The Programs and Religious Life Team has an abundant month of gatherings ahead, and they invite all to participate this April! [Read more…] about This April with the Programs and Religious Life Team and Grant Opportunities to Know
Families
New Case Management Services for PYM Friends
A new resource is available for Friends in our yearly meeting!
Thanks to a generous need-based grant, members and regular attenders of PYM may be eligible to receive up to 10 hours of professional case management services through Living Care Home Services (LCHS). Eligibility is determined by individual need. LCHS, though based in Pennsylvania, serves the entire PYM region.
Case management can connect Friends with long term care, health care referrals, mental health resources, debt management and debt consolidation counseling, support with housing, help applying for social services, and help securing in-home care.
[Read more…] about New Case Management Services for PYM Friends
Providence Monthly Meeting Celebrated Its 340th Anniversary
Providence Monthly Meeting (PMM) in Media, PA, celebrated its 340th anniversary on October 26, 2024. The event began with a program led by PMM Clerk Meg Barney, which included a Land Acknowledgment delivered in both English and Lenape, a brief history of PMM, and introductions of guests from local faith communities, community organizations, and government representatives. During the celebration, attendees explored guided stations across PMM’s grounds, learning about the Meeting’s legacy through exhibits on topics such as the Underground Railroad, climate justice, and racial equity, as well as historical landmarks like the grave of abolitionist Graceanna Lewis. State Senator Tim Kearney presented a citation from the Pennsylvania Senate.
[Read more…] about Providence Monthly Meeting Celebrated Its 340th Anniversary
Aging Assistance For PYM Friends: What is Available and a Family Thank You
How to Apply: Aging Funds Available at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
AAGG and Greenleaf Granting Group clerks sat down Aging Support Coordinator, Sheila Sorkin, and Director of Grantmaking and Data, Joey Leroux to discuss the application process for funds to support Friends in need of financial assistance with their basic needs or to make it possible to live in retirement facilities, or to remain in their own homes.
[Read more…] about Aging Assistance For PYM Friends: What is Available and a Family Thank You
Building Connections Through Grief, Loss, and Pastoral Care
On October 19th, Friends gathered at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting for a Thread Gathering focused on grief, loss, and pastoral care. The day provided space for conversations about how meetings offer support during life’s difficult moments. Participants shared their experiences, noting that strong relationships help meetings respond when members are going through challenges.
[Read more…] about Building Connections Through Grief, Loss, and Pastoral Care
Exploring Thoughtful Planning with Compassion and Care
Discussing the stages of life is never easy, but it still remains one of the most essential acts we can offer both ourselves, our loved ones, and members of our meeting. The upcoming workshop, Creating Your Advance Directives and End of Life Plan, which will be one of the three at the Grief, Loss & Bereavement: A Pastoral Care Thread Gathering On October 19th, will provide a welcoming space for Friends to navigate this delicate subject. Participants will gain insight into critical documents, such as living wills and healthcare directives, that help ensure their values and wishes are honored. The facilitators, Susan W. Hoskins (Newtown Friends Meeting) and Susan K. Garrison (Media Friends Meeting), will lead a discussion on completing important materials, offering peace of mind to us and those we care for.
[Read more…] about Exploring Thoughtful Planning with Compassion and Care
Ways to Connect Before Sessions
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has multiple October events that will provide ways to engage within our community before Fall Continuing Sessions. Three opportunities include fellowship of the thread gathering, a family-centered peace-building event, or the collective discernment over climate during a virtual threshing session. Each of these events offers a unique opportunity to engage with the PYM community and prepare ourselves spiritually for the work ahead. Whether you are seeking fellowship, family engagement, or discernment on critical issues, these events will help ground us as we come together as a faith community:
Talking about the Election with Children and Youth
Authorship is credited to Melinda Wenner Bradley (West Chester Meeting), Quaker Religious Education Collaborative
The intensity of the election cycle is an experience both for adults and for the children and youth in our families and communities. Depending on their age, preschoolers to teens may be aware of the anxiety in the adults around them — and experiencing their own anxiety about the outcome of the election in November.
[Read more…] about Talking about the Election with Children and Youth
Friends Counseling Service: Key Questions Answered for Accessible Mental Health Care
The Friends Counseling Service (FCS) serves members and attenders of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) who are in search for guidance, comfort, and assistance. This service offers accessible mental health care to Friends across PYM with counselors providing individual therapy, couples counseling, and family therapy sessions. We connected with Janaki Spickard Keeler, Friends Counseling Service Coordinator, who provided additional insight into the service by answering some key questions.
Religious Education Resources & Events Fall 2024
Summer is waning, the crickets are singing, and it’s time to get ready for the next year in religious education programs! The Fall issue of The Tote Bag: Religious Education and Family Resources is here to support getting ready for children, youth, and intergenerational programs in meetings. This includes new resources to support middle school engagement, explore Bible stories with children, and how to talk together with young people about election issues. With the upcoming election in November, staff have been thinking about how to support families and young people to feel grounded in our testimonies of integrity and peace. Two specific events for adults and children/youth are happening this fall. Read on!
[Read more…] about Religious Education Resources & Events Fall 2024
