by Web Posts | Aug 17, 2026 | Activity, Current, Peace and Social Concerns, Richmond Peace Education Center
Ready for some Peace Raising? Ready to wage some peace?
Ready to focus on Nurturing Our Community: Body Mind and Spirit?
Or would you like to just picnic in the park with a few hundred like-minded folk?
Come to PeaceFest, Sunday, September 20 between 1 and 5 at the Byrd Park Roundhouse.
Richmond Friends Peace and Social Concerns is inviting all F/friends to participate!
Set up, table, make art, dance, sing, tell about how Peace Is Lived and Love Is Action. Committees, especially Religious Education and Race and Racism are invited to participate.
For close to 50 years, Richmond Peace Education Center (RPEC) has brought Richmond nonprofits and artists together in a positive, supportive, educational festival to promote peace and cooperation. For 15 years (with a hiatus for the pandemonium) RPEC has hosted, with the support of our Meeting and other groups, a Peace Festival to celebrate the International Day of Peace.
This event is VERY family friendly! … and it will be bigger this year, with a compelling theme and truly diverse presentations bolstering “Nurturing Our Community: Body Mind and Spirit. ”
Our Meeting will have a table/booth, and we need a few folks to help set up, staff, and break it down that day. Even a couple hours would be very helpful.
Our rep to RPEC, Patricia Stansbury, can provide more information and help you find your niche in this celebration.
by Diane Bowden | Jun 23, 2026 | Activity, AFSC, Gaza, Israel, Peace and Social Concerns, Social justice
With thanks to Steve Chase for his May 3 presentation on AFSC’s position on apartheid in Israel/Palestine, the Peace & Social Concerns Committee recommends that Meeting consider endorsing the Apartheid-Free Pledge below.
However, since this merits more explanation, and we anticipate some discussion within our meeting, before asking for approval and acceptance of the Pledge, we encourage Friends to attend the following:
- Information Session on the Pledge, Community Room, Saturday June 27, 10:30-11:30am
- Threshing Session on the Pledge, blended, in-person and via Zoom, Saturday July 25, 4-5:30
The Pledge:
WE AFFIRM our commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people;
WE OPPOSE all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and oppression; and
WE DECLARE ourselves an apartheid-free community and to that end,
WE PLEDGE to join others in working to end all support to Israel’s apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation.
After due consideration by Meeting, the Committee anticipates bringing this to Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business in September.
by Diane Bowden | Jun 23, 2026 | Activity, Fundraiser, Immigration, Peace and Social Concerns
Join Peace & Social Concerns Committee for lunch and fundraising for the Sacred Heart Center on July 12 at rise of meeting.
“Since 1990, the Sacred Heart Center has stood as a vibrant hub of hope and opportunity for Latino families in Richmond. Our mission is simple yet powerful—-to connect families with the tools, education, and support they need to thrive. Through empowerment, learning, and community connection, we create pathways to success and belonging for all.
“In Fiscal Year 2025, the Sacred Heart Center proudly served 9,558 community members through our core programs and initiatives—-a reflection of the trust and generosity of our donors, volunteers, and partners like you.”
by Diane Bowden | Apr 7, 2026 | Activity, AFSC, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Peace and Social Concerns, Social justice
Don’t miss the rescheduled May 3 discernment workshop on joining the Apartheid-Free Communities Coalition, to be held at Richmond Friends Meeting, in person and online.
An ice storm bumped our guest speaker from the February schedule, but now, fresh back from Israel/Palestine, Steve Chase will speak to Friends about nurturing a sustainable peace by ending our complicity with the US-backed system of apartheid in Palestine … how Quakers can work nonviolently and effectively for peace, justice, and equality for all Palestinians and Jewish Israelis.
