No In-Person Meeting Sunday, January 25
Due to weather conditions. Meeting by Zoom is still scheduled for 11 am.
Race and Racial Justice Team
The Racial Justice Team is planning a two-session workshop on “Learning to Have Courageous Conversations in Multi-Racial Settings.” A team from Coming Together Virginia, one of our partner organizations for 2025 and 2026, will lead the sessions on the mornings of Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 at the Meetinghouse. As RFM deepens its interaction with multi-racial groups, we strive to ensure that our communications are beneficial, not harmful.
Support for Redd Elementary School, Richmond Public Schools
As part of our commitment to racial justice, RFM volunteers contribute to student learning at
Richmond’s Elizabeth Redd Elementary School. The student population is 96% economically
disadvantaged and 94% minority (56.6% of the students are African American, and 34.2%
Hispanic/Latino).
- Currently, eight RFM volunteers are involved at Redd. Our Spanish-speakers work with
students in that language and all volunteers meet weekly with students, supporting
them in math and other subjects as well as emotionally. RFM volunteers also pitch in
during special events such as field days. - Recently RFM had the opportunity to advocate for student and faculty health. When the
local newspaper reported longstanding neglect of the condition of Redd Elementary
School leading to possible asbestos and black mold exposure, we wrote to the
superintendent of Richmond schools, the city’s mayor, and the House and Senate
members of the Virginia General Assembly charged with appropriations to schools.
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy Working Group
The working group attached to the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is supporting that group’s mission to influence public policy on racial equity, justice reform, economic justice and
health equity.
- Currently, the working group is striving to make RFM a 100 percent voting community in the 2025 and 2026 elections. We remain a non-partisan community, but we strongly encourage civic participation through registering and voting, as well as advocating in favor of policies aligned with Quaker values. In addition to supplying information on voter registration, voting and on gubernatorial candidates, the working group is
encouraging voter participation through announcements and other forms of
communication to the RFM community. - The group is also preparing to participate in General Assembly lobbying with the VICPP,
hoping to influence racial, social and environmental justice legislation in the 2026
General Assembly. A program expanding educational opportunities for incarcerated
individuals is of particular interest, given Quakers’ long history of advocating for penal
reform.
Ad Hoc Committee on Reparations to Indigenous Peoples
The Ad Hoc Committee on Reparations to Indigenous Peoples was formed in February 2025 and charged with recommending a financial contribution of no less than $5,000 as a form of reparations to one or more indigenous tribes. The charge listed multiple items to be considered in the discernment process, among them: RFM’s historic and current connections to Virginia’s tribes, as well as any past harms caused by Quakers to those tribes. Later, RFM added the goal of determining how to live in ongoing, right relationship with Native tribes.
- The committee has reached out to multiple tribes including the Monacan, Chickahominy (eastern division), and the Rappahannock to better understand and learn about any historic relationships between Quakers/RFM and their tribe and about how we might form and/or build upon relationships with these local tribes.
- Some of what the committee has learned:
- The tribes are eager for non-indigenous people to know that they have survived destructive policies perpetrated over centuries by those in power. They are still fighting for their sovereignty, for their treaty rights, to defend their lands and other natural resources (water, minerals, timber, wild game), to educate and provide housing and healthcare for their tribal members, and for governmental acknowledgment of their continuing tribal existence.
- Virginia tribes seek non-Indians to partner with them in building a resilient future. They have told the committee about several projects for which they seek volunteer labor and, in some cases, financial assistance. The tribes are open to financial assistance on projects as varied as the cataloguing and mapping of indigenous plants, teaching and promoting the use of traditional medicine among tribal members, creating a tribal apothecary, indigenous language restoration, and protecting their tribal land base from intrusion and pollution by non-Indian individuals and companies.
- The Committee is evaluating ways to better educate Meeting members and attenders on these topics as it finalizes a recommendation on the distribution of Meeting funds.
Coming Together Virginia Participation
The Racial Justice Team promotes participation in various activities of Coming Together Virginia, an organization whose mission is to open hearts and minds to the ongoing presence of systemic racism through education and constructive, facilitated dialogue among people of diverse backgrounds. A stated purpose is to inspire individuals “to enter into new relationships and engage together in actions that lead to a healed world of thriving, equitable and just communities.”
- CTV programs include:
- regular suppers bringing together racially diverse groups for facilitated conversation
- book and movie groups
- many special events
From the Racial Justice Team — Food Drives for Redd Elementary & Feed More
Please consider donating food to help the growing numbers of people experiencing food insecurity, especially during the federal government shutdown. We offer two ways at Richmond Friends Meeting: You can support the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) food drive for Feed More; and you can help stock the new food pantry at Redd Elementary School. Donation boxes for each are located in the anteroom behind the worship room at the meetinghouse. Each box lists the specific needs for each organization.
The list of items requested by FeedMore is in a different post on the website. Below is a list of nonperishable food items requested by Redd School. We will be delivering food to the school weekly for an indefinite time; the VICPP drive will go through November.
Redd School Pantry Needs
Canned vegetables and fruit
Canned soups, stews, and proteins (tuna, chicken, chili, etc.)
Rice, pasta, and pasta sauce
Boxed meals and shelf-stable sides
Peanut butter and jelly
Breakfast items (cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix)
Snacks appropriate for students
Shelf-stable milk or juice
As our Communities in Schools coordinator at Redd wrote to our team of mentors from RFM, “We know that when students lack access to nutritious food outside of school, it impacts their wellbeing, attendance, and academic success. Your support and generosity will help us create a close-to-home resource to provide stability and comfort when other resources may be limited.”
Already we delivered a good amount of food to Redd School, thanks to your big hearts and generosity! When RFM affirmed our commitment to racial justice last year, we strengthened our involvement in VICPP’s advocacy for economic, racial, and social justice in Virginia; and we began mentoring students at Redd Elementary School, where most of the students come from low-income Latino or African-American families. Thank you for supporting our community members in need!
November Food Drive for FeedMore
Hello Friends! Perhaps you heard Rev. LaKeisha Cook, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), interviewed on public radio about the need for food in Central Virginia. Richmond Friends Meeting (RFM) is a VICPP congregational partner. Yesterday, members of the RFM VICPP Working Group received an email appeal from Rev. Cook asking for VICPP congregations to collect food for a food bank.
The VICPP Working Group will collect food from the list below during November to donate to FeedMore. We will have a big box there shortly, but the collection area is in the foyer between the worship room and the education buildings. If you prefer a monetary contribution, please donate directly to FeedMore. Over 97% of your gift directly supports FeedMore's programs and mission.
We hope that you will support Virginia families who have lost jobs and food benefits, and children, persons with disabilities, and older persons who need help year-round. If you have questions, contact Diane Bowden at bowden.diane@gmail.com.
Please, no glass containers!
Nut butters like peanut butter
Canned proteins like tuna and chicken
Canned soup and vegetables
Canned fruits
Canned tomato products
Beans and lentils (cans or bags)
Cereal (hot or cold)
Pasta, rice, and whole grains
Healthy snacks, dried fruits, and nuts
Condiments, Oils & Spices
Thank you for your kindness!
Reading Between the Lines (Bible Workbench), November 2
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly known as Bible Workbench) on First Day—Sunday, November 2—through Zoom—from 9-10 am. We’ll talk about Luke 19:1-10: the story of Zacchaeus: stature, a turning-of-the-tables, a descent, hospitality, generosity, a possible “bankruptcy” (from “Grown up gratitude” by Diana Butler Bass) that leads to a different kind of wealth. The facilitator will send the Zoom link over the Newslist a few days before our conversation.
Amazon Ecology and Peruvian Crafts, November 9
On November 9, at rise of meeting, Peace and Social Concerns Committee will sponsor a presentation plus a sale of Peruvian crafts to support native artisans, strengthen communities and promote forest conservation in the Peruvian Amazon.
Campbell Plowden is the Executive Director of Amazon Ecology – the non-profit organization he founded in 2006 to help create sustainable livelihoods for artisan families, promote forest conservation and strengthen traditional communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Campbell will discuss the progress and challenges of his group training artisans to make innovative fair-trade handicrafts, help them form effective organizations, and promote the sustainable harvest and reforestation of the trees used to make woven crafts. Amazon Ecology is a member of the FairTrade Federation and sells some of its partners crafts in the US to support its artisan training programs. It reinvests part of its sales to support health, education and conservation needs in its partner communities and conducts Alternatives to Violence Project workshops to help its partners improve their communication, cooperation and non-violent conflict resolution skills.
