PYM’s Aging Support Coordinator, Sheila Sorkin, invites you to participate in an important survey on the Quaker Aging Resources website. The vision for this project may still hold true; however, we will value your input in discerning the future of this valuable website.
New York and Philadelphia Yearly Meetings of Friends (Quakers), through generous funding from Friends Foundation for the Aging and the Thomas Scattergood Foundation, collaborated to develop Quaker Aging Resources (QAR). The project was designed over 13 years ago to assist Meetings and individuals in responding to the needs of aging Friends including age related changes, chronic illness or disability. The resources are intended to uphold a culture of care for the body, mind, spirit and community of the individual, which is consistent with our Quaker faith, and address the following needs:
- Emotional /Behavioral Care
- Death and Dying
- Financial Matters
- Housing/Aging in Place
- Meaningful Retirement
- Physical Health
- Spiritual/Pastoral Support
The resources are designed to support Friends’ aging with particular attention to spirituality, supporting a discernment process and offering concrete and specific information.
As shared by Susan W. Hoskins MSW, Executive Director, Friends Foundation for the Aging and Clerk of the PYM Aging Assistance and Granting Group, FFA was an original supporter of QAR. The Friends Foundation for the Aging was founded in 2008 following the sale of the McCutchen Home in North Plainfield, NJ to support Quaker organizations that serve aging Friends. Over time, continuing revelation of FFA’s purpose has added supporting nonprofit programs with concerns for aging in place and underserved communities. The first grant to PYM was made in 2010 to support a joint effort of NYYM and PYM to create the Quaker Aging Resources website. The intent was to provide resources to individuals and meetings that addressed various aspects of spirituality and aging as well as providing guidance for finding local resources which are often fragmented and difficult to access.
The other funder was the Thomas Scattergood Foundation whose positioning statement notes they believe major disruption is needed to build a stronger, more effective, compassionate, and inclusive society where behavioral health is central. They approach their work with humility and a deep awareness of our privilege in philanthropy. They share power responsibly and are unrelenting advocates for practices that advance equity for all. They recognize and challenge the historic and systemic inequalities that disadvantage and marginalize individuals, organizations, and communities. They work in partnership to achieve more than they can do alone.
George Schaefer, is a member of Abington Meeting in Jenkintown, Pa. A past clerk of both Radnor and Abington Meetings, George served Philadelphia Yearly Meeting from 2009 to 2022 as its Care & Aging Coordinator. George recollected that the original vision of the Quaker Aging Resources website was to create a presence on the internet for aging Friends and others to explore the issues of aging from a Quaker perspective. The resources on QAR are designed to guide individuals and communities through the issues of aging using queries to help discern the unique journey of aging each of us will make. It was an effort to envision a future in which many Friends would age at home, or in-place, as part of their meeting or other faith-community. For this reason, it covers the nine essential aspects of aging from meaningful retirement to death and dying.
Your participation today will assist in discerning the future impact of Quaker Aging Resources in supporting aged Friends, their families and caregivers. We look forward to including your contribution in the review and improvement of this important work.
This article was prepared by Sheila Sorkin, PYM Aging Support Coordinator to provide support, resources and engage the aging community of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting as part of the “To Brighten Your Day” series.
