AFSC Annual Gathering Food - Last Chance

Please go here to sign up for a food contribution for Saturday night.

AFSC Annual Gathering - Helpers/Performers Needed

If you haven't already reserved the evening of Oct. 22 for the wonderful AFSC-NH dinner and celebration at the Concord UU Church, get it on your calendar so you don't miss this unique opportunity!

For this event, we will come together both online and in person to share our special talents and gifts, whether that's as a musician, dancer, stand-up comedian, storyteller or group skit. We're especially encouraging our youngest Quakers to consider performing.

The link here provides opportunities to volunteer in various capacities but scroll down past the initial list to see the link to volunteer as a performer. Concord Friends are once again volunteering to do break-down and clean-up, and Sara Smith will help coordinate volunteers from our meeting. A call to contribute a potluck dish may also be forthcoming, and we will provide more information on what's needed soon.

But please take a moment to think about what you have to share with our AFSC community and follow this link to sign up. https://forms.gle/AF4z6Y5DyC53n6w77

Halloween

Hearing of a hotel full of families facing housing insecurity needing a fun and up lifting activity for Halloween, (Kids need to be kids! ) several of us have agreed to help gather costumes and candy so they can have a hotel parking lot trick or treating event. We will be collecting new or gently used costumes ( see below for details) and even candy. If you want to offer a cash donation, we will use it to purchase suitable costumes.

About the kids: Halloween costumes needed for 1 year old girl / young toddlers 1 boy, 5 girls / preschool age toddlers 1 boy, 3 girls / kindergarten-aged 5 boys, 2 girls / elementary-aged 2 boys, 5 girls / 4 teenagers- girls

( from our co conspirator who knows these families) The younger toddlers are the ones who are still quite literally "toddling" about while their counterparts are a bit more agile though still young. All approximately 4 years old or younger. The kindergarten group appear to be around 5 or 6. I considered the children in the 7 to 12 year age range as elementary-aged children. Of the four teenagers, two are on the younger end of that (13 and 14) while the other two are possibly 16ish. I know it's a bit old for traditional trick-or-treating but they are still children and deserve to feel special too.

We are hoping we can make some happy memories here- not sad ones! We will be setting up a collection spot soon so they can have them by the week of Oct 23rd. Linda and Sara did some shopping at Goodwill, but many more costumes are needed. If you have costumes to donate, let Sara know the size and type of costume so we can fill the gaps at the final tally. Questions- email Sara Smith.

Ramallah Friends School Student Beaten and Detained

RFS Junior Beaten and Detained by Israeli Military

In the early morning of October 18, Ramallah Friends School Junior Shadi Khoury was beaten in his home by Israeli military forces, then dragged barefoot and blindfolded from the home and placed in detention.

In response, Ramallah Friends School has released the following statement:

On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military raided the home of Shadi Khoury in Jerusalem. Shadi is a 16-year old 11th-grade student of the Ramallah Friends School. He was beaten and taken by the military bleeding, barefoot, and without his parents in the middle of the night.

The School extends its deepest sympathies to and solidarity with Shadi’s family, friends, and teachers. No child should ever experience being taken away from their parents in this brutal and violent way.

We also call on people of conscience everywhere, especially the School’s international community of Friends, alumni, and supporters to mobilize to apply pressure to release Shadi as well as all children and youth detainees in Israeli prisons.

All children have a fundamental right to safety. Yet in Palestine we endure an authoritarian regime where the arrest, interrogation, and prosecution of children by an occupation military is a systemic and common practice.

Ramallah Friends School

Here is a link to the most recent newsletter from RFS

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