by WebPost | Jul 23, 2026 | Activity, Food Insecurity, Immigration, VICPP Working Group
Care is Resistance
Food Boxes for Our Neighbors: Health Brigade is collecting culturally appropriate food boxes for Latine and Afghan immigrant patients and families. Many families are experiencing a new level of food insecurity as they are avoiding grocery stores and public spaces out of concern for increased ICE presence. These boxes can offer relief and a reminder that people care.
Lists of items requested for each culture are on each box. Please bring any thing you can to Meeting and place it in the boxes outside the Meeting room. Name brands or generic products are welcome. Rhonda Ligon will collect your donations and develop the boxes for each family to be delivered to Health Brigade.
Items may be purchased in many grocery stores. It is extremely helpful to the immigrant community to support a local business, such as Arco Iris Latino Market or Mis Pais Mart for Latin items, or Mantu Market and Watan Market for Afghan products. There are Latin and Afghan wishlists to be found on Amazon and Walmart online sites.
by WebPost | Nov 22, 2025 | Activity, VICPP Working Group
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and Virginia Interfaith Power and Light are hosting Day for All People on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. This is a great opportunity to learn about justice and make a difference in our state laws! Join faith leaders in Richmond to meet with legislators about affordable housing, maternal health, higher education in prison, and other important issues. Day for All People will start at 8:00 am and end around 2:30 pm. Early bird registration (before January 1) is $30. Then it's $40. Find out more information and register at: tinyurl.com/2026DFAP
A small group of us will be going. Would you like to join us? Contact Monica Shaw with questions.
It's a great way to make January more interesting!
by WebPost | Nov 6, 2025 | Uncategorized
Please consider donating food to help the growing numbers of people experiencing food insecurity, especially during the federal government shutdown. We offer two ways at Richmond Friends Meeting: You can support the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) food drive for Feed More; and you can help stock the new food pantry at Redd Elementary School. Donation boxes for each are located in the anteroom behind the worship room at the meetinghouse. Each box lists the specific needs for each organization.
The list of items requested by FeedMore is in a different post on the website. Below is a list of nonperishable food items requested by Redd School. We will be delivering food to the school weekly for an indefinite time; the VICPP drive will go through November.
Redd School Pantry Needs
Canned vegetables and fruit
Canned soups, stews, and proteins (tuna, chicken, chili, etc.)
Rice, pasta, and pasta sauce
Boxed meals and shelf-stable sides
Peanut butter and jelly
Breakfast items (cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix)
Snacks appropriate for students
Shelf-stable milk or juice
As our Communities in Schools coordinator at Redd wrote to our team of mentors from RFM, “We know that when students lack access to nutritious food outside of school, it impacts their wellbeing, attendance, and academic success. Your support and generosity will help us create a close-to-home resource to provide stability and comfort when other resources may be limited.”
Already we delivered a good amount of food to Redd School, thanks to your big hearts and generosity! When RFM affirmed our commitment to racial justice last year, we strengthened our involvement in VICPP’s advocacy for economic, racial, and social justice in Virginia; and we began mentoring students at Redd Elementary School, where most of the students come from low-income Latino or African-American families. Thank you for supporting our community members in need!
by WebPost | Nov 6, 2025 | Uncategorized
Hello Friends! Perhaps you heard Rev. LaKeisha Cook, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), interviewed on public radio about the need for food in Central Virginia. Richmond Friends Meeting (RFM) is a VICPP congregational partner. Yesterday, members of the RFM VICPP Working Group received an email appeal from Rev. Cook asking for VICPP congregations to collect food for a food bank.
The VICPP Working Group will collect food from the list below during November to donate to FeedMore. We will have a big box there shortly, but the collection area is in the foyer between the worship room and the education buildings. If you prefer a monetary contribution, please donate directly to FeedMore. Over 97% of your gift directly supports FeedMore's programs and mission.
We hope that you will support Virginia families who have lost jobs and food benefits, and children, persons with disabilities, and older persons who need help year-round. If you have questions, contact Diane Bowden at bowden.diane@gmail.com.
Please, no glass containers!
Nut butters like peanut butter
Canned proteins like tuna and chicken
Canned soup and vegetables
Canned fruits
Canned tomato products
Beans and lentils (cans or bags)
Cereal (hot or cold)
Pasta, rice, and whole grains
Healthy snacks, dried fruits, and nuts
Condiments, Oils & Spices
Thank you for your kindness!
by WebPost | Sep 23, 2025 | Uncategorized
This November, Virginians will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all members of the House of Delegates. This election, as every election does, will shape the course of our Commonwealth for the next four years.
In our August business meeting, RFM agreed to become one of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy’s (VICPP’s) 100% Voting Congregations, which means we pledge to educate ourselves about the candidates, register to vote if we’re eligible, and exercise our right to vote come election day. To that end, the VICPP Working Group is working on a number of activities to educate our Meeting about the voting process in Virginia and about the candidates (we will not be endorsing a particular candidate).
In September, the Working Group posted and distributed a flier with information about Virginia’s voting process and where to get information about registering to vote, finding your polling place, early voting, etc. as well as set up two sessions after Meeting to help people register to vote, find information about candidates, etc.
More information about October events will be forthcoming. Check the RFM Newslist to learn more.