FMW Newsletter - August-September 2021

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Published monthly – Issue #91 – 08/09

Table of Contents

Schedule of Meetings for Worship
9th Month Query-Social Order
Actions on Afghanistan
UPCOMING EVENTS
Action! Write Postcards to Support Voting in VA!
Thinking About Race-August 2021  

Meeting for Business Minutes, July 2021
Clerks Report
-In Memoriam-Chris Benz
-Upcoming Events
-FMW Community Highlights
Major Business
-Report from Interim Meeting
-Fundraising Task Force
-Trustees Report
-Report of Clerk on various organizations
-Nominations Committee
-Membership Committee
Other Business
-Community Celebration/Open House
Addenda: Committee Reports
-Event Rental Financials
-Fundraising Task Force Report
-Trustees Report for FY 2018-19
-Reports from FMW reps to AFSC and FCNL
 

 

        MEETINGS FOR WORSHIP ~ ALL ARE WELCOME

Sundays:  9:00 - 10:00 am;  10:30-11:30 am;  6:00-7:00 pm
Tuesdays:  6:00 - 7:00 pm
Monthly Meeting for Business:  12:15 pm September 12 (2nd Sunday)

Sunday 10:30 Meeting for Worship has resumed in-person indoors and outdoors.  
Please register here.  Masks required. Vaccination lovingly expected-for those eligible.

Sunday 9am and 10:30 am Meetings for worship at  are being held via Zoom. 
For more information, email admin@QuakersDC.org.

9th Query:  The Social Order 

Do you promote social justice and make your life a testimony to fair dealing? Do you seek to understand and appreciate differing cultures and social values? Do you support fair treatment of all regardless of race, gender, age and other differences? Are you concerned for those in our society who are disadvantaged? Do you take your full share of civic responsibility by voting and giving service? Do you oppose the use of land, labor, technology and capital for human exploitation or in ways destructive to other living things?  (See: Civic Responsibility; Vocational and Financial Decisions; Social Responsibility) 
Source:  BYM Faith & Practice, Part II The Queries

News

Events

FMW Community Celebration/Open House Planning Meeting, Tuesday, September 7 at 4:00 pm
This Community Celebration will be a chance for us to get together, celebrate our community, and invite others to get to know FMW, tour our Meeting House and learn about Quakerism.  The date has been changed from September 19 to November 7 to allow more time to plan and to ensure we are all fully vaccinated.  Please join us!  Share your questions and ideas, and help us build something wonderful.  Contacts: Gene, gthrowe@gmail.com, cell: (703) 405-9003;  Barbara, barbarahbriggs@gmail.com, cell: (412) 417-9384

BYM Spiritual Formation Retreat, September 17-18, 2021 - via Zoom
Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Fall retreat will go "back to the basics" and explore some of the practices that might help us (re)discover the Ground of our Being and sustain our joyful attention there. Friends will be invited to quiet, personal reflection, sharing in spiritual friendship in small groups, and fellowship with the whole group. Activities will be assigned during the off-line time.  Zoom space will be kept open during meal time for virtual "table fellowship," so participants are asked to hold Saturday open just as if we were meeting on-site. Friday's session will begin at 7pm. Saturday sessions will run: 9-11am, 1-3pm, 7-9pm.  More information and registration here.

Quaker Spring Interim Retreat, Saturday, Oct. 30 via Zoom
“Listening to the Inward Christ Together” Join us for the Quaker Spring Interim Retreat from 10 am to 3 pm. Please save the date. For more information, write to info@quakerspring.org

FGC Fall Adult Friends of Color Virtual Retreat, November 5-7 via Zoom. - Register now
Friends General Conference welcomes all Friends of Color, 18 years and older, to sign up for the 2021 Fall Adult Friends of Color Virtual Retreat, which will be held via Zoom from Friday, November 5 to Sunday, November 7, 2021.  If you identify as a Person of Color and would like to join us, please click here to register for the retreat.  Registration deadline is October 25th.  (This event is free, but donations are welcome and should be marked for “FGC Ministry on Racism.”

FMW Quaker Spiritual Development Programs - Full Schedule September 2021

Thinking about Race, August 2021:  
Race Manners: Which Black People Should I Believe?

June 28, 2021, The New York Times
By Jené Desmond-Harris

As you know, there’s no committee that gets a consensus from the over 41 million Black people in this country and issues proclamations about the right way for white people to think about racism.

For what it’s worth, the fact that you care at all — that you value what Black people have to say and that you take seriously the idea of listening — puts you ahead of plenty of Americans who wholly disregard what Black people experience or simply want the worst for us. So, in my opinion, you’re on the right track.

And I have empathy for you because I’ve been there — wanting to do the right thing when it comes to marginalized groups to which I don’t belong, while encountering conflicting takes about what the right thing is. Is it helpful to transgender people or cringeworthy for cis people to put pronouns in our bios and email signatures? Are straight people a supportive or annoying presence at Pride? Am I honoring or alienating people if I use “Latinx” instead of “Latino”? Is “fat” a straightforward descriptor that I should use to support people who have reclaimed it, or is the pain the word still causes for some reason enough to avoid it?

I’ve had to accept that there won’t be a single clear answer and that I have to take responsibility for wherever I land on these questions. To get to a similar place, here’s what I think you should do: When you’re thinking about this, start by replacing “Black people want racism to stop playing such a big role in their lives, and I want to make sure I’m listening to the right ones so that I can feel like a good ally” with “I want racism to stop playing such a big role in all of our lives, and I’ll support things that I believe will make that happen.” You’ve heard the expression about how we need co-conspirators, not allies, right? Even if you’re not personally a victim of racism, you can — and should — still think of yourself as someone who has skin in the game.

This column is prepared by the BYM Working Group on Racism (WGR) and sent to the designated liaison at each local Meeting.  The BYM WGR meets most months on the first Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, currently via Zoom.  If you would like to attend, contact clerk David Etheridge, david.etheridge@verizon.net. 

Meeting for Business Minutes & Attachments (July 2021)

Friends Meeting of Washington
Minutes: Monthly Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business
July 2021

The meeting began at about 12:15 on 7/18.2021 with about 15 participants.

Query for Worship Sharing: 
“What does it mean to you to be a steward in your own life and in the life of the Meeting?”

Clerk’s Report, July 18, 2021

In Memoriam
Chris Benz died on 7/10/2021. We will hold a memorial meeting for him later. Jean Capps has agreed to write the memorial minute.

Upcoming Events

Living With Autism/Being a Good Ally, Sunday, July 25, 12:15 pm (Decatur Pl Room)
Join on Zoom.  By phone dial: (301) 715-8592 and enter meeting ID 8728 2384 832# on prompt.
An opportunity to learn about the experiences and challenges people living with autism face, and how allies can support and welcome those with autism--in our FMW community and other groups.  Hosted by Peace and Social Concerns, and led by PSC members Peter Nye and Barbara Briggs.  For more info, contact Peter Nye, email: p_nye@yahoo.com

1st Planning Meeting for 9/19 Community Celebration/Open House, Tues, July 27 at 4:00 pm
Join us!  September 19 will be an opportunity for us to get together, celebrate our community, and invite others to get to know FMW, tour our Meeting House and/or learn a bit more about Quakerism.  This will be the 1st organizing meeting for this event.  Please come share your ideas and help us build something wonderful.  Join on Zoom.  By phone dial: (301) 715-8592.  Enter Meeting ID 8591 3562 738# on prompt.  For more information contact Gene Throwe, gthrowe@gmail.com, cell: (703) 405-9003 or Barbara Briggs, barbarahbriggs@gmail.com, cell: (412) 417-9384.

FMW Quaker Spiritual Development Programs - Full Schedule July 2021

FMW Community Highlights & Kudos

We have about a month of indoor meetings under our belt, and are slowly returning to the Meeting House. At this point, there are 15-20 people each in the garden, the Meeting Room, and on Zoom. Tech issues have been something of a challenge, and we are all so grateful for our wonderful tech support people, as well as the fabulous Hospitality Committee for bringing back access to Susan Bien’s cookies. Each committee is asked to provide at least two people to support Hospitality every six months or so, but they are also looking for anyone willing to pitch in on a Sunday. Please let Bill Parker know if you’re willing to volunteer.