On First Day, May 3rd, Steve will speak at 1:00, with ample time for questions and discussion. This will follow the usual 11:00 am worship, then snacks and finger food, at the Richmond Meetinghouse, 4500 Kensington Ave., Richmond 23221. Or all are invited to attend virtually at this zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84881595048?pwd=Wty8zKfYpVh8iBVeuD5oCrotOp20H2.1
Steve Chase is a long-time Quaker activist, educator, and writer. He is a member Friends Meeting of Washington and is FMW’s Liaison to the American Friends Service Committee. In 2017, he began his public ministry on seeking a just peace in Israel/Palestine with the publication of his Pendle Hill pamphlet #445, Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions? A Quaker Zionist Rethinks Palestinian Rights.
by Diane Bowden | Feb 11, 2026 | Activity, Fundraiser, Peace and Social Concerns
On Second First Day / March 8, Peace & Social Concerns will host a fundraising luncheon at rise of Meeting to benefit CrossOver Healthcare Ministries, which provides uninsured and Medicaid neighbors with primary and specialty healthcare, pediatrics, women’s health and prenatal care, mental health, and more.
CrossOver was hit very hard by federal and state budget cuts in 2025. Your generous donation to our luncheon will help them maintain services and ideally even restore HIV care for new patients, which they had to suspend last May.
That’s First Day March 8, at Rise of Meeting. P&SC provides a nicely varied lunch. You please be as generous as makes sense for you.
by Diane Bowden | Jan 3, 2026 | Earthcare, Peace and Social Concerns, Social justice
All are welcome to an informational program with guest speaker Tim Cywinski, Communication Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter on First Day, January 11 at the rise of Meeting (12:30 - 2:00 pm).
The Earthcare Working Group, continuing our exploration of water issues, became interested in the phenomenal impacts of data centers. Data center developers are increasingly tapping into freshwater resources to quench the thirst of data centers, which puts nearby communities, and the greater aquifer source, at risk. A medium-sized data center can consume up to roughly 110 million gallons of water per year for cooling purposes, equivalent to the annual usage of approximately 1,000 households. Larger data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day, or about 1.8 billion annually, equivalent to usage of a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people!
We have invited Tim to do a deeper dive in our exploration. Tim is a noted expert speaker on data centers and skilled at empowering Virginians to voice their concerns when faced with powerful companies proposing such projects in their community. He will share latest information on the exponential increase of data centers in Virginia, their energy, environmental and economic impacts and what citizens can do. Tim will also share briefly on the environmental and environmental justice - related legislation being brought to this year’s General Assembly and ways we can support them.
Please bring your questions and thoughts to this first program of the New Year. There will be snacks! Questions? Contact Barb Adams.
by Diane Bowden | Dec 21, 2025 | Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Peace and Social Concerns
Watch for a new date for an event with Steve Chase from Friends Meeting of Washington (FMW), who will share his personal and several Meetings' discernment journeys toward joining the Apartheid-Free Communities coalition and working for a truly just peace in Israel/Palestine. The original program has been postponed due to weather and driving conditions.
A brief excerpt from Steve Chase’s overview on the topic follows, with the idea that whatever the outcome of the cease-fire...
“We ... know that there will not be a sustainable or just peace without ending Israeli apartheid. We are therefore prepared to take up the long-term ministry of working to build a strong international, nonviolent, anti-apartheid movement in solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli activists. This will require us to engage in peace and justice advocacy, humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding efforts, and strategic nonviolent resistance—the four cornerstones of Quaker faith-based activism. ...
“... I often hear from people in the wider Quaker world who believe their congregations are just too divided, too ill-informed, or too apathetic to come to unity on Israel/Palestine. My response is that the experience of Friends Meeting of Washington proves that Quaker meetings can engage in deep discernment and move from fractured disunity and inaction to unity and powerful faith-based activism for peace, justice, and equality for all in Israel/Palestine.”
by Diane Bowden | Nov 11, 2025 | AFSC, Business Meeting, Gaza, Minuted Decisions, Peace and Social Concerns
Richmond Friends Meeting endorsed the statement on genocide in Gaza at Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business on November 16, 2025. The statement available at this link -- Quaker organizations discern genocide is occurring in Gaza and urge courageous action.
by Diane Bowden | Sep 30, 2025 | Peace and Social Concerns
Please join Peace & Social Concerns Committee for a fundraising luncheon on Sunday, October 12, at rise of meeting. The funds will benefit the Friends Association for Children, an organization co-founded by this meeting in 1871 with Lucy Goode Brooks, a formerly enslaved woman.
by Diane Bowden | Jul 24, 2025 | Announcement, Children and Religious Education, Nominating, Peace and Social Concerns
Please contact any member of Nominating Committee for information or interest in these positions: Margaret Edds, Anna Marie Bolin, Diane Bowden, Don Miller, Carolyn Moul, and Catherine Roseberry.
