AIDS Working Group

The AIDS Working Group since 1992 has been engaged in a variety of projects related to persons living with AIDS on behalf of concerned PYM Friends.

Clerk: Ray Bentman, 215-985-1314 Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting

The AIDS Working Group has created a number of projects:

1. The Quaker Ministry to Persons with AIDS. This program was initiated and directed by Carolyn Schodt and others. Over the years it trained volunteers twice yearly, assigned the volunteers to visit people with AIDS in their homes and to administer physical, psychological, and spiritual care. The Quaker Ministry, as such, laid down its task on October, 1999 but the work is presently being continued by the AIDS WG. The AIDS WG is no longer training new volunteers nor accepting new clients. But it continues to supervise and care for the present volunteers who are assigned to clients. The AIDS WG plans to end its work on June 30, 2000.

2. The AIDS WG sponsored one-day retreats at Pendle Hill for people with AIDS and, separately, caregivers of people with AIDS. We usually had four retreats a years with about 30 people attending. The purpose of the retreats was to give spiritual sustenance to those who attended.

3. We ran a Meeting for Worship for AIDS once a year, on the same day as the AIDS walk.

4. We organized a Quaker presence on the AIDS walk.

Any Friend who would like to participate on our work can contact the Clerk. The present plan is to lay down the work of the AIDS WG as of June 30, 2000. If there is enough support to come from Friends willing to work for the WG, perhaps it can continue.

Copyright © 1999, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM