More Information about Proposed Digital Outreach Training
The Ad hoc Communications Committee reported at the May meeting with attention to business with an update on the meeting Facebook page, halfway through the six-month experiment begun in February. The report included an announcement that the committee is considering participating in the FGC Digital Outreach training and that we would bring a recommendation to meeting for business for approval in July. This article provides more information about the training program and the ads used. If you are interested being involved with the RFM Facebook page, participating in the training, or have questions or comments, contact Jim Thoroman or Tracey Cain.
An overview of the FGC Digital Outreach training and links to the website of Emily Provance, recent Interim Young Adult Field Secretary for New York Yearly Meeting, are on the FGC website at http://www.fgcquaker.org/. Search for “digital outreach” to go to page A Digital Outreach Opportunity for Quaker Meetings. There is a link to Emily’s blog, which includes links to detailed reports about the social media outreach ads outreach experiments, including the training we would participate in and pictures of the ads used.
For those who cannot or prefer not to go online, here is the description from the FGC website page: Emily Provance, a Friend who is called to the ministry of outreach and a member of Fifteenth Street Monthly Meeting, describes social media as “an unprecedented platform for witness and ministry.” More Quaker meetings are turning to social platforms like Facebook to encourage newcomers and seekers to discover their spiritual communities.
Is your Quaker meeting interested in learning social media-based outreach tools on Facebook? Register for FGC’s Digital Outreach training, facilitated by Emily Provance. Over the course of 60 days, individual Quaker meetings will learn how to build a meaningful overall social media presence through weekly lessons and opportunities to put them into action. The program includes a fifty-day, query-based Facebook ad campaign targeted to seekers in your geographic area, managed by the facilitator.
Samples of ads used in the outreach training (from Phase 1 report) are reported in the 7th month (July) RFM newsletter.
Ad hoc Sanctuary Committee Report
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 [email protected], 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: [email protected], (804)399-8342.
Report from the Aging in Community Support Group
Our mission statement is: It is our goal to be a source of practical, emotional, and spiritual support to help each other as we age in community. Membership: Membership is open to retirement age members and attenders of Richmond Friends Meeting and to non-Quaker spouses. Currently we have 39 members.
Requirements of membership: A membership survey must be filled out annually. It is due by the end of January. (A willingness to support other group members.) Annual dues ($25) have been suspended for 2018.
2018 Slate of officers:
Clerk- Janett Forte
Recording Clerk- Mary Fran Hughes-McIntyre
Treasurer- Donna Knicely
Asst. Treasurer-Carolyn Moul
Program Coordinators- Cas Overton, Emily Kimball
Resource Coordinator- Ellen Argenteanu
Care Coordinators- Ada Hammer (lead), Phoebe Antrim, Bob Alexander, and Jean Washburn.
Backups – Wendy Wadsworth, Chris Olson-Vickers
It is the Coordinator’s job to find volunteers as needed to provide practical, emotional and spiritual support for our membership. If you have a need/request please try to contact the care coordinator directly. Requests for support = Since Feb., we have had about 35 volunteer requests performed so far. This year our activity schedule includes six meetings. Generally the time is 5:00 to 6:30 pm on Monday’s. We meet at Richmond Friends Meeting.
Business meetings:
o January 16, 2018 (Tuesday)
o July 10, 2018
Education programs:
o March 5, 2018
o September 12, 2018 from 5:30 to 7:00
Social programs:
o May 7. 2018 – Donna Knicely’s home
o November 5, 2018 – TBD
The current balance in our account is: $3,838.25 with one expenditure in amount of $300. If you are interested in membership please contact me – or join the business meeting on July 10. We’ll be discussing program and meeting times, the group’s connection to RFM/Care and Counsel, reviewing the nature of
member requests, use of our funds, and ideas for future social and educational activities.
Presented by: Janett Forte – Clerk of Aging in Community Support Group
Spring Retreat 2018 Report
Spring retreat this year was full of friends rooting deeply into old traditions and branching into new experiences. We sat on the big front porch and enjoyed each other’s stories and laughter. Friday night’s movie “Intelligent Trees” was foundational to Joe Murray’s talk on Saturday. We listened to Joe Murray speak about trees, a subject many of us thought we knew about, but were in lightened with new insights. We did a grounding yoga practice in the morning, and a laughing yoga in the afternoon. Barbara Myers led us in a flower arranging workshop, which by many reports was great fun. Flowers adorned all of the tables at dinner time, which brought great joy. When there was work to be done, folks just pitched in. We gathered at the pavilion and told cheesy jokes and
stories around the fire, cozy and dry, out of the rain. We celebrated Oakie and Atticus Hebner’s birthdays with cake and steak. The steaks came from a cow named Daisy, who lived on the Hebner’s farm. We saw a family of three foxes in the field. The twin flowers were in bloom. We witnessed a rite of passage, as Atticus removed his training wheels and rode his bicycle unassisted. The committee learned some lessons along the way, such as dinner is much simpler without sweet potatoes. We had a lower attendance this year, and we had a financial deficit for the first time in many years. However, the weekend was a tremendous success. It was full, but unhurried. Many thanks to all who attended, and all who planned this special weekend.