September Newsletter: Keep up the good work, Name Change, Mental Health and a New Garden

Issue 64, September 2020

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE:
“I Hope This Newsletter Finds You Well”

Recently Tim Herrera wrote in the NY Times of the line, “I hope this email finds you well”:

“How many times have you seen that line in an email this year and thought, ‘Well, no, this email does not find me well — I’m terrible, thanks.’ None of us are well!”

The coronavirus pandemic continues (Philly is apparently doing a good job of masking up, though—keep it up!), unemployment is increasing, and mass evictions are looming (though there may be a federal moratorium!). Black and Brown people continue to suffer dis­propor­tion­ately from state-sanctioned violence, while white supremacists are openly out in the streets. It’s all too much….

                And yet, at the same time, millions of people are speaking out for justice, for equality, for new priorities that lift people over profits and raw power. With passion, creativity, anger, sorrow, humor, and the full range of human expression, ordinary people of all ages and backgrounds are saying, “Enough!”

                That is inspiring!

                And so too is the work you are doing, to adapt to the times and deliver programs that bring your organization’s mission to life. Together, you are helping lead our city and country in the direction we need to go. Thank you!

                Meanwhile, I hope that you are finding time and space for self-care that you need, whether mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, or creative. It’s vital.

                Speaking of mental health and well-being, Joe Pyle of The Scattergood Foundation was recently interviewed by QuakerSpeak to talk about the influence of Quakers in mental healthcare. See below; another inspiring moment.

                Finally, we hope to be in touch later this month with some updated guidance for being at Friends Center during the pandemic, and to solicit your input for the future.

– Chris Mohr, Executive Director

AROUND FRIENDS CENTER

EQUITY PARTNER NEWS

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE (AFSC)

National days of action to #FreeThemAll

Join AFSC Sept. 9-13 to demand the release of all people from incarceration.

Everyone deserves dignity and justice. But in the United States, 2.3 million people are locked away in prisons, jails, and detention centers, where they are subject to civil and human rights violations and a lack of access to adequate health care. 

With the pandemic, the dangers of imprisonment have multiplied exponentially, making every sentence a potential death sentence.   

Join AFSC and communities across the U.S. for our National Days of Action to #FreeThemAll on Sept. 9 to 13. 

The dates mark the 49th anniversary of the Attica uprising, when more than 2,000 people incarcerated in upstate New York took over the yard of Attica Correctional Facility, demanding freedom, wages, education access, medical care, and more.

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)

Overall, 386 people attended PYM’s six days of annual sessions’ virtual programming. Thank you to all who worked so very hard to make Annual Sessions a success. Click the links below to get a peek at some of the fun we had.

CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA MONTHLY MEETING (CPMM)

Click for CPMM’s September 2020 Newsletter.

Featured article:

Friends Memorial Garden:

Dear CPMM Friends,

On behalf of the many people who helped make possible the new Friends Memorial Garden at our meeting’s burial ground, I am pleased to write that, after a slow scheduling start due to the pandemic, the garden is now complete! With Covid-19 still around us, we will have to wait until a future time to have a possible formal opening. In the meantime, all are welcome to visit and experience the peaceful beauty of the garden. Take a picnic and come on out. I am assured by our new burial ground manager, Jim Krull, that staff and visitors are usually around, and there is no need to call ahead. It might also be a good opportunity to meet Jim and wish him well with his new duties.

Special thanks to those who contributed their time and money to the project.

Stay safe, and enjoy the remainder of our summer blessings.

-Tony Junker
For the garden fundraising
and construction committees