Come- do some early Christmas shopping and learn about an organization promoting alternatives to cutting down the rainforest.
Please visit http://www.AmazonEcology.org to learn more about Amazon Ecology or purchase fair-trade crafts made by their partners. Visit http://www.AmazonAlive.net to donate to support the organization’s work.
Memorial meeting for Anne Gray
Please join family, friends and Friends of Anne Gray for her Memorial Meeting at the Richmond Friends Meetinghouse on Saturday, November 15 at 3 pm in the worship room, followed by reception downstairs in the community room
Please bring a plate of finger food/appetizers to share for the reception
Religious Education Fall Announcements
- November 2 - Children are invited to the Clearing for an all ages activity beginning at 11 until rise of meeting for worship at the Clearing. For those who do not attend The Clearing, an all ages group here at Kensington will enjoy a Neighborhood Nature Walk and Art project during the 11 am Meeting.
- Registration Forms - Parents & Guardians, if you have not already done so, please complete a registration form for each child attending RE classes.
- December 7 - We are planning a Holiday Train Station Exploratory. If you celebrate a specific holiday during December (Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, Christmas, Winter Solstice, etc.) and are interested in sharing it with our children, please talk to Elizabeth Price.
Fall Workday at Kensington, October 25
It’s time for Fall Workday at the Meetinghouse! It’s your chance to show your love for our building and grounds by helping clean, tidy, plant, and preserve. Plan to be with the Buildings and Grounds committee on Saturday, October 25 from 9-noon (rain date is Nov. 1). Bring gloves and garden tools if you want to work outside. All ages and abilities welcome for as much or as little time as you can give.
Interested in Working for Peace?
Did you know you could help Quaker House without committing to being a board member? We accept people to serve on specific committees and work on certain projects. For example, a person who couldn’t commit to meetings edited a book as it was being revised to reflect these times.
If you have experience, or interest in expanding our relationship-focused strategy for long-term financial health, please consider serving on the Quaker House Development Committee.
Quaker House is not struggling fiscally, but we are here for the long haul, as the need for our services keeps growing. Learn more about how we manifest the Peace Testimony as we help military veterans and enlisted people navigate their conscience based struggles at QuakerHouse.org.
If you feel led to know more, please reach out to Patricia Stansbury. We can talk and need be, I’ll connect you with the Membership Committee.
New Books in Our Library
One Lost Soul: Richard Nixon's Search for Salvation, by Daniel Silliman
- A biography considering Nixon’s spiritual life after he was brought up as a Quaker
Short Journey Home: Awakening to Freedom with Thich Nhat Hanh, by Richard Brady
- An account of lay mindfulness practitioner Brady’s following in the footsteps of the world-renowned Zen master
Thirty-three Ways Seven Faiths Agree with the Quakers, by Thomas Wolfe and others
- How several world religions’ holy writings harmonize with Quaker thought
Zen at the End of Religion: An Introduction for the Curious, the Skeptical, and the Spiritual But Not Religious, by James Ishmael Ford
- Thoughts from a retired Unitarian Universalist minister and Zen Buddhist priest
RFM Becomes a 100% Voting Congregation
This November, Virginians will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all members of the House of Delegates. This election, as every election does, will shape the course of our Commonwealth for the next four years.
In our August business meeting, RFM agreed to become one of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy’s (VICPP’s) 100% Voting Congregations, which means we pledge to educate ourselves about the candidates, register to vote if we’re eligible, and exercise our right to vote come election day. To that end, the VICPP Working Group is working on a number of activities to educate our Meeting about the voting process in Virginia and about the candidates (we will not be endorsing a particular candidate).
In September, the Working Group posted and distributed a flier with information about Virginia’s voting process and where to get information about registering to vote, finding your polling place, early voting, etc. as well as set up two sessions after Meeting to help people register to vote, find information about candidates, etc.
More information about October events will be forthcoming. Check the RFM Newslist to learn more.
Reading Between the Lines, October 5
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee will hold a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly known as Bible Workbench) through Zoom on First Day, Sunday, October 5, from 9-10 a.m. We will discuss 2 Timothy 1: 1-14: what it can mean to “worship with a clear conscience,” to help “rekindle” spirit within each other, to “guard the good treasure given you” (“with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us”) —which is not a “spirit of cowardice” but “a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” The facilitator will send the Zoom link through the Newslist a few days before our meeting.
