This story is featured in our 2025 Impact Report.

It was at the 2014 Gathering when Hannah Mayer and Eric Peterson realized they might want to be more than “Friends.” (The theme that year was “Let Love be the first motion” …)

Ten years later, they brought their 3-year-old daughter Charley to the Gathering at Haverford in 2024. A “Covid kid” who sometimes struggles with socializing, Charley found fast Friends and thrived with the low kid-to-staff ratio. Eric was really struck by the sweetness of the Junior Gathering staff.

Six months later, Hannah was driving past Haverford when four-year-old Charley piped up from the backseat, “Can we go to FGC again?!” Given her age, Hannah was shocked she remembered! Charley kept remembering and kept asking for several months. With the support of a scholarship, the family headed to Michigan for the 2025 Young Adult & Youth (YAY) Gathering.

At YAY, they each settled into the unique experience of being in an intentional community with other Quaker families. Hannah and Eric created a lounge in their dorm where parents of young children could enjoy fellowship and games while keeping an eye on their kids after they went to bed. It became a popular venue!

Hannah’s favorite part of YAY was the worship space. Centered around the needs of young people, there were blankets on the floor with art supplies and tactile toys. Books were available to read quietly and share as vocal ministry. When Hannah returned home, she recreated the youth-Friendly worship space on a camping trip with her Quarterly Meeting.

Eric and Hannah expressed tremendous gratitude for Friends who have donated to FGC and made it possible for them to take Charley to the YAY Gathering with scholarship support. Your support of FGC can help Friends attend the Gathering this summer!

If you know another partnership or family that started at Gathering, send us an email and tell us about it! And don’t forget to register for the 2026 Gathering!