Last Sunday, we held a very interesting talk by Rebecca Nelson and Peter Nye about their experience volunteering to provide support for unaccompanied children along the Mexican border. We applaud them and the hundreds of other government employees taking on this crucial work, and long for a day when such work will be unnecessary.

Major Business

Report back from Interim Meeting (David Etheridge)
The Yearly Meeting encouraged Friends to respect those who share preferred pronouns (he / she / they) and those who choose not to do so.  The West Branch Friends Meeting sent a short letter disassociating itself from BYM.  The Yearly Meeting accepted the resignation and expressed sadness about the decision.

The new BYM general Secretary will begin working tomorrow and will overlap with the outgoing Secretary for a period.  BYM Treasurer reported that the Yearly Meeting’s finances are good. 

Report of Fundraising Taskforce (Meg Greene)
The Clerk of Meeting noted that this Taskforce was established in October 2020 over concerns that the pandemic would affect the financial health of the meeting and the potential need to raise additional funds.  This fundraising task force was set up with a one-year mandate. We are currently in month ten.  The goal for today is to hear about the Committee’s progress.

Meg noted that she, Susan Griffin, and Frank Garvey comprise the Taskforce.  They have identified the many different areas for action, including a mission statement, website improvements, the fundraising letter, a Giving Tuesday communication, systematic thank-yous to contributors, and language for asking for donations at the Meeting for Worship.

Going forward, the Taskforce would like to focus on three areas: the mission statement (connecting our community’s themes with fundraising), expanding the number of donors, particularly young donors (currently, a small number of donors make up an overwhelming portion of the donations), and increasing future pledges and fulfilling the pledges that were made, perhaps with an updated pledge letter.  

Susan Griffin has resigned, and Frank Garvey is about to resign (2 of the Task Force’s 3 members).  So this is a moment in transition for the Task Force.  It’s a time to think about how the taskforce can be incorporated into Finance and Stewardship or collaborate with F&S.

One Friend said he would hate to see the Taskforce laid down at this time.  With economic uncertainty decreasing, now is the time for a taskforce like this to start pushing for more donors or additional donations.  

Another Friend on the Trustees Committee noted that ordinarily, a fundraising letter is sent out by the Meeting in May and asked whether one was sent out this Year.  Meg responded that a Spring / Summer letter can be acted on and welcomed additional input on it.

Friends accepted this report.

Trustees Annual Report (Chris Wickham)
Trustees had a very active two years.  One point to catch up on is documenting FY 2019 annual reports.  The information in the FY 2019 report is pulled from the audit report.  As shown in the attached report, revenue was down for the year and spending was up--due mostly to the construction and the mortgage for FMW’s Meeting House renovations.  

The FY 2020 Report, now in progress, will be coming towards the end of summer.  That report will cover the overall financial standing of the meeting, as well as Trustee’s other activities, including a lawsuit.

Friends accepted this report.

Report by Clerk on various organizations where we have reps (see below--FCNL & AFSC) (Debby Churchman)  The Clerk noted that the FMW handbook calls for reports with respect to the various organizations that FMW is involved with.   FCNL and AFSC are the only two such reports we have.   FCNL just had a major legislative victory in the House, and is moving forward in the Senate.  Diane Randall will be leaving as Director of FCNL at the end of this calendar year.  William Penn House, which has changed its name to Friends Place on Capitol Hill, is now under FCNL, and is currently looking for a director.  

AFSC is very interested in a number of issues, including policing.  The Washington Interfaith Network is also interested in policing issues.  If anyone is willing to help put on a workshop on the issue of policing, contact Debby at dchurchm@yahoo.com.

A Friend noted that Susan Meehan has been a part of this discussion for fifty years and may have contacts who could put on a policing in DC workshop.

Nominations (Virginia Avanesyan)

• Dante Bucci - Trustees.   Friends approve this nomination.
• Neil Froemming - Financial Coordinator.  Friends approve this nomination.
• Betsy Bramon - Membership. Friends approve this nomination.
• Hayden Wetzel - Personal Aid.  Friends approve this nomination.
• Chad Dobson - Garden. Friends approve this nomination.
• Chad Dobson - Library. Friends approve this nomination.

The Clerk asked that if anyone knows people interested in serving on committees, to please reach out.