Volunteer Mentors Needed for Redd Elementary Students This Fall, Orientation September 4
Are you looking for a way to give back to our community, while working towards a more racially just society? Do you have one or two hours a week to share with a student? We’d love to have you join our team of volunteer mentors at Redd Elementary School this fall. Please let Lynda Perry know by email if you plan to attend the orientation at RFM.
Redd’s student population — primarily African American and Hispanic, with an extremely high percentage from low-income families — faces stark educational disparities. Our volunteers build relationships with students that can help them build their social/emotional skills and support their academic development. Some of us meet with one student at a time; others meet with a small group of students once a week, often during the students’ lunch breaks.
Volunteers are required to complete a one-hour orientation and an annual background check. Orientations have already started. Join us in the Community Room for an in-person orientation on Thursday, September 4 at 11 am. OR sign up for an Eventbrite orientation session today! Our partner Communities in Schools handles the orientations and the background checks required of all Richmond Public School volunteers who work regularly with students.
If you can’t commit weekly, we’ll let the RFM community know when special one-time volunteer opportunities arise for events like read-alouds and festivals (no orientation or background check needed for these).
Please contact Lynda Perry at if you have questions and/or to let us know if you sign up for an orientation at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/volunteer-orientation-rps-and-communities-in-schools-of-richmond-tickets-686968540397?aff=oddtdtcreator !
BYM Spiritual Formation Fall Retreat 2025
Friday, September 19, 2025, 4 pm to Sunday, September 21, 2025, 1 pm
Shepherd's Spring Retreat, Global Village & Camp Center, 16869 Taylors Landing Rd, Sharpsburg, MD 21782
Living in the Presence
"Summoned or not, God is present." Carl Jung
How do we experience this presence?
Perhaps as important, how do we share that experience with others?
How do we take our deepest Quaker truth and practice the presence of the Holy in the public square?
Come join Friends and fellow seekers as we explore together our experiences of the Presence of Spirit. (We might each name the Spirit differently: the Holy One, God, Christ, Light, Higher Power, or Ground of All Being.) We'll offer stories about how we have come to recognize this Presence within ourselves and beyond ourselves. And we'll share practices that Friends have actively engaged as ways of opening ourselves to this Presence. There will be some teaching and some time for reflection around adding or deepening spiritual practice in our daily routines. Plus time for rest, fellowship and fun! Please consider joining us.
From Care & Counsel Committee: Friendly Eights!
Friendly Eight sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board. Anyone wishing to serve as a convener for an interest group of your choosing, please start a sign-up sheet to let people know about your group.
If you're new to the idea of Friendly Eights and want help getting started, contact Sallie Rugg or Michael Pierce.
International Day of Peace Celebration, September 20
RFM will hold our traditional Meeting for Worship and march around the neighborhood to commemorate the International Day of Peace Meeting for Worship on September 20 (not on September 21) at 6:30 pm. This is a sweet time together as we join to mark our Peace testimony on the day the United Nations has set aside to focus on peace and its creation. We hope that members will join in Richmond Peace Education Center’s (RPEC) activities and celebration of the International Day of Peace on September 21 from 11 am to 5 pm.
Announcements from Religious Education (RE) Committee
Committee-Led Summer Sundays
- August 24 - Building & Grounds Committee
- August 31 - Hospitality Committee
- September 7 - Peace Celebration Day
- September 14 - First Day of Age-Level Classes
- September 21 - Faith & Play
Teachers and assistants needed:
The Religious Education Committee is looking for a few more teachers and assistants. Classes begin September 14. It’s not too late!
We are looking for the following volunteers:
- 1 Elementary age teacher or assistant for grades 1-4 (ages 6-10)
- 1 Middle school teacher & 1 Middle school assistant (grades 5-7, ages 10-13)
- A lead planner for some First Sundays (Only 5 First Sundays across from October to June, and World Quaker Day is October 5th!) - All ages together in the community room
We aim for 2 teachers and 2 assistants per classroom so that teams work together and share the load. This usually means each person is only volunteering/teaching one Sunday per month. (The exception is when there is a fifth Sunday in a month.) Curricula and other resources are available for you to use for ideas or to teach directly. All Religious Education volunteers are required to complete a background check. Contact Elizabeth Price if you are interested in learning more or have questions.
