Dear John,

Seven months after COVID-19 first prompted calls to quarantine at home, the pandemic continues to deeply affect our lives. Many are grieving and many are struggling—to stay healthy, to put food on the table, to help children navigate the new landscape of school. 

At the same time, there are reasons for hope. People continue to give generously of their time and money to help neighbors near and far access food and other essentials. And as more cases of police brutality come to light, many continue to peacefully protest the racial injustices of our criminal legal system—and explore new approaches to keeping our communities safe.

Thank you for all the ways you join us in working for a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. 

National Days of Action to #FreeThemAll (Sept. 9-13): COVID-19 has put the lives of more than 2.3 million people at risk in prisons, jails, and immigrant detention centers across the U.S., where social distancing is impossible and access to health care is inadequate. Join our days of action by taking action online and finding or hosting an event in your community.

Register for our webinar: From Attica to Abolition: The U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world—but instead of keeping communities safe, prisons are rife with human rights abuses and amplify cycles of violence. Join our webinar Sept. 8 to learn more about why we urgently need to end mass incarceration and embrace new approaches to community safety so that we can #FreeThemAll.

AFSC brings COVID-19 testing and food to farmworkers in Florida: “We have food in the supermarkets because [migrant farmworkers] are out there working,” says AFSC’s Lis-Marie Alvarado. “We owe it to our community to come through in times of need.” (Miami Herald)

Tell General Mills: Stop manufacturing Pillsbury products on stolen Palestinian land: Thank you to everyone who contacted General Mills this week to urge the company to stop profiting from the occupation. If you haven’t already, take action today.  

Here’s another opportunity to take a stand for Palestinian rights: AFSC is co-sponsoring virtual Palestine Advocacy Days (Sept. 14-18), led by our partner, American Muslims for Palestine. Learn virtual lobbying skills and then meet with congressional members, including Reps. Betty McCollum and Rashida Tlaib, and their staff. Register today.

6 reasons why it’s time to defund the police: Protests against racist police violence are fueling the call to divest from policing—and for investment in transformative forms of justice as well as schools, health care, and other human needs that truly keep our communities safe, writes AFSC’s Mary Zerkel.   

Honoring A. Philip Randolph, a leader in the March on Washington: AFSC’s Rick Wilson looks at the life of a hero of the labor movement and the African American struggle for freedom, justice, and equality.

Lastly, thank you to every person who signed up to become a Partner for Peace—helping us exceed our goal of reaching 104 monthly donors! Your support makes it possible for us to respond to crises as they arise and sustains our work for peace and justice throughout the year.