‘Tis the season to give…

As the holiday season approaches, my mailbox (actual mailbox- where real mail comes from the post office) has more and more requests for giving from various organizations doing good that you might want to support.

As a young(er) person who is trying to save for my future, who has to make my monthly living and bill payments, spends too much on various trivialities and always seems to be trying to catch up with tracking my personal finances, I struggle to decide what organizations to give to, how much I can afford to give and knowing what I am actually supporting through my donation.

More because I know about the work that Quaker organizations do and I believe in that work; I find myself giving to those organizations. Below are various Canadian Quaker organizations to which you might consider donating. Click the link or read below to learn more about how these organizations impact you, either directly or indirectly through the work they are doing.

Donations through Canadian Yearly Meeting, designated for specific programs:

Your gift may not be a big box, covered in bright wrapping paper under the tree, but it is meaningful, thoughtful and important to the work that our community is doing. Happy Holidays folks!

Like cooking and the Food Coop @ CYM… This might be right for you!

Food Coop Coordinator: Advertising for and terms of engagement. 

The actual agreement and additional understandings are made by the Food Coop Organizer in consultation with Program Committee and the Local Arrangement Committee.

Because we can not pre-determine the home of an applicant or their presence in the weeks leading up to the CYM the paragraph  “ To be available on a phone or email basis to collaborate….” is left rather open and is subject to agreed interpretation at the time of negotiations to engage

Help Wanted: Respond with interest by December 31st!

FOOD CO-OP CO-ORDINATOR

To co-ordinate the food co-op at Canadian Yearly Meeting 2012 at Augustana University in Camrose, Alberta.

August 10-18, 2012

The coordinator plans shopping lists, and menu choices in consultation with the Continuing Committee of Food Co-op and the local arrangements committee, facilitates food preparation, manages food storage and ensures safe food-handling practices.

The coordinator has available a host of volunteers for site set up and maintenance, financial control, food shopping, preparation and clean up.

From Thursday Aug 9 to Saturday Aug 19. (A two day start-up shopping-planning period precedes the Saturday evening first meal).  Attends for four hours at each of two meals a day (Breakfast is completely in the hands of co-op members)

We are seeking someone who is familiar with volunteer organizations and sensitive to the Quaker values of simplicity and community building.  The person may or may not be a member of the Religious Society of Friends. An honorarium of $800. is available.

For further information and for application contact:

Nathalie Brunet, Food Coop Organizer, (709) 437-1017

The above ad should have appeared in the December Issue of Canadian Friend L

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

. The co-ordinator will  be adaptable to changing circumstances.  Weather and intense one-week existence of the food coop and the many different volunteers will require the coordinator’s ability to change plans to fit with changing circumstances, and to communicate plans effectively with volunteers..

.To be available on a volunteer basis by phone or email to collaborate with local food-co-op arrangements committee members on appropriateness of site and food sourcing strategies and suppliers.  (This would take place during late spring and early summer to be sure we cover all bases appropriately.  NB the committee is responsible for site and sourcing but should have the expertise  and views of the co-ordinator available to them)  By agreement this liason and co-operation can be very close if the co-ordinator is from the local area.  If the co-ordinator is from a different region and will only be in attendance for the dates of engagement , liason will be by phone/email and the local food co-op committee will organize themselves to be more hands-on during the planning stages.

. NO accommodation is provided for in addition to the honorarium.

. Transportation is NOT provided for.  Volunteers will do most or all the shopping and hauling of site equipment.

. The coordinator will work closely with the lead member of the local food co-op organizing committee and lead volunteers who will take responsibility for most/all shopping and site set up and maintenance and take-down.

. Thursday , Friday and Saturday start-up will require direction of others in site set up ,shopping , storage, and safe-food-handling arrangements.

.A manual, developed by a country-wide continuing committee of food co-op is available for directions and suggestions on recipes, quantities and site operation.  While it can never be a perfect document because of the changing circumstances of sites, weather and total attendance numbers it will be a guide to decision made by self and in concert with lead volunteers.

.Quaker principles of simplicity and community are ever-present.  The emergence of a co-operative and supportive community is a yearly goal.  It is a rewarding experience to be making decisions that help build that community.

.The start-up days and the take-down day(s) will require hands on participation with volunteers.  Feats of strength can be left with others but  the start-up and take-down times are intense for decision making and setting the tone for tasks.

.Applicants.  Please reply with a short letter of your intentions and interest with your contact information to Nathalie.

Explore-A-College

I’m currently in the middle of working on a list of the various Quaker High Schools, Semester Programs and Colleges/Universities which will be a resource very soon.

Until then, I wanted to share this program for those folks thinking about attending a college.

To quote from their brochure: “The Explore-A-College Program is designed to let you ‘practice’ going to college or have ‘dress rehersal’ in preparation for the four-year experience. By taking a class taught by an Earlham professor, you develop college-level discussion, research, and time management skills that you can use in your high school courses and beyond.”

YF Gathering @ Vancouver Meeting House

A gathering of Young Friends took place November 10-12 at the Vancouver Meeting House.  Thirteen youth came together to play, make music, worship and bond for two evenings and one full day. Many had not met before.

As November 11 was Remembrance Day, a Meeting for Worship was held at 11am and we were joined by family and friends in a rich and gathered Meeting.  In the afternoon, the Young Friends ventured to Strathcona area of Vancouver to a youth art centre called the Purple Thistle to participate in a ‘Zine making workshop. 

With Young Friends coming from Victoria, Fort Langley, Burnaby and Vancouver the extending time together provided everyone with time to get to know each other in a relaxed way.  They look forward to seeing each other at future gatherings, such as the Vancouver Monthly Meeting Easter Retreat at Camp Alexandra in Crescent Beach, BC and Western Half Yearly Meeting in Sorrento, BC. 

The extremely reasonable cost of the Young Friends Gathering ($20 per participant) covered the costs of the food we prepared ourselves.  We are very thankful that the members of Vancouver Monthly Meeting were able to support this gathering by allowing us to use the Meeting House and thankful for the trust placed in us.  Thanks also to Micah Leuba, Ruth Walmsley and Fred Bass for their Friendly adult presence.

Submitted by Mavis Dixon on behalf of the participants

Pendle Hill Young Adult Leadership Program

By Erin Abbott-Haines

Pendle Hill changed my life completely.  That may sound like an exaggeration or overstatement, but it truly is not.  Before going to Pendle Hill (PH), I was lost in my life.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do, where I should live – in fact, I didn’t really even know who I was.  Living at PH for six months transformed my life in a time when I needed it most.

Being a west coast Quaker, I didn’t have many experiences with Quaker communities growing up outside of NeeKauNis (always the best 10 days of my summer).  I knew little about Quakers – but enough to know that I was one and wanted to live my life by Quaker ideals.  When I moved to PH, I began a time of learning about the history of Quakers, the different branches of Quakerism, Quaker beliefs and practices … And it inspired me.  It inspired me to dig deeper and live more truthfully into who I was meant to be.

I did one semester as a student and then did the YALD program.  When I left, I had a plan: I was going to attend Earlham School of Religion, get a Masters of Divinity and live in Richmond, Indiana.  Not only that, I had a sense of my true self and worth that I had been missing for years.  And possibly most transformative of all, I had a sense of being connected to the Divine in my life and being Led by something larger than me. 

Suffice to say, Pendle Hill changed my life forever.  And I am so grateful for that change.