Dear John,

This is a moment where changes are possible that seemed unbelievable just a month ago.

People around the world are showing what it means to stand together in solidarity against racial injustice and economic inequality — all in a time of a global pandemic that will not go away. We are demonstrating what it means to care for one another as a global community. And in doing so, we are demonstrating what real safety for communities can look like — how it is based in caring and service, not guns, prisons, or walls.

John, thank you for being a part of this change with us. Your solidarity and support mean so much to all of us at AFSC. I’m writing today to share just a few examples of what caring people like you have helped make possible in recent months.

Protecting people in prisons, jails, and detention centers from COVID-19

As the pandemic took hold, AFSC was among the first to urge immediate action to protect those in U.S. prisons, jails, and detention centers — from making soap available for hand-washing to granting immediate release. More than 10,000 AFSC supporters sent messages to governors and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directors while our legal team supported several successful petitions for release.

Moving produce from farm to food bank in New Mexico

When farmers found themselves without customers and food banks fell short on donations, AFSC’s sustainable farming program in New Mexico made an innovative arrangement, helping farmers buy seed and supplies in exchange for donating crops. The program became a national model and continues to attract new partners.

Delivering hygiene kits to Palestinian elders

People living under Israeli occupation have difficulty accessing health care and essential supplies — especially dangerous in this time of COVID-19. AFSC’s decades-long history in the region positioned us to work with partners to distribute hundreds of sanitation kits to seniors in Gaza and the West Bank — while continuing to advocate for the Gaza blockade to be lifted and for all Palestinians to have the freedom to meet basic human needs.

Providing health care workers with protective equipment in both Zimbabwe and Jordan

In Zimbabwe (pictured above) and in Jordan (especially in densely populated areas where Syrian refugees tend to live) health care workers lacked adequate supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE). Working with partners like the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights and the Jordan Paramedic Society, we have been able to get items such as reusable N95 and medical/surgical masks, goggles, gowns, hand sanitizer, medical gloves, and infrared thermometers to doctors, nurses, paramedics, and pharmacists.

Building a community network in West Virginia

Through the years, AFSC has played a key role in expanding free school breakfast and lunch to children statewide in West Virginia. But when schools closed and stay-at-home orders were put in place, many children, seniors, and other West Virginians were in danger of going hungry. We mobilized to form Rapid Response WV, a network of organizations and more than 300 volunteers working together to purchase and deliver food and hygienic supplies to people in need.

We truly appreciate your support

The pandemic has made clear that we are all interconnected — and that our health and well-being depend on one another. Thank you to everyone who has joined in calling for greater justice — and who has stepped forward to help a neighbor — near or far — in these times of challenge and possibility.

In peace,

Mark Graham
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
American Friends Service Committee