Volunteers from four Monthly Meetings in the Haverford Quarter recently came together to donate flour, pumpkin, eggs, milk and other supplies, roll flaky crusts and mix tasty filling, then bake and deliver twenty freshly baked pumpkin pies to area shelters.
Coordinated by OHFM’s Faith Spear, the actual pie baking took place the Tuesday before Thanksgiving in the Haverford Meeting kitchen.
Giving thanks this Thanksgiving for the generosity of Haverford Quarter friends and our eager volunteers!
Members of Old Haverford Friends Meeting alongside volunteers from Haverford Township Tree Tenders worked together to plant eight new trees, three outside our Havertown Meeting House and five more in the historic (founded 1684) burial ground nearby. The day was crisp and clear, and the trees were full of life and promise. Special thanks to George Salloom for acting as meeting liaison with the Tree Tenders
More photos from the day:
Old Haverford Meeting has recently established a comfortable children’s space in the main meeting room (pictured below) to encourage intergenerational worship.
Melinda Wenner Bradley writes on the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting website about the move toward adding welcoming children’s areas, noting that these spaces are “part of a growing conversation about how we welcome children and their parents/caregivers in Quaker community.” Though concerns are sometimes raised “about children’s capacity for stillness and silence,” Wenner Bradley adds, “one response is to acknowledge that yes, their integration with the worshiping body will require both setting expectations and providing preparation. Another response is that the challenges of stillness and silence can be true for both children and adults.”
Wenner Bradley also notes the importance of sending a strong signal to newcomers that “Children are welcome here!”
Old Haverford’s new children’s space, also known as “the cozy corner,” includes books, craft activities, pencils and paper, and some soft animal friends who have no problem with staying silent.
Old Haverford Friends Meeting will be holding a Spring Retreat on Sunday May 19th from 8:30-1:30 PM at the Meetinghouse.
The retreat will be inclusive of worship and our 3rd Sunday potluck lunch. We will start in the morning with reflections on Quaker writings followed by sharing in pairs. Then we will experience some live music before worship, provided by Molly Hicks and Tim Simmons. After worship and lunch, we will explore some queries as a community.
Meeting member sand visitors are welcome to attend all of he retreat events, or just some!
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting will host a family gathering at the Old Haverford Meeting House on April 6th from 3 to 6 PM. There will be an intergenerational activity, time for parent/guardian worship sharing, children’s activities, play time outside, and dinner as a community. Pizza and beverages will be provided. Families are invited to bring a snack/side dish/dessert to share. All ages are welcome!
For more information, contact Kristin Simmons, Youth Engagement Coordinator: ksimmons@pym.org
You can register here!