by WebPost | May 19, 2015 | Peace and Social Concerns
The Richmond Peace Education Center is pleased to announce it has chosen to honor both a special individual and a unique group as its 2015 Peacemakers of the Year.
This year’s Peacemaker award recipients are Dr. John Moeser and The Thrifty Quaker.
Dr. John Moeser is Senior Fellow at the University of Richmond’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement and professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University. For the past forty years, his research, teaching, and community engagements have deepened the community’s understanding of race, poverty and urban politics. His work has had a profound influence on the community conversation and the direction of public policy locally. His contributions to the public discourse in metro-Richmond are simply unparalleled.
Dr. Moeser has been a sharp observer of city governance and politics for more than a generation. Over the past decade he has served as senior fellow at the University of Richmond’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement. He has written dozens of articles on alleviating poverty, regional cooperation, and racial inequality; he served on Mayor Dwight Jones’ Anti-Poverty Commission; and he spent hundreds of hours analyzing data from the 2010 census in order to shed light on the social patterns and divisions that mark our region. He has generously shared this analysis with countless groups working for community change.
In collaboration with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and Hope in the Cities, his data analysis of our region was captured in Unpacking the Census. The video allows educators and facilitators across the region to teach about the persistent, historically-based, structural inequality that continues to damage the social and economic health of metro Richmond. Dr. Moeser’s research also inspired and informed the Richmond Peace Education Center’s own video series on Richmond, Race and Regionalism (available at www.rpec.org).
Recently Dr. Moeser been gathering, analyzing, and mapping data on the spread of poverty into Chesterfield and Henrico Counties. His research and presentations have spurred important conversations about economic inequality, the need for regional cooperation, and the impact of poverty on schools, housing, transportation, and economic opportunity. We honor Dr. Moeser for his countless contributions to community knowledge and to building a more just Richmond region.
Since 1996, The Thrifty Quaker thrift store, created by local Quakers of the Midlothian Friends Meeting, has raised and donated more than $400,000 in monetary grants to peace groups and charities, and an estimated $2.5 million in goods to other thrift stores and individuals in need. Each month, the Peace and Social Action Committee of Midlothian Friends Meeting designates a local nonprofit to receive the monetary grant. Nearly one hundred percent of the store’s net earnings that month go directly to the recipient group, with the remaining portion of the net earnings going to help individuals in crisis. The Richmond Peace Education Center has been a grateful recipient many times over the years, and The Thrifty Quaker gifts have directly and measurably strengthened the center’s capacity, and its work for peace. Countless other worthy peace initiatives and charitable causes have also received vital support from The Thrifty Quaker. Additionally, the store provides employment for a number of workers from the local area, as well as opportunities for volunteering to support a number of mostly local charities through the store’s mission.
Friend$hare, The Thrifty Quaker’s own “inside” charity, has the specific mission of providing emergency funds to individuals in urgent financial crisis that could result in their becoming homeless, jobless, or endangered due to lack of housing, utilities, medical treatment or equipment. Friend$hare provides the monetary resources directly to billing agencies upon the recommendation of Social Services agencies or other trusted sources, as they help individuals become stabilized and functioning in society.
The Thrifty Quaker has been able to promote peace and social justice by working through the store to advertise and promote the charities, collect food to feed the hungry, as well as give donations. The Thrifty Quaker has provided funding to well over a hundred mostly local charities as well as providing education and support to organizations. The store is located at 13567 Midlothian Turnpike in the Midlothian Station Shopping Center in the heart of the village of Midlothian. It’s website is www.thriftyquaker.com.
Dr. Moeser and The Thrifty Quaker will be recognized at both the Peace Center’s Membership Appreciation dinner and at its annual fundraising Auction and Dinner on November 7.
by WebPost | Apr 24, 2015 | Minutes of Business Meeting
Meeting began with silence at 11:00 am. Fifty-four (54) members and attenders were present. Clarisse Harton was greeter. Julia Hebner from Ministry and Worship sat on the facing bench to hold Meeting in the Light. Nick Martina read the Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) proposed Queries and Voices on Community.
Religious Education: Diane Bowden made two announcements: (1) A coffee house will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015. Doors will open at 6:30 pm; performances will begin at 7:00 pm. Diane asked Friends to sign up to share “secret talents.” Proceeds will be donated to the Byrd Theatre Foundation. (2) On First Day (Sunday), May 31, 2015, at rise of Meeting, Senior Recognition Day will be held in the community room. Four seniors are graduating.
Adult Spiritual Education: (1) Howard Garner introduced Betsy Brinson who announced that on First Day, May 17, 2015, from 9:30 am to 10:45 am, a representative from Moscow House (Russia) will speak about their activities. Items from Russia will be offered for sale to support the organization. (2) On First Days, June 7, 2015 and June 14, 2015, from 9:30 am to 10:45 am, members of the Faith and Practice Ad Hoc Committee (which reviewed the proposed BYM Faith and Practice and was then laid down) will lead a discussion of how we use language to express the “Inward Light.” (3) On First Day, June 21, 2015, from 9:30 am to 10:45 am, the committee will facilitate a sharing of “Faith Transitions,” inviting Friends to share and discuss our experiences during the individual spiritual journeys that led to us to become Quakers.
Building and Grounds: Bob Alexander announced the Spring Work Day to be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015. Most work will be outside. Extra rakes are welcome. Lunch will be provided. Activities will be over before 2:00 pm.
Care and Counsel: Margaret Edds made two announcements: (1) There will be a New Member and New Baby welcome on First Day, May 3, 2015, at rise of Meeting. (2) The committee received an application for membership from Youth member Anna Best and recommends her for membership. Margaret read parts of Anna’s letter of application. As is our practice, the recommendation will be held over for one month and approval will be requested at Fifth Month MWB.
Hospitality Committee: Scott Selby presented the final proposal for improvements to the kitchen layout, including a new countertop and sink configuration. The existing dishwasher will be used. Ada Hammer explained that a new commercial dishwasher would have been very expensive, and very different and likely difficult to use. Financial Stewardship has approved a budget of $5500. There was discussion about whether a garbage disposal would be included; there is money in the budget for a garbage disposal but there are several unanswered questions that will require additional research. After discussion, Friends approved the proposal.
Clearing Building and Grounds Sub-Committee: Nick Martina reported for the committee: (1) The new website for The Clearing is up and includes a calendar displaying currently reserved and available times for use by the Meeting and rental by outside groups. Rental rates and other information is also on the website. Pictures of The Clearing (no pictures of children) are requested and may be sent to Dan Shaw. (2) A group of Young Friends spent a recent weekend at The Clearing and helped with major maintenance, including disposal of a felled tree and clearing of trails. A project is underway to create a map of the current trails. Friends interested in helping with maintenance were encouraged to contact Nick.
Ad Hoc Committee for Building Use: Steve Humphrey reported for the committee:
(1) The issue of identifying the person who made the threatening phone calls is in the hands of the police. (2) The zoning issue is now resolved. The for-profit yoga class – the only disqualified activity that was renting space from the Meeting – is moving to another location. The city acknowledged that we are allowed to post signs on our property, but Meeting is not yet in unity about whether to put signs out again. (3) The committee has begun developing guidelines for the use of our building. New guidelines will be developed with input from the Meeting community. To assist the Building Coordinator in the meantime, the following temporary guidelines are in place: (a) All committees should let Bob Alexander know when meetings are being held at the meetinghouse; (b) All meetings should end by 9:00 pm and people should be thoughtful about noise as they leave the building; and, (c) There should be no more than 30 people using the building in the evenings in order to limit the number of cars parked in the neighborhood. (4) A Listening Circle will be held Wednesday, May 13, 2015 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm to hear concerns about building use and the evolving guidelines. The temporary guidelines will be published in the newsletter.
Ministry and Worship: Tracey Cain distributed copies of the second draft of the 2014 Spiritual State of the Meeting report. She reported that comments on the first draft had been largely positive. The committee incorporated several of the suggestions received into the second draft. Tracey then read the second draft. Friends suggested two additional changes. Several Friends spoke in appreciation of the report. Friends approved the report with the changes. The Clerk thanked the committee for the report. One Friend suggested that since the report was a statement of our values, it would be useful as we considered guidelines for use of our building. The report, as approved with changes, will be attached to these minutes and published in the newsletter. There was discussion about the desire for a more detailed review of the previous year’s activities and the meaning they have for individual members and attenders. The Newsletter was identified as a good place for such reflections at this time.
Treasurer’s Report: Bronwyn Hughes distributed the financial report for the first quarter of 2015. Contributions were 14% of budget and expenses were 21% of budget (including a transfer to facility set-aside). Bronwyn noted several expenses were up and described recent transfers and fund activity. Friends thanked the treasurer for the report.
Working Group on New Jim Crow: Betsy Brinson announced the working group was laying itself down with the approval of the oversight committees (ASE and Ministry and Worship) and that the final report of the group will be published in the newsletter. Betsy then gave the highlights of the full report, including summaries of the current results of four activities the Meeting had focused on: the Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) organization, introduction to Quakerism and worship at the women’s prison in Goochland (VCCW), VA CURE, and Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS). With the exception of OAR, which has not worked out as an activity, numerous Friends are involved and making a difference. Friends accepted the working group’s decision to lay itself down. The Clerk thanked the group for its work. The final report will also be attached to these minutes.