Religious Education Needs
Religious Education’s (RE) greatest need right now is for teachers and assistants in classrooms. This is not a request for new members of the RE Committee. The RE year begins in September, so please volunteer now.
They anticipate needing 4 classes beginning in September: PreK/K, Elementary, Middle, & Upper Grades. We have found that having 2 teachers and 2 assistants per classroom reduces the requirement to only once or twice per month. We have curriculum and resources available for teachers to use if they find that helpful when planning lessons.
We are looking to confirm:
- 2 teachers and 2 assistants for PreK/K
- 1 teacher for Elementary
- 2 teachers and 2 assistants for the Middle School group
- 1 or 2 assistants/subs for the 7th+ class (The current 2 teachers would like someone to fill in when one of them is unavailable on a class day, but these teachers work great together and did very well last year.)
Peace & Social Concerns Needs
Peace and Social Concerns (P&SC)fosters greater personal understanding of peace in the lives of members and attenders; focuses on activities that promote understanding of wider (local, national, and international) peace and justice concerns. It embodies and reflects the social conscience of the Meeting through direct action; proposes RFM budgetary contributions to like-minded organizations; and informs the Meeting of current issues and events.
Recently, P&SC has given us awareness of local nonprofit organizations which have lost funding and opportunities to protest peacefully, to speak truth to power, and to advocate for a more just and inclusive democracy.
P&SC needs people to help with this important work.
by Diane Bowden | Feb 17, 2025 | Fundraiser, Peace and Social Concerns
Peace & Social Concerns Committee invites you to lunch on March 9, a fundraising event at rise of meeting to benefit ...
...The Healing Place, a long-term, peer-driven residential recovery program that helps individuals struggling with substance use disorders. It offers services 24/7/365 at no cost. The men’s program is the longest-running of such programs in the region, now 20 years, and has recovery rates that rival those of expensive private facilities. The women’s program opened in late 2020 to provide a similar long-term addiction recovery program for women in metro Richmond.
Here are a few ways our residents demonstrate success after their time at The Healing Place:
- 765 men and women found recovery and hope at The Healing Place in 2021.
- Nearly 70% of our alumni are sober after one year of completing the program.
- Participants find jobs within one month of completing the workforce development component of the program.
- An efficient and effective program model allows us to house and provides recovery services to one person for only $17 a day, compared to $500 a day for a night in traditional medical detox.
A representative from the Healing Place will give a brief presentation at the luncheon, and be available to answer your questions after. Lunch is provided by the Peace & Social Concerns Committee. You just bring you appetite and checkbook!! That’s ... First Day March 9 at Rise of Meeting.
by Diane Bowden | May 20, 2024 | Gaza, Israel, Minuted Decisions, Peace and Social Concerns
We, the members of the Richmond (VA) Friends Meeting are heartbroken and stricken with horror and grief at the recent renewed eruption of violence in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. We call for an immediate ceasefire by both Israel and Hamas, the prompt release by Hamas of all hostages, and the release of all uncharged prisoners by Israel. We call on the U.S. to urge Israel to expedite the flow of humanitarian aid to relieve the tremendous suffering that has been created in Gaza with the immediate provision of food, shelter, water, and medicine. We strongly urge the United States to no longer provide Israel with weapons or funding for weapons.
As Quakers, we believe that each life is sacred, and we know that the use of violence as a means of settling conflict is unacceptable and leads to further violence, which we see happening around the region.
We strongly condemn Hamas’ horrific deadly October attacks on Israeli civilians, the inhumane treatment of civilians, and the taking of hostages, many of whom are still being held and are in danger. We also condemn the ongoing unrestrained and violent response by Israel in its siege of Gaza, which has left tens of thousands of civilians, including elderly, women, and children, dead or wounded and caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. People are suffering, dying, and being displaced in Gaza as a preventable humanitarian crisis worsens. Also, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are increasingly endangered by escalated violence by settlers and the military.