Registration Forms
Registration forms will be available in September and must be completed every year for each child attending RE.
Memorial Reception for Anne Gray, August 25
Our dear Friend Anne Gray died peacefully on Wednesday, August 13 surrounded by her family. There will be a memorial reception on Monday, August 25 from 2-5 pm at the Clubhouse at Westminster Canterbury. Her family extended a special invitation to our meeting community. It will be a time to meet Anne’s family and friends and share stories. Attend anytime during the 2-5 time period.
Policy Regarding the Display of Quaker/RFM Banners in Demonstrations
(The following policy was approved in Seventh Month meeting for business.)
Our Richmond Friends Meeting banners are approved for display at demonstrations and marches, with the following stipulations:
1. Our banners are used in gatherings that support our values and testimonies.
2. Our banners are displayed only at events that are planned to be non-violent and not aligned with any political party.
3. For use of the banner saying “Quakers” and for use of the banner saying “Richmond Friends Meeting” without the web address, approval can be given by Business Meeting, OR a group consisting of the clerk or assistant clerk, one Visibility Coordinator, and one Trustee.
4. For use of the banner that includes the web address, at marches and rallies the web address must be concealed. For use of this banner at events meant to publicize Richmond area organizations, the web address can be displayed.
5. Gatherings receiving legal permits are preferred. However, the banners may be used in a march without a permit, as long as the gathering is planned to be peaceful and has been approved by one of the options indicated above.
6. The wider meeting community is encouraged to join by identifying transportation options and a shared meeting place.
7. Members and attenders standing with the banner refrain from all forms of violence and inflammatory behavior, no matter the source or the target.
8. Those marching under the banner accept individual responsibility for any consequences that may occur. If members/attenders incur medical and/or legal costs, Richmond Friends Meeting may offer financial and other forms of support, but is not obligated to do so.
Peace & Social Concerns and Religious Education Committee Needs
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.
Growing In Anti-Racism with Children in Meeting, Family, & Our Lives
A Religious Education Sponsored Workshop for Everyone
Richmond Friends Meeting acknowledges that anti-racism is a needed part of all we do in our Meetings. The RE committee strives to support our children as they seek to understand their own spiritual life. This includes practicing equality, love, honoring that of God in one another, knowing our Quaker history, and more.
Join us here on August 23 from 9 am - Noon as Marcy Seitel guides us in understanding antiracism as a spiritual practice. The workshop is designed for all adults–parents and grandparents, RE volunteers and teachers, RFM members and attenders–who want to integrate into their relationships with children a deeper understanding of what it means to build a loving anti-racist community.
Marcy Seitel is a long time, valued member of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM), who has throughout the years shared her professional expertise with children. After life-long concern with issues of racism, she has been part of BYM’s effort to become an anti-racist faith community, serving on the Working Group on Racism, committee for Growing Diverse Leadership and Working Group on Reparations.
Concepts to be explored during the workshop will include:
● The Basics of Antiracism: What is it?
● Build a community of adults who have concepts, vocabulary, and a common commitment towards antiracism
● Recognize & Respond to Racism
● A Vision for the Future
● Truthful Telling of the History of Friends
● Trusting Children with Difficult Conversations
● Antiracism As a Spiritual Practice
Light refreshments will be provided. If you wish to attend, it is important to let us know as soon as possible so we can work to meet your needs and to provide childcare. Contact Elizabeth Price if you would like to attend or have questions. A sign-up sheet will be in the mailroom as well.
Following a break for lunch on your own, all RE teachers and assistants are invited to attend our Teacher Resource Sharing event from 1:00-4:00 pm in the Community Room. Teachers will be given classroom age groupings and time to begin planning for September classes.
Summer Committee-Led RE Lessons
Here is the schedule of Religious Education classes for the remainder of the summer:
- Aug 24 - Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Aug 31 - Hospitality Committee
Memorial Minute for Al Simmons
Albert Lester Simmons was born in Tazewell County, Virginia, and grew up in Bluefield, West Virginia and graduated from Bluefield College. Al worked most of his career as a preschool teacher and child-care director. Children loved his invented games and silliness and playfully called him "Owl." Having had a difficult childhood, he often said, "Working with children helped me re-parent myself." Remarkably, after his death, one parent said that “Al taught us how to be parents.”