In closing, Betsy described another possible volunteer opportunity: the Richmond Day Reception Center may need volunteers for tutoring, mentoring and G.E.D. preparation. There will be an information meeting on Friday, May 8, 2015 at 3:00 pm. For more information contact Betsy.
Peace and Social Concerns: Clerk Denna Joy read the first draft of a proposed minute on climate change.
Proposed Minute on Climate Change
Richmond Friends Meeting is a Quaker community of spirit dedicated to peace, justice and right relations with all creatures and life upon the earth. Our place on the earth is rooted in respect not domination. We submit this Minute in furtherance of that respect.
The effects of climate change have been documented by scientists who agree that human activity, specifically pouring millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, is reaching a tipping point. Living in harmony with the natural world has been replaced with unsustainable ways of living: reliance on fossil fuels, extreme methods of resource extraction, widespread destruction of old-growth and rain forests, and over-consumption of natural resources. These unsustainable practices are responsible for the Earth’s degraded state and climate disruption. As a faith community dedicated to peace and social justice, it alarms us that the effects of climate change disproportionately impact the world’s most impoverished peoples and that fossil fuel extraction and consumption has contributed to international conflict.
We recognize the urgency of this problem and support actions on all levels, from individuals to international groups, to work toward an ecologically healthy planet. Globally, developed countries must reduce carbon emissions and actively support the development of alternative energy sources. It is imperative that developed countries transfer money, expertise and technology to support sustainable development in less developed countries.
Our commitments to peace and justice, as well as our commitment to care for the earth, compel us to restorative action. Restorative actions include: education about climate change, education about sustainable living, conservation, downsizing our standards of living, reducing our carbon footprints, investing in renewable energy, divesting from fossil fuels and supporting sustainable energy development.
We are convinced that the problem of Climate Change is real, significant, worsening, and urgent. We are called to advocate for immediate attention to the climate at the local, state, national and global levels through lobbying, community education, and peaceful protest as conscience dictates.
Although the challenge posed by climate change is complex and may seem daunting, our call to action is grounded in faith and supported by community. We are a connected part of this earth, not separate from it. We invite other communities, individuals and groups to endorse this minute and to join us in restorative actions to heal ourselves and the planet.
The minute was previously circulated via the NewsList. Copies were made available at MWB. After Denna read the proposed minute, the Clerk asked Friends to contact Denna or Suzanne Keller with comments and suggestions. The proposed minute, with any changes made by the committee, will be read for the second time next month at Fifth Month MWB.
Third Month 2015 MWB Minutes: Approved, with three changes: correct the ASE announcement of the April 12 discussion (there was no plan for the author, Joanna Macy, to be present); correct the comment in the Ministry and Worship section to show that a suggestion was made that the Spiritual State of the Meeting be a topic for sharing during a regular First Day Meeting for Worship; and, under ASE, last paragraph, change FGC “sessions” to FGC “Annual Gathering.” For this last change, at the invitation of the Clerk, Michelle Bellows explained that “sessions” connotes business, which is not conducted at the Annual Gathering, and that FGC has many ministries, one of which is the Annual Gathering.
Clerk’s Business: (1) The Clerk announced that Tom and Carol Wolf plan a trip to Cuba and she anticipates they will request a minute of introduction from RFM, possibly at Fifth Month MWB. (2) The next potluck lunch will be April 26, 2015, at rise of Meeting. Please bring food to share.
All business being concluded we settled into silence until the rise of meeting was signaled from the facing bench.
Barbara Hulburt, Clerk
James Thoroman, Recording Clerk
by WebPost | Apr 24, 2015 | Peace and Social Concerns
April 19, 2015
Starting in February, 2014, the Adult Spiritual Education and Peace and Social Concerns committees of Richmond Friends Meeting began a series of sessions to read and discuss The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander, and to feature guest speakers on the related topics of the nature of the contemporary the U.S. criminal justice system and mass incarceration. Seven sessions were held and well attended. Some of the sessions had facilitated, small group discussions with enthusiastic participation. Many Friends learned much from the book, discussions and speakers. The sponsoring committees felt that there was considerable interest and energy in the Meeting around the issues raised.
In April, the ASE committee asked that an informal working group be formed to monitor interest and ideas in the meeting for several months after the end of the series. In July, the working group suggested that we continue to look for volunteer opportunities and organized two Listening Circles, one each in August and September, to gather more information and determine how interested people were in more active advocacy. The working group identified several organizations as opportunities for participation and support. After the two Listening Circles, the working group focused on four proposals for further activity: (1) Attending introduction to Quakerism and silent worship at Goochland Women’s Prison (VCCW). (2) Volunteering at Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR), an organization assisting recently released prisoners. (3) Working with VA CURE, an advocacy group that works on mass incarceration policy issues. (4) Visiting prisoners through Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS), a national group supporting federal and military prisoners. Many Friends decided to become involved in one or more of the activities.
