Dear {{FirstName or 'Friend'}},
Welcome to the second issue of the AFSC alumni newsletter! In this issue, we’ll share some AFSC history, ways that you can connect to our current work, and news from alumni like you.
Remember to share your own news and updates with us and join our growing Facebook group!
With deep appreciation,
Tonya Histand
Alumni Director
Alumni news & notes
For the past seven years, former AFSC staff member Erika Almirón has served as the executive director of Juntos, one of the most high-profile immigrant-led organizations in Philadelphia. Recently she announced her plans to run for Philadelphia City Council.
During their long tenures with AFSC, Allan and Peggy Brick helped establish the Middle Atlantic Region Office in Baltimore. Allan passed away last August, followed by Peggy in December of last year.
From 1966 to 1968, Ann Mullin and Shel Stromquist volunteered in Tanzania with AFSC’s Voluntary International Service Assignments program. They married in Tanzania and returned this past summer to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and visit the villages they had lived in as well as several people with whom they had worked.
Jane Guise worked for 13 years in AFSC’s Cambridge office. She passed away on Jan. 13, the day after her 90th birthday celebration, which she dedicated to AFSC.
Lifetime activist and educator Patricia Rumer fell in love with Guatemala in 1969 as a volunteer with AFSC. She recently published “Choices: Death, Life and Migration ,” a book that describes her own transformational life journey.
Do you have news to share? Email us today!
Archive dive
When did you first encounter AFSC? Check out this timeline of AFSC’s work through the decades and walk with us through highlights of working for peace and justice over the past century.
AFSC today
AFSC West Associate Regional Director Matthew Leber wrote “What a night in Border Patrol custody taught me about how we treat migrants” for In These Times. The op-ed describes his experience after being arrested while taking part in AFSC’s nonviolent direct action Loves Knows No Borders.
Somtochukwu Okafor, an AFSC intern in Dayton, Ohio, has overcome several challenges in her life, including migrating from Nigeria at age 15. She writes about her adjustment to life in the US and her excitement about her work. “With each passing day, we are getting closer to our goal of creating a Pan-African youth caucus,” she writes.
Want to hear more stories from current staff? Read Quakers of AFSC, a series of interviews with Quakers who have worked or currently work closely with AFSC.
More ways to connect with AFSC
- Subscribe to AFSC Weekend Reading for weekly updates on our work.
- Take action to save TPS and pass legislation to create a roadmap to citizenship for all immigrants!
- Join our upcoming webinar with current and former interns Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. ET /5 p.m. PT.
- Attend an alumni gathering in Philadelphia on April 13, 2019.
- Read Quaker Action. The next issue highlights AFSC alumni and their contributions to our work!
Thank you for reading our AFSC alumni newsletter! To learn more about our Alumni Network and connect with former friends and colleagues, visit our webpage and Facebook group. You can also email me questions and suggestions.