Membership (Rob Farr)

The Clerk noted that there have been no applications for transfer or membership since the Spring.  This is, in part, a plea to be available to those who are considering membership.  

Years ago, the Meeting put on Inquirers’ Classes that explored several questions regarding the spiritual differences between being a member and an attender of FMW.  The Committee is proposing putting on an Inquirers’ class.  

One Friend noted that the Inquirers’ Class is already being planned under M&W.  Jean Meyer Capps is working on the Inquirers’ Class, and noted that last time the class was held, three people attended.

M&W needs more input, but doesn’t know the best way to get it from those who would benefit from the Inquirers’ Class.  The best idea seems to reach out to the YAF community.  Jean noted that she would reach out to Rob and talk separately about the Inquirers’ Class.  The class would ideally incorporate the fundamentals of our tradition.  Rob or anyone else who wants to be involved are encouraged to reach out to Jean with input and ideas.  

Other Business

September 19 Community Celebration/Open House (Gene)

This began as a book sale that the library committee wanted to organize.  It’s since expanded, and the idea now is that there would be a book sale and tables set up on Quakerism and the various work that Quakers do (on homelessness, for example).  The idea would be to display the vibrancy of FMW’s community.  

It would also be an effective way to showcase the space for rental events.  The Meeting is still looking for volunteers to staff this event.  There is a Meeting on July 27 over Zoom to discuss organizing this event.  Please reach out to Gene if you would like to be involved.

In addition, the Meeting is asking for donations of books (not necessarily Quaker books) to build up an inventory for book sales on September 19.  Please bring your books to the library if you would like to donate them. 

The meeting closed at 1:30 pm, to be reconvened as way opens on 9/12/2021.

ADDENDA: ATTACHED COMMITTEE REPORTS

Event Rental Financials

We earned $66,409 from event rentals during FY21, surpassing our budgeted goal of $50,000 for the fiscal year. During FY21, we earned $160,311 from office rentals, surpassing our budget of $100,000.

Bookings for FY 2022 (which began Jul 1st) are more than double what we have ever had before going into a new fiscal year. As of Thursday 7/15/21, we had already booked more than 90% of our FY22 goal of $100,000.

Space Users

Social and other events in June 2021 included:

• A Jewish community that is a regular user of our gardens on Saturday mornings
• A bat mitzvah and celebration as well as two other bar mitzvah celebrations
• A fundraiser for an organization that supports teachers in DC Public Schools
• Multiple baby showers (one which featured a surprise wedding) and an engagement party
• Several small weddings
• A child’s birthday party
• A baby christening
• Approximately six days of film shoots
• A graduation party for new medical doctors
• A repast
• An oboe concert that was livestreamed on Facebook

In addition, all of our office spaces remain fully rented with a combination of nonprofit organizations and small businesses.

Brian Lutenegger, Event and Rental Manager

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Report of the FMW Fundraising Task Force to Meeting for Business – July 2021

The Fundraising Task Force, composed of Meg Greene, Frank Garvey and Susan Griffin, was created in September 2020 to give a boost to FMW’s finances over the next year. The idea was to integrate efforts to raise funds for the capital campaign into fundraising for general support, to include the cost of our mortgage going forward.

Our activities throughout the year were as follows:

1. We gained a better understanding of who gives already, becoming more familiar with Breeze, and the concentration of contributions in various “bands” to the Meeting. As part of this exercise, we analyzed our data to create a giving pyramid that describes the Meeting’s contributions. We intend to update this pyramid to reflect the past year’s giving.
2. We took steps toward communicating about fundraising more effectively as a Meeting. The main goal is to formulate our requests for support in a way that connects to our mission as a community. In pursuit of this goal we engaged in the following activities.
3. We asked Brian Lutenegger to improve our website to reflect the mission of the Meeting:
   * Some success: we made our donate link more prominent on our home page and changed some of the language. We are coordinating with the Admin Secretary so the Task Force is alerted to discontinuations of ACH payments. And we developed new language for EFT reply to online donations with Brian Lutenegger’s help.
   * In the works: Brian has generated a beautiful new website with photos that show who we ARE, harmonious fonts and links but it has yet to be posted. We view this as urgent and essential.
   * Work remaining: Given that we didn’t advance much on the mission statement, that language will need to be integrated in the coming months. It will provide expanded text that highlights what we DO.
4. We developed and sent out an end-of-year fundraising letter that encourages people to contribute to all costs of the Meeting rather than just the capital campaign. Although it is our understanding that our total revenues are down over the past year, that letter seems to have been quite successful, as the contributions during that period were comparable to or slightly above those made during the previous year.
5. We drafted and sent out two emails for Giving Tuesday (a first for the Meeting?).
6. We developed our skills in Breeze and established a system for reviewing contributions on a monthly basis. As a consequence we have written hundreds of thank yous (and called many others) to the generous members of our community who previously were more sporadically recognized.
7. We started working with Bill Foskett of Finance and Stewardship to develop a narrative budget that aligns with our mission and values and is more accessible to lay readers. That is a project we need to advance in the coming months.
8. We updated the end-of-Meeting for Worship request read by the Committee sitting Head of Meeting, and trying to come up with innovative ways to make that request from the Task Force as well. We need to ensure that the language is used more consistently by Heads of Meeting.

Three areas in which we will be focusing going forward

1. We would like to develop a mission statement, but engaging members of our community in those discussions was very difficult during Covid. We solicited responses via our listserv to a set of missional queries to gather people’s thoughts on who we are as a community.[1] Only a few people responded (the information they provided was wonderful). Our plan is to solicit these inputs again in September, and then to organize some threshing sessions to develop language for our website.
2. Identifying and engaging new contributors. This has been challenging during this time when we have been connecting remotely. Going forward, we will spend more time looking at demographic information we have, especially on younger community members; informing ourselves of the needs and interests of the various age and stage-of-life cohorts; thinking about how our letters and communications can be adapted to reflect these divergent needs and interests
3. Pledges. Sigh. Given that we Quakers do it all ourselves and have been learning about fundraising in connection with the Capital Campaign, the documentation of pledges to the Capital Campaign was weak, making it difficult to know how long people committed to contributing and how precisely to follow up. Our overall sense is that very few people have fallen short on their pledges.

Our next steps on pledges are:

• Meg is reviewing the information we have and is (slowly) developing a plan for following up with specific donors whose contributions appear to have lapsed or who might consider contributing at a higher level. 
• It seems to be time to develop a pledge letter to contribute to a unified fund to support the Meeting. That letter will need to provide meaningful figures that reflect our current financial situation and our mortgage. We need to generate accessible information for our community that will mobilize them to support the Meeting. So far the Meeting has been unsuccessful in this.
• Meg is planning to meet with the bookkeeper to get greater clarity on our financial situation so that this information can be integrated into future communications. 

The Fundraising Task Force members

We wanted to call to the attention of others that we are a Fundraising Task Force, whose members committed to one year of service, which ends in September 2021.

• Susan Griffin has resigned from the Task Force.
• Frank Garvey is resigning from the Task Force.
• Meg Greene is willing to commit to staying on for another six months if others are willing to volunteer to support specific tasks enumerated here. 

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[1] * Missional queries - suggested by Cultivating Generous Congregations course

• Who are we called to be?
• What are we called to do in our culture/context today/in our community?
• What barriers/resistance confront us?
• What changes in self- perception would free us to be faithful, fruitful and to flourish?
• Do we give thanks and celebrate all that we have and all that we are able to do in the world?

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FISCAL YEAR 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE TRUSTEES OF FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON (FMW)

FMW’s overall financial position was mixed during FY 2018-19 (July 1, 2018– June 30, 2019). Revenue decreased and spending increased while the meeting’s net assets increased, primarily thanks to capital improvements. FMW revenue from all sources decreased about $985 thousand to about $724 thousand.  Unrestricted contributions decreased from about $460 thousand to about $355 thousand while restricted contributions increased from about $62 thousand to $75 thousand. Our expenses increased somewhat, from approximately $536 to $583 thousand.  We concluded FY19 with an increase in net assets of about $200 thousand, from about $4.0 to $4.2 million. This increase in net assets was due to capital campaign contributions and, in particular, capital improvements.