We hold in our hearts and in the Light all those in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and beyond, who grieve and mourn the deaths of their family and friends. We hold in the Light those who await the return of their loved ones who are being held by Hamas or who are held in Israeli prison without charges or trial. This ongoing violence continues to rip the hearts of those who grieve and leads to fear and hatred of the “other.” We condemn Antisemitism and Islamophobia and their accompanying rhetoric which dehumanizes the “other.”
We further call for Israelis and Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank to undertake a meaningful dialogue, with the support of international powers including the US. All must use every available resource to support a diplomatic rather than military resolution to the conflict - a resolution that prioritizes safety for all Israelis and Palestinians and which accords equal human rights to the Palestinians and respect for all.
We ask that Friends hold in the Light this urgent concern for peace and, if you are so led, to join us in calling for what we have set forth in this Minute.*
*Thank you to Virginia Beach Monthly Meeting for the template used for this Minute.
Approved at Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, May 19, 2024
by Diane Bowden | Jan 19, 2023 | AFSC, Announcement, Earthcare, FCNL, Peace and Social Concerns
There is so much happening in the realm of social justice, environment, and world emergencies.
How to keep informed and act according to our Quaker values? The following organizations can help you take timely steps to address various issues. Subscribe to get their updates.
- American Friends Service Committee: https://www.afsc.org/about-us
- Friends Committee on National Legislation: https://www.fcnl.org/
- Virginia Interfaith Center on Public Policy: https://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org
- Virginia Interfaith Power & Light: https://vaipl.org
“The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, (they) nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. (They) work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge
injustice, and build peace.” They offer several workshops to increase our knowledge and develop skills to act.
In addition to these activities, they work directly with populations in need.
FCNL seeks a world free of war and the threat of war, a society with equity and justice for all and a community
where every person’s potential may be fulfilled. They lobby members of our national legislatures on issues
related to Middle East and Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Peacebuilding, US wars and militarism, gun violence
prevention, Just Immigration, Justice Reforms and Native Americans. They will keep you up to date on
upcoming legislation so you can communicate with your legislators most effectively.
Richmond Friends Meeting is affiliated with Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), a non- partisan coalition of 25,000 members, including 750 houses of worship, 1,000 clergy of all faiths, and people of goodwill, ten chapters (and growing!), many partner and affiliate organizations, most of the judicatory leaders in the state, and activists in every House and Senate district in Virginia, all working for a more just society.” Just as FCNL helps us make our efforts effective on a national level, VICPP helps keep us informed about current legislation initiatives.
RFM supports Virginia Interfaith Power and Light (VAIPL), a local branch of national organization which is dedicated to bringing together faith communities to “mobilize a religious response to climate changes through energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energies." Similar to the other organizations they can help keep you reliably informed on current legislation and local initiatives.
by Diane Bowden | Apr 21, 2022 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
From Peace and Social Concerns – Organizations to Help Ukraine
The War in Ukraine weights heavy on our hearts. There are different ways to attend to the issues and needs.
You may also wish to attend an International Meeting for Worship for Ukraine, Monday through Saturday, noon EST. The
Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4165005614?pwd=NUtieEtqbDBYbjBrcGdMMzBKQ3drQT09
If you do not already contribute to an organization working in Ukraine, below are organizations suggested by a Ukrainian
American Friend (some have recently formed and therefore have no check on efficiency, etc.).
Organizations with multiple projects
https://www.uuarc.org/happening-now/ https://unitedhelpukraine.org/
These are organizations with targeted work: Medical support
RAZOM: Emergency Response – for tactical medical training. Help qualified war medics teach civilians first aid and provide them with medical supplies. Now sourcing funding for a cargo plane shipment of medical aid.
NEW: Help Ukraine Center (Donate, Physical Donations) – Polish-German initiative powered by the Ernst Prost Fundation. Medicines and other essential humanitarian products will be delivered to regions that need it the most, in cooperation with our partners: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ROZETKA, Fozzy Group, TIS, Dragon Capital, Spunbond fund, Ukrposhta.
NEW: United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (Donate) – provide vital medical supplies to victims, care for the injured and refugees, as well as shelter and food to those affected.
