About Us
Membership: Members and attenders of the Atlanta Friends Meeting. Meetings are open to all that wish to attend. There are usually 5-7 members.
Terms: Three-year, non-consecutive terms.
Meetings: Meetings are usually held once a month, at a time chosen by the committee.
Purpose: This committee encourages and supports individual members and attenders in their social concern leadings. It plans and organizes the Meeting’s social outreach. Quakers for Racial Equality, and Green Friends are currently active examples of the kinds of subgroups that can be periodically formed under the wing of the Social Concerns Committee.
Duties:
- Financial
Prepares an annual budget and presents it to the Monthly Meeting for approval. Items in the budget include support for projects, which involve meeting members and attenders, for community organizations when the Meeting is a member and for organizations and projects. Reviews requests for spending from the Social Concerns Fund, which is for projects involving the whole Meeting, or a number of Meeting members and attenders. Presents recommendations for use of the Fund to the Meeting. - Education
Informs the Meeting about social issues through forums, written articles and announcements. - Reports
Explains to the Meeting the process that led to a recommendation, as well as why some issues were not brought forward.
State of Committee: Report for 2025
Upcoming Events
The Social Concerns committee meets second First Days in the Meeting room near the Zoom screen. All are welcome to attend, and share concerns. This meeting is hybrid and the link is the same as for Meeting for Worship. If you have questions, contact Karen Morris. Child care is available in the Nursery.
Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89686276751?pwd=M29EYllFWEhSQUtZRVVPalFFYmVDQT09
Meeting ID: 896 8627 6751
Passcode: 789456
- June 14, 11:45 a.m. – Meeting
- July 12, 11:45 a.m. – Meeting
- August 9, 11:45 a.m. – Meeting
Recent Events
|
|
Transgender Day of Visibility Forum How do trans and non-binary Quakers in our meeting live their faith in a time of rising hatred? Atlanta’s Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns (FLGBTQC) hosted a forum on March 22 asking this question and celebrating Transgender Day Of Visibility (which is actually March 31). |
|
|
Celebration of International Women’s Day Thanks so much to Julia Ewen, Karen Morris, Cheryl Cowherd, others on the Social Concerns committee, and anyone else who contributed to the wonderful array of free books and other items, the picture display of women in history with additional books for viewing, and the snacks for International Women’s Day/ Women’s History Month! We’ve already had a lot of information, but here is more from The New York Times: Pdf for sharing words + links to print articles from The New York Times Original article with photos/ video- may need subscription to view |
 |
“Gun Violence Prevention: Decade to End Gun Violence” Thanks to all who made the Gun Violence Prevention forum co-sponsored by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and Atlanta Friends Meeting on February 22 a success! Special thanks to our guest speakers Dr. Brenda Smith, Pat Mueller, Madison Drew, and Sue May, to Social Concerns and Quakers for Racial Equality committee volunteers, and to Aaron Ruscetta and Bert Skellie for tech assistance. We had several representatives from Presbyterians, Baptists, Interfaith Children’s Movement, and Georgia Majority for Gun Safety. We look forward to working against gun violence together. The program included guest speakers, break out groups, and take-aways. The following video includes introductions and all the guest speakers’ presentations. Although the camera angle facing the speakers did not record, we can still hear them clearly. Please note that the passcode is necessary to watch or share the video. Copy the passcode first, then click on the link. |
 |
Guns to Gardens at Oakhurst Presbyterian Church (a safe surrender event) Oakhurst Presbyterian Church provided a safe opportunity to surrender firearm(s) by having participants bring unloaded firearm(s) stored in the trunk of their vehicle to the church. The donated guns were dismantled and sent to RAWtools to be made into garden tools. This initiative was co-sponsored by AFM Social Concerns Committee. |
 |
Forum with GA State Senator Elena Parent GA State Senator Elena Parent attended potluck and afterwards presented a forum about how citizens can bring about change. The discussion included bills passed by the Georgia Senate and House and signed by the Governor which will dramatically change education, immigration, and voting in the state, which take effect in the Fall. Topics included rule changes with vouchers for private schools, immigration concerns with deputized police and FBI, removing immigrants at $3,000 per day, unlimited power for the Public Service Commission which has raised GA Power bills., and concerns about purging voter rolls. State Senator Elena Parent was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 2014. She represents the 44th Senate District, which includes portions of DeKalb and Clayton Counties. Senator Parent serves as the Chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education and Youth, Judiciary, Appropriations and Government Oversight. |
 |
There Is No Place For Us: Working and Homeless in America The Social Concerns committee, joined by Quakers for Racial Equality, hosted a hybrid forum, a Book Talk, on Sunday, May 25, in the Meeting room and on zoom. Journalist and AFM attender, Brian Goldstone, author of There Is No Place For Us: Working and Homeless in America, spoke about his work which follows 5 Atlanta families who, despite holding full-time jobs, find themselves without stable housing. The book talk included a book signing with books available for purchase by A Cappella Book Store. View the book talk recording here, using passcode: x^%6dE*? |
 |
Wilson Omeldo, President of ABESUCHI Wilson Omeldo, president of Abesuchi, a youth organization in El Salvador, visited the Atlanta Friends Meeting and spoke at a forum following worship. Abesuchi was founded in the 1990s by AFM members Frank and Carol Cummings when they retired and moved to Suchitoto, El Salvador. Invited by the Social Concerns Committee, Omeldo provided a full report of the scholarship program for post secondary education. |
Contact Us
Interested in learning more? Email us at afm.social.concerns.comm@gmail.com.