FY19 REVENUE DECREASED

In FY19, Friends donated about $430 thousand, down from approximately $521 thousand in FY18, although restricted contributions increased, from about $62 thousand to about $75 thousand. Our total revenue and support was $724 thousand. Space rental income earned the Meeting about $156 thousand dollars, $91 thousand less than the previous fiscal year due to construction in the Meetings rental spaces, and an additional $175 thousand was donated for the Simpson Scholarship, the Personal Aid Fund and the Shoebox Project.  Our investments had net unrealized gains of about $38 thousand, about $62 thousand less than FY18. 

FY 19 SPENDING INCREASED

FMW FY19 total spending was about $583 thousand, about $47 thousand more than  $536 thousand in FY18. The largest changes were a $24 thousand increase in personnel and consultant costs and a $21 thousand increase in site costs. Office expenses also increased slightly, and other expenses remained approximately level. 

FY19 LONG-TERM DEBT

In FY 2019, liabilities totaled $3,166,672. Cash flow from the mortgage increased by $2,800,906 in this fiscal year, all of which was used to pay costs of our renovation. In the fiscal year 2019  the Meeting began drawing on a loan with Sandy Spring Bank,  in a maximum amount of $3.6 million and carrying interest at a fixed rate of 4.35% per annum. We made interest-only payments through and including September 1, 2019. On September 1, 2019, the construction loan converted to a permanent mortgage at a balance of $3,350,000. Principal and interest payments are due monthly in the amount of $18,456, based on a 25-year amortization schedule beginning October 1, 2019, with the mortgage terminating on June 1, 2032. By that date, the Meeting will refinance the amount remaining, which would be approximately $2,000,000 without additional payments made in the interim period.  

ASSETS

The value of the Meeting’s investment portfolio decreased by $39,479 in FY 2019, to $1,885,917, though the Meeting’s assets increased overall. The Meeting’s net assets, without donor restrictions, increased by $82,494, to $2,531,401 in fiscal year 2019.  Net assets with donor restrictions increased also, to $1,631,362 for total net assets of 4,162,763 at the end of FY 2019.  

INTEGRITY OF FMW FINANCIAL RECORDKEEPING

The Meeting’s financial records are audited independently every third year and subjected to a review in the other two years.  No problems were identified by the auditors. Our financial review was considered satisfactory by the reviewing agency.  

Copies of FMW financial reviews and audits are available in the Library and are electronically on the  Meeting’s website at www.quakersdc.org/TrusteesFinance_and_Stewardship 

Trustees recognize and appreciate the assistance of the Finance and Stewardship Committee, the Capital Improvement Task Force, Accountant Henok Tedla, Former Bookkeeper Laurie Wilner, and our Meeting Administrative Secretary, Barbara Brigg, in preparing this report.

Report from our Rep to FCNL

• The House vote to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force represents a dramatic expansion of bipartisan support from just last year.  It is now up to that pesky Senate so unclear how that may go though it may be that bipartisanship will spill over to the Senate.  Hold that thought.  FCNL's Advocacy teams are doing "virtual" lobby visits so all of the priorities continue.

• As you know, the two bills on Voting Rights are essential and it is unclear how Biden/Senate calculus is moving--or not.  Expanding the Child Tax Credit is another critical issue--it would cut child poverty in half.

• William Penn House is now under the FCNL Education Foundation and will do many of the legislative, training for advocacy on peace and social justice issues, and hosting.  It is now called:  Friends Place.  They have a job description available for the director position so please encourage people to consider that opportunity and alert their networks.

• Diane Randall is leaving at the end of the year so FCNL needs a new Executive Secretary--a remarkable opportunity.  Continuing the trajectory laid out under Diane's leadership will require great discernment and Light.

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Report from AFSC Rep 

In May there was a webinar to discuss if federal legislation could transform policing and ways to get involved.  Some of the key issues noted for AFSC are advancing peacebuilding, humane migration response, healing, not punitive justice and just economies.  The website has many opportunities to lend your energy to these efforts.  You can sign up to receive text alerts to take action or for upcoming events like the webinars that I mentioned.  The texts are not overwhelming… maybe one or two per month at most.  

Finally another way to support the work of AFSC for those who are led is to sign up for a monthly donation.  This is a convenient way to lend your economic support putting our quaker values into action.  

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