The working group met several times in the summer and fall of 2014 to monitor the progress of the active groups. At a meeting of the working group on February 5, 2015, after discussing the status of the on-going activities, the group became clear to issue a final report and lay itself down. The outreach to VCCW will continue under the leadership of Rita Willett with oversight by Ministry and Worship. The remaining continuing activities will be part of the Peace and Social Concerns committee work.
The following are the reports of each of the individual activities monitored by the working group:
- Goochland Women’s Prison (VCCW)
Sunday evening sessions have been held at Virginia Correctional Center for Women twice a month since October. The group discusses Quakerism, particularly in relation to prison experience, and worships together. The group has been small – 2 to 5 women – with some attrition as women have returned to the community. Eleven people from meeting have participated; six have completed volunteer orientation. The QWAC’s are scheduled to sing at VCCW in October. (For more information, contact Rita Willett.)
Several of those who completed Michele Alexander’s book wanted to work with offenders reentering life on the outside. Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) came to our attention as a local organization that offers multiple services both in the jails and in the community. We interviewed with the organization. Four of us filled out the volunteer application form. Our plan was to see what volunteer opportunities were available and advise others who were interested. The four of us were assigned to work in the GED program. Each of us independently came to the same conclusions: We were unneeded in this program. We questioned the effectiveness of the program.
After volunteering for many hours, we did not have effective roles and did not think that the clients were being helped.
We did not find another volunteer situation for our group. It was disappointing that we didn’t find a way to work collectively but individuals in the group have become involved in varied pursuits including Unitive Justice, prisoner visitation, and CASA volunteer work. (For more information, contact Ada Hammer.)
At Al Simmons’s request, Julia Hebner assumed the organizational duties of Richmond-CURE (Citizens United for Reformation of Errants) this past year. Al had been the driving force behind Richmond-CURE and remains the member who most closely follows specific bills wending their ways into and (occasionally) through committees. Richmond-CURE meets on a more or less monthly schedule. We have seen varied attendance, from a half dozen to two dozen persons per meeting.
This year, we were able to co-ordinate VA-CURE’s focus with that of the Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration. VAAMI’s perspective on the need for oversight of military equipment under control of Virginia law enforcement departments, the need for body cams and patrol car cams, and the desirability of raising the threshold for grand larceny is informed from a body of experience that prosperous white citizens probably don’t share.
Again this year, we asked meeting attenders to send holiday cards to inmates using names and addresses from VA-CURE. A card and note not only brighten what might otherwise be a bleak season for an individual behind bars, it also humanizes that inmate to at least one other person – the one who mails the card. A simple card sometimes leads to a correspondence, or, at least, to friendship.
On January 19, VA-CURE began its annual lobby day at the meetinghouse. Members put together information packets to distribute to state legislators, reviewed the progress of relevant bills, and coordinated visits at the capitol. The fast pace of Virginia’s short legislative session requires individual CURE members to be attentive to legislation of interest and communicate with lawmakers and each other. VA-CURE emails updates. We don’t keep track of who makes contact and who doesn’t. We trust each person did, and have faith that no effort is in vain, even if we see no immediate results.
Josephine Starks, with guidance and encouragement from Richmond-CURE, is assembling a request to Governor McAuliffe for a reduction of sentence for her son, Henry Brailey. Mr. Brailey’s excessive sentence is an example of how un-just our justice system is. Richmond-CURE seeks to publicize his situation in hopes of winning his freedom and to educate the wider public.
Looking forward, we expect Richmond-CURE meetings to remain a time to share information and craft strategies. We hope that, in coordination with like-minded groups, we can move beyond changing the system one regulation at a time (as important as that is) to creating movement toward a just and equitable system for rich and poor alike. (For more information, contact Julia Hebner.)
Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) is a national group begun in 1968 by Philadelphia Quakers. Sponsoring organizations today include most major faith groups. Volunteers visit federal and military prisons to provide friendship, encouragement and a listening ear to prisoners, who get no, or few, other visitors. PVS visitors help prisoners maintain their self-esteem and encourage their efforts to improve themselves so they can live productive lives upon their release back into society. Five individuals from the Richmond Meeting currently volunteer with the program. They each make a monthly visit to the federal prison in Petersburg. Visits are scheduled for early evening and last one hour. Extra time is needed to gain access to the prison. There is a waiting list of prisoners who would like a visitor. (For more information, contact Dave Depp or Bob Alexander.)
Working Group members: Al Simmons, Ada Hammer, Jim Thoroman, Rita Willett, Betsy Brinson, Ben Hebner