2020 Appeal

Dear Friends,
Southampton Friends Meeting has experienced myriad challenges this year.
Experiencing a once in a generation pandemic, amid a growing civil unrest
related to racial injustice…during one of the most polarizing elections cycles in
American history, has proven to be both unnerving and inspiring.
Through it all Southampton Friends Meeting has been both a place of
consolation and reflection, as well as a place for renewed commitment to
principles of our faith. Southampton Friends continues to hold hybrid (electronic
and physical attendance) Meeting for Worship each Sunday at 10 am. In
addition, we have Zoom only worship on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm, alternating
between silent worship and a guided meditation called “Experiment with Light,”
originally developed in England by Rex Ambler.
At our monthly meetings for business we continue to thoughtfully discuss our
Meeting’s physical needs, as well as strategize ways to be of service to our
larger community. This year, in particular, our Meeting has utilized our proximity
to Street Road to highlight racial injustice through our continuing Sunday
afternoon vigils. In addition, we continued, throughout the pandemic, to provide
space for Narcotics Anonymous, which holds meetings here two evenings a
week.
While our Christmas Candlelight Celebration on December 22 may look quite
different this year, it will no doubt be a fitting tribute to the tenacity our Meeting
has demonstrated in this epic year.

As we approach year’s end, we invite you to consider a gift to Southampton
Meeting. Individual financial contributions are a clear and measurable indication
of support for the work of the Meeting, and demonstrate an earnest
understanding of the link between the financial health of our Meeting and its
Spiritual Health. This year we are honored to be able to offer a matching option
to contributions made before the end of year. Anonymous donors have offered to
match contributions dollar for dollar up to a cap of $5,000.
Despite this already turbulent year the Meeting has found it necessary to engage
in several long overdue capital projects to protect our aging buildings. This year
we have replaced the 100+ year old slate roof on the House On The Hill, updated
and painted potions of both the House On The Hill AND the Meeting House, and
embarked on several other projects. These latter include electrical upgrades to
both buildings, Covid-19 related air circulation upgrades to the Meeting House,
and work on a proposal to add a solar array on the Meeting grounds. Friends
should feel free to direct their donations to any or all of these very worthy and
needed projects or simply make an unrestricted gift.
Checks may be made out to Southampton Friends Meeting, and mailed to the
address above, or you may make a secure online contribution to Southampton
Meeting at the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting website. Go to www.pym.org, and (if
the MENU button is showing, click on it) then click on the word “Donate”. Click on
a yellow button saying “Make a gift” and scroll down to the “Monthly Meeting or
Quarterly Meeting Contribution” section. In that section you will find a pull-down
menu; scroll down “Southampton”, select that item, and proceed.
If you have questions, please feel free to call Carolyn Peters Michener at 215-
290-2926, or Stephen Moyer at 570-234-7762.
Thank you for your continued support for our Meeting.
Faithfully,
Carolyn Peters Michener, Clerk of Meeting
Stephen Moyer, Assistant Clerk of Meeting
James Michener, Treasurer