Vital Friends: April 2019

Vital Friends is FGC’s monthly eNewsletter that shares news, resources, and announcements with Friends. Below is the introductory text and table of contents. Our April 2019 issue is about making Quaker faith and practice accessible for everyone.

Vital Friends is FGC’s monthly eNewsletter that shares news, resources, and announcements with Friends. Below is the introductory text and table of contents.

View the complete eNewsletter online.

Dear Friend,

As a person with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I need to plan ahead and look for accessibility options when I attend big events for FGC. For example, it’s very reassuring that there is a designated quiet dining room available at the FGC Gathering, if I experience sensory overload and need a moment to decompress as I eat. Accessibility support options like this help me navigate some of the more challenging aspects of my disability so that I can be fully present and make decisions with a clear mind when covering events as FGC’s Communications Manager.

Fortunately for me and Friends with disabilities, the annual FGC Gathering offers accessibility support for mobility needs, hearing needs, special diets, and more. Here’s how:

  • In the online Gathering registration form, Friends can indicate their accessibility needs via various check boxes and add details in a text box as they feel led. We can also register Friends over the phone.
  • At the Gathering, our Access Needs table is there for you throughout the week if you have questions or concerns around getting to and participating in activities on your schedule.
  • The Healing Center provides a space for Friends to explore, practice, and experience healing techniques from many traditions (my time at the 2015 Gathering Healing Center with Friend Rubye Braye gifted me with self-care strategies I still use to this day).
  • Our evening plenary presentations have listening devices available to boost sound levels for attendees with hearing difficulties.
  • The Wednesday Afternoon Break is a Gathering-wide practice to rest our minds and our bodies so we are recharged and ready for the rest of the week. 

More information about accessibility at the FGC Gathering is available on our website here, please share it with Friends in your life and with your meeting. Keep reading to see additional updates and resources on accessibility in this month’s Vital Friends.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you at the FGC Gathering this summer!

In the Light,
Marta Rusek
Communications Manager for FGC

In this issue:

  • FGC Gathering 2019 Early Registration is happening now!!!
  • Meet our Gathering Evening Plenary Presenters
  • Spiritual Deepening Library 2.0: Click for Continuing Revelation!
  • Make your Meeting House More Accessible with Help from the Friends Meeting House Fund
  • FGC’s Anti-Racism Ministry: April 2019 Update
  • Opportunities for Transformation: Resources for Aging Friends
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