Inreach/Outreach annual report 2019

The Inreach/Outreach Committee noted, with thanks and appreciation, the services of committee members, Annemarie Hindman, Nancy Martin, Carol Richardson, Pam Skinner and Debbie Watts, who were going off the Committee. We welcomed Kim Mancuso, Pat Sherwin, Deb Vogt, and Ginna Wilcox as new members of the Committee.

Activities in 2019 included:

Mailing “Welcome Neighbor” postcards to new residents of zip code 18940.

Sending press releases to local media outlets that promoted activities at the meeting. Norval Reece wrote and placed 32 news releases during the past year in the Advance, Bucks County Herald and Newtown Patch online announcing adult class programs, children’s programs, the Aging Well series, Memorial March for the Lost and other activities related to the Meeting. 

Two I/O Committee members attended a workshop, “Welcoming the Newcomer” on February 9th at Abington Friends Meeting sponsored by Bucks Quarter.

Several copies of the CD, What to Expect in Quaker Meeting for Worship, produced by Friends Journal have been distributed to newcomers.

Two Red Cross Blood Drives were held at the Meetinghouse on April 5th (30 donors),

 and October 28th (27 donors), coordinated by Carol Richardson.

Ann DiSilva coordinated the 5th Grade Walking Tour on June 5th

We sponsored a picnic at Core Creek Park on September 28th that was attended by 19 adults and 2 children, enjoying good weather, croquet games and kayak paddling.

There are eight “Friendly 8s” groups involving 34 household in the 2019-2020 program year, coordinated by Jim Norton.

The Spiritual Explorations Group, which meets on Wednesday evenings, sponsored a retreat at Kirkridge on October 11-13th, led by Pat McBee, with 10 Friends attending.

We distributed a Meeting-wide survey in October, coordinated by Norval Reece and Annemarie Hindman. There were 90 responses. We plan to distrubute a 2nd survey asking specifically about activities of interest to the Committee on Peace and Service.

Fifteen Friends participated in a dinner/discussion, let by Martha Holland, of the book The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, on November 1st.

Our most important mission as an Inreach/Outreach Committee is to welcome visitors and encourage their continued participation in the life of the Meeting.

Among the visitors in 2019, about 20 returned for at least a 2nd visit and within that group about 10 have attended more frequently. We hosted newcomer’s potluck dinners on January 13th, February 10th, March 10th, and October 17th.

Personal notes were written to long-time attenders who live locally but who have not attended meeting for an extended period of time, inviting them to the Christmas Program on December 22nd.

We note, with appreciation, the warm welcome offered visitors and our success, as a meeting community, in including them into the life of the Meeting. We note of the group of visitors who first came to Meeting in the last three years, 20 adults have become members along with 8 children. Of these new members, 2 have moved away, 18 serve on committees, and 3 serve as committee clerks.

Respectfully submitted,Brad Sheeks (Clerk), Ann D’ Silva, Eileen Grant, Kim Mancuso, Jim Norton, Norval Reece, Angie Ratliff, Pat Sherwin, Deb Vogt, and Ginna Wilcox.

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