Sunflower of Peace – for medical assistance and other necessities. Each IFAK (medical backpack) can save up to 10 lives.
Lifeline Ukraine – for psychosocial support. Ukraine’s first suicide prevention hotline mobilized in response to alarming rates of veteran suicide.
Veterans and internally displaced persons
NEW: Future Kyiv Charitable Foundation (Donate) – collection of charitable contributions for the purchase of
humanitarian aid to Kyiv residents, organized by the Kyiv Municipal Government.
Revived Soldiers Ukraine – for provision of medical aid and sustainable living standards to wounded soldiers and members of their families.
Ukrainian People With Disabilities in Crisis – helps Ukrainians with disabilities – especially those who want but cannot evacuate – protect themselves in case of emergency.
Caritas Ukraine – provision of humanitarian assistance to various social groups and those impacted by the conflict. More information here.
CrimeaSOS – assistance to internally displaced persons from Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. With the support and partnership of UNHCR, it promotes community initiatives for these groups.
British-Ukraine Aid – assistance to vulnerable individuals who have been physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged, including the injured and wounded, orphaned children, the elderly, internally displaced persons and families who have lost their main earners. More information here.
People in Need: SOS Ukraine – for provision of food and sanitation packages, emergency shelter, psychosocial support, and more in Donetsk and Luhansk, both in territory under the control of the Ukrainian government and in territory not currently under government control.
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UN Crisis Relief: Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund – contributions are collected into a single, unearmarked fund and managed locally under UN leadership. As crises evolve, funds are made directly and immediately available to a wide range of partner organizations at the front lines of response. This way, funding reaches the people most in need when they need it.
Religious and ethnic minority aid
JDC: Emergency in Ukraine – provides a lifeline for an estimated 40,000 Jewish elderly and 2,500 poor Jewish children and their families through its network of care services, Jewish community programs, and Jewish leaders in more than 1,000 locations across Ukraine.
Rabbi Bleich's Help Kyiv – help set up a Refugee Camp for the Kyiv Jewish Community, organized by Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi.
United Jewish Appeal (Donate) – support urgent and mounting humanitarian needs including food, shelter, transport, and emergency medical units.
Roma Women Fund – advocate for Roma women's rights in Ukraine and collaborate with Roma communities on the regional level.
LGBTQIA
NEW: Insight NGO (Donate) – A Ukrainian human rights public organization which brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.
Ukrainian LGBT Military for Equal Rights Association – support LGBT military in their fight on the frontline and for equality of all citizens at home.
Children
Help Us Help – donations will be used to fund the following: evacuation and relocation of staff and beneficiaries (children, scholars and veteran families), humanitarian aid delivery, and medical assistance for victims.
Save the Children - Ukraine – distribute essential humanitarian aid to children and their families; deliver winter and hygiene kits; provide cash grants to families so they can meet basic needs like food, rent and medicines; provide access to safe, inclusive, quality education; work to help children overcome the mental and psychological impacts of conflict.
Voices of Children – psychological/psychosocial support for children affected by the war.
Saint Javelin – all proceeds of shirt and sticker sales go to a fund for the children of fallen and wounded Ukrainian
soldiers.
Toy Drive for the Children of Fallen Heroes – provides assistance for displaced people, orphans, and families of Ukrainian military who died or were hurt in action. Volunteers in Ukraine learn about needs on the ground and pass information on to us.
Education
Ukrainian Leadership Academy – an educational program that aims to develop a generation of young leaders for Ukraine and the world. Over the course of a gap year, young adults learn to work in a team, set goals, develop projects, take responsibility for their lives and the country's fate, and choose their future profession more consciously.
Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation – invest in the lives of young and talented future leaders of Ukraine and the diaspora.
Veteranius – help teach and employ veterans, volunteers and internally displaced persons in the IT sector and involve them in socially important projects.