Al was generous of spirit, and the interest he showed in people's lives made them feel important. He had a visceral understanding of what it was to be "the other” and always had an eye out for those in need.
Al met his wife Marcia in the late 1970s when he was a Vista Volunteer. Having grown up with an alcoholic father, Al too found himself addicted to alcohol and tobacco. His love of Marcia enabled Al to quit drinking and give up smoking for the rest of his life. Marcia brought Al to Richmond Friends Meeting about 25 years ago, where he became a lifelong attender and active participant. Although Al chose not to seek membership, he served as a shining example to Meeting of the best that Quakers could be.
Always modest, Al preferred not bringing himself to the attention of others. But when Meeting faced difficult issues, he would speak with such caring and authenticity that he served as a beacon to all. Al contributed selflessly to Meeting. For example, he was a tireless contributor in maintaining the building and grounds and, when he discovered that Friends were paying to have the meetinghouse cleaned, he took on the weekly cleaning which he continued doing for at least two years.
Al was committed to issues that make a difference in people’s lives, especially the most powerless. He was known for his devotion and actions for peace and justice for all, and the lovely way he had of making a point, his honesty, integrity, and authenticity. And he was funny! Even near the end, he asked Marcia “When does my flight leave?”
Al was dedicated to the cause of peace. Having served in Vietnam as an artilleryman, that war, and the way it was conducted, bothered him the rest of his life. He regularly participated in anti-war demonstrations and marches, and he and Marcia originated and maintained for many years a "Second Saturday" peace vigil. In 2008, as part of a peaceful demonstration at the School of the Americas, he was one of five people who intentionally "crossed the line", was arrested for trespassing, and was sentenced to two months in a federal prison in Butner, NC. For years after his incarceration at Butner, Al visited prisoners and supported them in many ways, offering rides and hospitality to family members of prisoners.
Al was a nontheist and considered himself a humanist. He preferred to think “God” needed an extra “o”, thus “Good.” His love and deep commitment to Quaker values illustrated to all of us that the inner light can shine brightly within each of us, despite the specifics of our religious beliefs.
Al Simmons died from lung cancer on March 5, 2024, at home with his loving wife Marcia Dickinson at his side.
Memorial Minute for Farid Alan Schintzius
Farid Alan Schintzius, a native of Buffalo, NY, died shortly after midnight on December 5, 2024. He was 76.
Alan was a family man, a carpenter, a tireless activist, and a member of Richmond Friends Meeting. He became a foundational force in Richmond, helping to establish The Camel music venue and WRIR independent radio. He was a persistent voice for his community, successfully opposing the destruction of historic properties like the Jacob House, as well as opposing the Navy Hill development, a Shockoe Bottom baseball stadium, and several casino proposals. He also dedicated his energy to saving the Richmond Community Hospital building. Known for his unwavering advocacy for the underserved and his ability to forge unlikely alliances, Alan lived with conviction, always ready to create a little "good trouble" for the sake of love, beauty, and justice.
Alan was well known in the wider Richmond community as a Quaker. He was involved in the RFM community of Young Friends, and his children grew up in meeting. He shared the Sufi Dances of Universal Peace at The Clearing at spring retreats. Alan used his construction skills to help with improvements, repairs, and maintenance at the Clearing and the meetinghouse.
Kenneth Hunter Will Share Information on VICPP’s Higher Education in Prisons Initiative, July 13
Did you know that the Virginia Department of Corrections launches more people into Virginia’s workforce annually than our largest graduating university? Back in April, our Meeting agreed to be a congregational support for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) Higher Education in Prisons initiative. On July 13 at rise of Meeting, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about this initiative and what it means for incarcerated Virginians.
Our speaker will be Kenneth Hunter, VICPP organizer for the Consensus on Higher Education in Prisons and passionate advocate for more humane and productive criminal justice policies in Virginia and in the nation. Kenneth will explain his personal interest in prison reform and how he came to advocate for ways to improve opportunities for post-prison career success. Reduced recidivism, reduced violent incidents in prison, and modeling for future generations are just some of the benefits of supporting higher education opportunities in prisons.
With a statewide reputation for spoken word and rap performance, Kenneth is sure to entertain, inspire and enlighten us about this valuable program and ways we can support it. Refreshments will be available.