Sarasota Friends Announcements

Sarasota Friends – Announcements

Hold in the Light: Mary Elmendorf—health; Hausman Family—grieving; Maxe Millery—health; Marie Condon—health.

Marie Hausman's daughter-in-law, Joy, died at 9:55 am Friday morning (8/21) with her husband, Bob, at her side. A memorial service will be held in their hometown of Woodstock, NY, on Sunday afternoon, August 23rd. Please continue to hold Marie, Bob and the entire Hausman family in the Light.

Mary Elmendorf is still in the hospital (Sarasota Memorial) and is apparently doing better. While cards would be welcome, it's probably best to hold off on visits, allowing Mary to rest for the time being.

Rick Farmeris in Lowell, MA, for two weeks working as a community organizerto create election reform with a charter amendment called “Choice Voting.”They intend to change the voting system to what is called "Proportional Representation" as compared to "Winner Take All." It is a model based on that of Cambridge, MA. He is working 10-hour days with various community organizations. He says they are reaching their goal and have created a great organization; it is fun being a paid revolutionary!

Meanwhile Mitchell has departed for Tallahassee where he willstart

college next week.

Hospitality Leader: Nathan Maxwell

August Kitchen Angels: Fran Palmeri, Ann Sundberg, Rolf Hanson, Barbara Dondero.

Meeting Reminders:Several members and attendees have difficulty hearing messages, so use a strong, clear voice when giving vocal ministry during Meeting For Worship. Also, several persons in the Meeting are quite chemically sensitive, so please refrain from the use of aftershaves, perfumes, and the like so that the spiritual experience of all might be undisturbed.At Rise of Meeting: It has been suggested that we not get to our feet at the rise of Meeting each week. Instead, we can just shake hands with those we can reachfrom our seat and wave to those further away.It is thought that this provides a more reserved ending to our most important time of silence together.If there are those among us who object, this suggestion could be discussed at a Meeting for Business.

Forms: Two forms, the "Emergency Contact" and the "Request for Memorial Meeting,"are available in the FirstDay schoolroom. Theyare designed to aid in providing support and care when needed.

Meeting Stewardship: Support our Meeting and the Meetinghouse.Use the wall box inside the entrance to the Meeting Room to make your contribution, or see our Newsletter for information on other ways to contribute.
Food Bank Donations: Donations of non-perishable food, athletic socks, and money for area food banks can be put in thewall box and basket next to the oven in the kitchen. In odd-numbered months, donations go to All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota; in even-numbered months they go to Our Daily Bread inBradenton. Boband Marie Condon coordinate the distribution of donations; delivery is made when enough items haveaccumulated.

Pastoral Care: Members of the Pastoral Care Committee(Jennifer Mendoza,Pat Weston,Mary Paul, Don Cumming, Diane Metz, Freddie Windriver,Iris Ingram,Barbara Dondero, Sally Ann Garner,and Maxe Millery)are available for compassionate listening.Feel free to approach a committee member at the rise of meeting, or by phone.

Website: Both the Newsletter andWeekly Announcements can be accessed through the links listed on the left side of the Meeting's website (

Submissions: Please e-mail any announcements for the next issue to John Steinmeyer at . It is best if he can receive them by Wednesday evening prior to the Meeting.

PeaceEducation & ActionCenter (PEAC)

International Peace Day is coming up on September 21, 2009. We would like you to join us in the effort to raise awareness and take action on this day. Whether you are a member of a local organization that would like to participate or you would like to participate as an individual, we welcome you. Action can be anything from saying a prayer for peace, to having a special collection to support an organization doing good work, hosting a speaker on a topic related to peace, showing a peace film, having a community dinner, volunteering at a school, or other actions. Starting on Friday, September 11 at 10:30am, the Sarasota Film Society will join us to screen “The Day After Peace” at BurnsCourtTheater. The film will also be shown the next day at 10:30am at the Lakewood Ranch Theater. The movie charts the remarkable 10-year journey of award-winning filmmaker Jeremy Gilley to establish an annual peace day on September 21. Further event details to follow as the time nears.

The UN International Day of Peace was started in 1981 as a day to announce ceasefires in conflict areas around the world. The idea is that if people can commit to one day of non-violence and global ceasefire, then maybe they can commit to two, then three, and so on. So we are trying to get individuals and organizations to take action for peace, not necessarily world peace, but peace right here in our community, in our homes, schools, and communities.

Book sale:PEAC will be fundraising with a book sale again, so Sharon Fitzpatrick is collecting as many books as possible between now and 9/27. To donate books for the sale, contacther at , call her at 941-321-3072, or just ship the books to her at 303 Rubens DriveNokomis, FL34275.John Steinmeyer will also help in this effort.

Regional, National & International Announcements

Check the new FCNL: The website of the Friends Committee on National Legislation has a nice arrangement for sending letters to Federal officials. Visit their website at in the left margin under “Take Action,” click on Contact Congress. You get a screen that prompts you for your zip code, and then provides email and other contact info for the President, Senators, and House Members. When you click on email for any of them, it lets you pick a topic on which to write, and then provides suggested text that you can use or provide your own.