Bohdan Radchenko Stipend for Veterans – tuition for a Master’s at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (KMA), Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU).
by Diane Bowden | Mar 28, 2020 | Announcement, Archive, COVID-19, Peace and Social Concerns, Young Friends
From the Peace & Social Concerns Committee:
Spring Lobby Weekend is an annual event through which FCNL brings hundreds of young adults together to learn, connect, and lobby Congress. This year, we decided to move the event online. So tomorrow,
March 29, FCNL will broadcast this event live via YouTube and Facebook. Learn how you can help lay the groundwork for congressional action to address the climate crisis.
Go to
fcnl.org/slw during the following times to watch live:
Beyond the immediate threat, COVID-19 is also a message from the future about how a danger to anyone in the world is a danger to everyone. And climate change is one of those dangers. What we do this weekend, will help determine what the new Congress will do next year.
by Diane Bowden | Jan 19, 2020 | Announcement, Archive, Committees, Peace and Social Concerns
Love casts out fear and is a potent alternative to hate. Faith communities will gather to offer opportunities to strengthen our resolve to love. White Supremacists gather in our town with the intent of spreading fear and hate. We need to be as committed to peace and justice as they are to their creeds.
Richmond Friends Meeting will hold a vigil
at 7:00 on Sunday and Monday evenings at our Meeting House, in the Meeting Room.
There will be other vigils during the day on Monday. We will post details as they are announced.
by Diane Bowden | Jan 12, 2020 | Announcement, Archive, Peace and Social Concerns
Monacan Chief Kenneth Branham spoke at the Meeting House
on November 22nd as part of a Native American educational event. He has asked that we support the Monacan people in protecting their ancestral lands by signing onto a
letter to Governor Northam and Commander Patrick Kinsman of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The letter asks the Army Corps of Engineers not to allow the James River Water Authority to proceed with constructing a pump station and pipeline project at Point of Fork. If permitted in its current form, this project would destroy the historic Monacan capital of Rassewek in addition to several other significant historical and archaeological sites.
The Peace and Social Concerns Committee has signed on to the letter as a committee; we hope that other Friends who are concerned about this issue will feel called to sign the letter as individuals. More details about this issue are provided in the letter itself; just click on the link below to see it.
Thank You!
by Diane Bowden | Nov 16, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
Please join us tomorrow, 11/17 after Meeting for Business for our fundraising lunch for the Unitive Justice Re-Entry program. Come learn about this unique program—to be taught by two men who were imprisoned for violent crimes, transformed their lives in prison and are now powerful voices for Justice as Love (aka Unitive Justice)—and an attorney “in recovery.” Returning citizens will learn Unitive Justice theory and advanced circle facilitation skills to take to the communities to which they are returning. Addressing conflicts before the police are called will avoid convictions and disrupt the cradle to prison pipeline. A delicious and hearty meal will be served. We look forward to seeing you there.
by Diane Bowden | Oct 16, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
This Sunday is a busy day- but come, drop in, even if you can’t come for the entire time.
Central Virginia Sanctuary Network is hosting their annual fall event at Temple Beth-El. Join us for delicious tamales, a silent auction, and the opportunity to learn more about how to support those in your community! We have tables available for interested organizations.
Contact Jase Hatcher at jase@virginiainterfaithcenter.org for more information.
by Diane Bowden | Sep 15, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
The mission of Circles RVA is to “offer a relationship-based model to empower individuals and families to permanently move out of poverty and thrive by engaging the strengths, goodwill and existing resources of the community and focus on the collaborative ownership of solutions to break the cycle of poverty”. Circles RVA is an area of focus for the Peace & Social Concerns Committee. As part of our support we are providing four dinners for their weekly meetings.*
Our third meal for Circles RVA will be on September 24. Mark Skolnick will be collecting donations to cover
the costs for this meal. If you would like to help with the serving of this meal, please contact Rhonda Ligon or Verna Boos. *(RFM has made the commitment to support these four meals for Circles RVA).
by Diane Bowden | Jul 16, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
Midlothian Friends are hosting at their meetinghouse an orientation session with the DC Detention Visitation Network (DCDVN)on Saturday, June 29 from 2:00 to 4:00. Other Quakers from Charlottesville Friends Meeting and Richmond Friends Meetingare also invited. The Midlothian Friends Meetinghouse is located at 900 Preservation Rd, Midlothian, VA 23113.
