PYM Online Disability/Caregiver Support Groups

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) is hosting two support groups: one for Friends with disabilities (referred to as Disability Support Group) and another for Friends who are caregivers of Friends with disabilities (referred to as the Caregiver Support Group). Each support group will meet monthly on Zoom over the course of six months, with closed captioning and transcript enabled for those who need it.

Please note that these support groups are limited to members and attenders of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.

The support group for Friends with Disabilities will be co-facilitated by Nancy Williams (Harrisburg Monthly Meeting) and Susan Elliott (Chester Monthly Meeting). Susan is a Pastoral/Spiritual caregiver and has had a disability for most of her life.

The support group for Friends who are Caregivers will be facilitated by Janaki Spickard-Keeler (Friends Counseling Service) and Kristin Simmons (PYM, Youth Engagement Coordinator). Along with serving the yearly meeting, Kristin works as a social worker, supporting autistic children.

Each support group will be capped at twelve participants.

Participants must be ages 18+ in order to participate.

Internet Connectivity

We understand that some Friends may find it difficult to connect to the internet. If you are a Friend that experiences problems with accessing the internet and joining this support group via Zoom would be difficult, please let us know. We would love to help find a way for you to connect to the online support group, through accessing local resources or connecting you with Friends that can support you from your local monthly and quarterly meetings. Please email Inaara Shiraz, ishiraz@pym.org, or call (215) 241-7213 if you have any questions.

The support groups are set to begin in January 2025. Registration is rolling, and you are encouraged to register as soon as you can. Registration form is below.