How do we keep our neighbors and communities safe? How does our current approach to crime, prosecution and punishment work for different Americans? Can we make it better? Lewis Webb, Jr., a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, has worked with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office and the New York City Department of Corrections. Today, he focuses on mitigating paths to incarceration, lowering barriers for people leaving the carceral system, and improving police/community relations as Healing Justice Program Coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee. An engaging speaker, Lewis offers a hopeful vision of how we can create a justice system that heals communities, and protects and serves us all. Moorestown Friends Meeting’s Anti-Racism Committee welcomes you to join the discussion via Zoom on Thursday 19 May at 7:30pm; click here or call 646-558-8656 and enter meeting ID 873 3565 8140 to join the conversation.
Social Change
Let’s Talk About How We Share Our Witness
How do you share your witness? Braver Angels, a nationwide effort to promote civil dialogue, has some suggestions for how anti-racists can have better conversations with those who do not share their views. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by conversations on race, join Moorestown Friends Meeting’s Anti-Racism Committee for a conversation about building respectful, inclusive conversations. Join us on Thursday 5 May at 7:30pm. All are welcome; please click here or call 646-558-8656 and enter meeting ID 815 8781 6369 to join the conversation.
Let’s Talk About Black Quakers
Let’s Talk About Black Quakers
Join the Black Quaker Project for a bi-weekly, free, online film festival, and Let’s Talk! Watch any or all of the five films screening on alternate Saturdays from 12 February through 9 April, or just bring your thoughts about Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, Howard Thurman, Mahala Ashley Dickerson, Bayard Rustin and/or Paul Robeson to an informal discussion of what we’ve learned on Thursday 21 April at 7:30pm. All are welcome; click here or call 646-558-8656 and enter meeting ID 873 3565 8140 to join the conversation.
Interfaith Street Seder Protesting Carbon Pharaohs
Join a diverse group of people of faith as we take action for climate justice this Passover. We’ll be holding an interfaith Passover street seder in front of a local Chase bank branch on April 20th, demanding a sustainable and thriving future for all of creation. Chase Bank is the world’s largest funder of fossil fuels and Vanguard is Chase’s largest investor. At the seder, we will challenge the financial underpinnings of these Carbon Pharaohs, rooting ourselves in sacred action and moral inspiration.
This action is being organized in coalition by Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT), Exodus Alliance, Dayenu, Jewish Youth Climate Movement, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light, and more. More info about the action here: https://dayenu.controlshift.app/events/philadelphia-passover-climate-street-seder
Green Street Meeting provides school supplies to children at EMIR Healing Center
Green Street Meeting’s EMIR Ministry Support Group says a heartfelt “Thank you!” to everyone at Green Street, the meetings in Philadelphia Quarter, and beyond who supported our school supplies drive in summer 2018.
The drive benefited 103 children whose families had lost a loved one to homicide, and who received services and support from the EMIR Healing Center. The center was founded by our member Victoria Greene, and named in memory of her son Emir, who was murdered. The name also makes the statement “Every Murder Is Real.” No matter who the victim was, or how much or little attention the crime received, that person’s loved ones are mourning their loss for years afterwards.
Still going strong in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, after 19 years, the EMIR Healing Center continues to help families survive and eventually heal from the pain of losing a loved one to homicide.
Friends from Green Street Meeting formed the EMIR Ministry Support Group in early 2018. We use the Quaker Social Change Ministry model, developed by American Friends Service Committee (especially Green Street member Lucy Duncan). In this model, a group of Quakers partner with a local organization led by people most impacted by a particular issue. The Quaker group follows their lead in deciding what to work on. The model also makes time for spiritual sharing, connection, and reflection, leading to deeper relationship, followership, and grounding of action.
Victoria asked our group at Green Street to organize a drive to provide backpacks with school supplies to the children EMIR serves. When a parent is mourning a murdered family member, whether it be a brother, sister, parent, or child, it can be very hard for them to keep things together for the rest of the family. They may be depressed and overwhelmed, and not as able to track things like school start dates and supply lists. They may lose income or even their job.
Our ministry support group got organized in the spring, asked the Meeting to take us under their care, and then spent the summer campaigning and publicizing the drive. An online buying service was set up so supporters could buy things and have them shipped directly to EMIR. (See this PYM news story from May 2018.)
With a couple of weeks to go before our deadline, we had 51 backpacks, toward our goal of 85. And then we found out there were 103 kids served by EMIR! With God’s abundance, people came through. We had enough to serve every child. We raised about $1,750 in donations, which enabled us to fill gaps in what was bought online or contributed in person.
The week before school started, we gave away 103 backpacks with school supplies in them at the EMIR office. The little children in particular were overjoyed. There were even a few backpacks left over, in case other children have a need.
Victoria said it was a great success and thanked our support group for doing the project and everyone who contributed supplies, funds, or time.
To everyone who purchased supplies online, dropped off supplies directly at the Meetinghouse or at the EMIR office, or made a donation, THANK YOU!
– Chris Mohr, support group convenor
Photo: Victoria Greene, member of Green Street Meeting and founder of EMIR Healing Center, with a box used to collect school supplies. Learn more about EMIR at emirphilly.org.