DCDVN offers friendship and support to immigrants held in detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Maryland and now, after several years’ effort, in Farmville Virginia. The orientation on June 29th will focus on DCDVN’s program for social visits to detainees, many of whom are held for months with no visits from family or friends. Many family members live far from Farmville and can’t afford the time away from work or the cost of a visit. Others are undocumented themselves and afraid to visit an ICE facility. Some detainees are simply estranged from their families. Visits from community members can give them a “break,” boost their morale, and help refocus their emotions on positive relationships while in detention.
Jim Bell of Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Peace and Social Concerns Committee, and a two-year DCDVN volunteer in Maryland will lead the orientation. The session will be informal and cover many aspects of how to visit detainees: what to do, what not to do, proper attire, conversation starters, etc. All questions will be welcome.
You don’t have to be fluent in Spanish to visit a detainee!
We invite you to join with Friends and other like-minded people. For more information, visit the DCDVN website (https://dcdetentionvisitation.org/visitation-program). Jim suggests that you complete the short volunteer form before you come to orientation. If you have questions, contact Lucretia Farago of Midlothian Friends at 804-658-9021 or lsfarago@gmail.com.
by Diane Bowden | Jul 16, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
The Richmond Peace Education Center is holding a two-day conflict resolution training at Richmond Friends Meeting August 20-21, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.You can learn more about it here.This is exactly the kind of program that the Adult Spiritual Education committee can provide scholarships for. If you are interested in attending, please contact lyndafleetperry@gmail.com to request a scholarship.
by Diane Bowden | Jul 16, 2019 | Announcement, Outreach, Peace and Social Concerns, Richmond Peace Education Center
We call on people of good will from all over the Richmond region, and across the Commonwealth, to join us on Tuesday, July 9, 9 a.m.-10 a.m., at the Bell Tower on the Virginia State Capitol grounds, for a unity vigil to demand action to stop gun violence. Following the vigil, we will join the Votes and Laws Rally on 10th & Bank Street.
Richmond Branch NAACP and Richmond Peace Education Center, with Armstrong Leadership Program, Together We Will Henrico, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.
The Quaker Banner will be there!
From Visibility Committee
by Diane Bowden | Jul 16, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns, Quaker House
Our new 50th Anniversary t-shirts are debuting at North Carolina Yearly Meeting – Conservative in McNeil 1028 (UNC-Wilmington)!
They will be available on our website on Tuesday, July 16 (ie, when I get back to Quaker House).
The countdown is on to September 21, 2019, when we come together in Fayetteville to hear from people we have helped in the past and current and former directors. We hope you’ll join us! See or contact Kindra for tickets.
Quaker House 50th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Quaker House. Fifty
years ago Dean Holland, a Vietnam era soldier, hitched-hiked to Chapel Hill
Friends Meeting and asked for help in getting a conscientious objector
discharge from the military. After his plea and questions by our meeting, he
proclaimed, "Quakers need to be in Fayetteville." At that, Bob Gwyn
and others from our meeting, as well as other local meetings, formed Quaker House.
CHFM has been a prominent supporter of this Quaker witness for peace ever since.
In honor of this anniversary, Quaker House is sponsoring a
Celebration Luncheon on Saturday, September 21, 2019, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, at
the Fayetteville Holiday Inn I-95 (1944 Cedar Creek Road). The celebration will
feature a panel of those who have benefited from Quaker House, past and present
directors, and our GI Rights Hotline and Domestic Violence counselors; a
feature presentation by Monisha Rios, a military sexual assault survivor who
Quaker House helped; the debut of newly made Quaker House films
"Conscientious Peacemaking Since 1969" and "Stories of
Gratitude;" live music; and food!
Getting tickets in advance is encouraged to help estimate
attendance, but they will also be available at the door. Prices are $0-$10 for
Limited Income; $25 for Actual Cost; $50+ Contribution Level; and free for
service members and veterans.
