This past year, as Zenaida stepped into their role as Equity & Empowerment Director, they noticed how QVS is not well practiced at talking about changes in our work, and equity in particular. They wondered: What have we learned about offering a fellowship program for young adult Friends and seekers? Where are our growth edges? How have we changed our model and program components?
Zenaida was curious to know:
- What does an organization that centers equity look like?
- What is our responsibility when something happens in the world we live in that doesn’t align with our values?
- What role does power and hierarchy play with our mission?
- How do we fall in love with the process of centering equity work and transformation, and move away from scarcity and immediate satisfaction?
- How do we inspire that amongst ourselves, our Fellows, our Local Support Committees, our donors, our future applicants, our Alumni, and the communities our Fellows serve?
An Equity Retreat
This Wednesday, Zenaida is entering a weeklong equity retreat to discern where we’re growing & how our collective community can be engaged in equity. Join Zenaida for worship sharing Thurs, April 15 – Weds, April 21 (weekdays only) from 1-2pm ET as they wrestle with the following queries.
What does it look like for the QVS community to center equity? How do we know we are doing it?
All are welcome to join Zenaida via this zoom link. Drop ins are welcome; no need to commit to the entire hour.
What is Worship Sharing?
Worship sharing focuses on a particular question and helps us to explore our own experience and share with each other more deeply than we would in normal conversation. It seeks to draw us into sacred space, where we can take down our usual defenses, and encounter each other in “that which is eternal.” — excerpt from Worship Sharing Guidelines developed by Friends General Conference.
Past Equity Work
Check out past equity blog posts below, including Zenaida’s fall blog post when they stepped into this role.
Planting Seeds of Peace
Photo caption: Boston Fellows, Naren and Karla, at a pro-Palestine march in February 2024.QVS Recruiting and Marketing Coordinator Director Ruth Cutcher shares with us about a workshop she hosted.I am a gardener because I love planting seeds. For many years, I had a...
Epistle on Palestine
Photo: Lit tea candles on a Keffiyeh that creates a shrine. Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) is founded upon the values of peace and community-building. We believe there is a Divine Light in every person. Because of our values and beliefs, it has been...
Addressing Financial Challenges
Photo: The QVS Fellows and Staff at National Orientation in August 2023. Young adults are feeling enormous financial pressure. This is one of the greatest obstacles to participation in QVS. We’ve received this feedback over and over, from the survey we conducted...
Compelled to contribute to the work of building an equitable world? Pledge your support and help us equip young adults for whole lives rooted in Spirit-led social change.