITY ITEMS OUTSIDE FRIENDS CENTER
Art that Liberates: Celebrating Creative Work by Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated People
Tickets
When: April 13, 2019 @ 1:30–5:30 pm
Where: The Barn at Pendle Hill 338 Plush Mill Rd Wallingford, PA 19086
Cost: $60 includes light refreshments
Contact: Jesse White 610-566-4507 x137 EmailEvent website
Philly Spring CleanupApril 6 | Citywide
The City of Philadelphia’s annual Philly Spring Cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 6! It’s the largest citywide cleanup of the year, and your help will make it a success.
Thousands of volunteers take part in cleaning their neighborhoods and parks each year. Your enthusiasm and dedication will make this the best year yet!
Choose from about 300 projects all over the city. You can stay local or help a different neighborhood. Grab a friend or neighbor and volunteer together! Learn more and sign up.