For more information or reservations go to
qpr@quaker.org, call Quaker House at 910-323-3912, or contact Curt Torell
(curtnpatty@aol.com or 919-968-2174) particularly for carpool arrangements
by Diane Bowden | Jun 21, 2019 | Peace and Social Concerns
We mark Abbies commitment with a day of worship and resistance.Join us for: Fighting for Home: 24Hours of Resistance June 20-21. Events begin with a march at Blvd Bridge Thursday, June 20th 5:30. . (NB this is a correction of location from announcement at Meeting). There will be events throughout the night and day- you can find out more by going tohttps://www.facebook.com/events/308933929993040/We will end our time together with a potluck- to sign up go to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZpACOCy-kJIqHzy5EEp-UFGlbIC5q2txjY-3qAj6COI .PLEASE COME as Richmond’s Friends Meeting shares in an hour of Worship Sharing from noon to 1 at Richmond First Universalist Unitarian Church 1000 Blanton Ave, Richmond. Any questions, please call Ellen Arginteanu 814-206-6712
by Diane Bowden | Mar 11, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
On March 17, our fundraiser lunch after business meeting will benefit GraceInside, a privately-funded prison chaplaincy program. Please join us for a delicious lunch after Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. For more information about GraceInside go to graceinside.org.
by Diane Bowden | Mar 4, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
Richmonders for Peace in Israel and Palestine Showing the Film “Occupation of the American Mind”On March 10that 1 pm,in the Community Room, Richmonders for Peace in Israel and Palestine will be showing the film “Occupation of the American Mind”. Richmonders for Peace in Israel and Palestine (RPIP) is a diverse group committed to working together and with others to support a just and lasting peace that ends the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
by Diane Bowden | Feb 27, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
Thrifty Quaker will donate March sales to the Richmond Peace Education Center. If you have new or gently used items and can take them to the store, please do so. If you cannot get there and wish to bring them to Friends Meeting, we will get them to Thrifty Quaker for you. Please bring your items to Meeting on either Sunday, Feb 24 or Sunday, March 3. We will not be able to deliver for you after these dates.
Pax, Betsy Brinson and Gordon Davies
by Diane Bowden | Feb 16, 2019 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
The Peace & Social Concerns Committee’s Community-Partner Fundraiser Lunch this month will support BOYS TO MEN: mentoring at-risk teenage boys. Please join us for lunch on Feb. 17th after Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
by Diane Bowden | Jun 19, 2018 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
1. Transportation needs have increased significantly. In addition to transporting to Northern VA for ICE court hearings, transportation to Midlothian ICE office is needed biweekly for people recently out of detention who wear ankle bracelets. If anyone is interested/able to join the Transportation Circle (of Central VA Sanctuary Network), please contact Sally Gudas at seatide1@gmail.com, and see below for additional information.
2. Being present in a supportive, visible way in the Latinex community is an important part of offering solidarity and assistance. Likewise, speaking Spanish is important in making all the other assistance “user friendly” Sacred Heart Center, among their many excellent services, offers Spanish classes for English speakers. By taking classes at the Center we can both learn Spanish and be present in the community
3. The Thrifty Quaker, a thrifty store run by Midlothian Friends, designated Central VA Sanctuary Network as recipient of their proceeds during the month of May: $4095.55 This took the Sanctuary Fund from $0 to enough money to pay for legal fees, lawyers’ fees, etc. We are really glad that Central Virginia Sanctuary Network’s time and work in building relationships, establishing trust and a finding a good referral pathway, has resulted our being able to help the community more. This translates into significant increase in requests for transportations. Over the last month or two, we have had many requests to transport people to their local bi-weekly ICE check-ins in Midlothian, to lawyer appointment, in addition to the usual transportation to court hearings in Northern VA. If you would like to join this effort, please email Sally Gudas, chair of the Transportation Circle.
TRANSPORTATION TRAINING
What: Training for Volunteers wishing to help with Transportation to legal appointments of Undocumented
Immigrants
When: Training to be held Sunday, July 1st, at 12:30 PM
Where: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond, 1000 Blanton Avenue.
Sally Gudas, Transportation Circle Chair for the Central Virginia Sanctuary Network is facilitating the workshop. Spanish speakers are greatly needed, but we need non-Spanish-speakers as well. Several Friends from our Meeting have been involved in this work and have found it rewarding and helpful to the immigrant clients. Please email or call Sally if you plan to attend: seatide1@gmail.com, (804)399-8342.