Behind the Scenes at Mary’s Pence
By Carol Conroy For the last ten months, I worked with Mary’s Pence as a full-time intern as part of Quaker Voluntary Service. During QVS, young adults work full-time in professional positions at community-based organizations, while living in an intentional community house. When I applied for QVS, I was very excited about the possibility […]
Minnesota Muslim Women Are Showing Up, Taking Charge
“What is holding you back from leadership?” Women ask each other this question a lot. The answers are many and varied. There’s institutional politics, prejudice against capable women, distrust and micro-aggressions towards women who have the ambition to lead.
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“The desert is hot, but we are the rain”
Last month, Mary’s Pence connected with supporters at the annual SOA Watch Vigil and Convergence. In the shadow of the border (quite literally), the gathering brought up many questions about the plight of refugees and migrants escaping severe hardship in their home countries.
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Reflecting on the Past, Rising With Dignity
Beginning with personal reflection, each member created a timeline and drew their economic activities/businesses year by year, showing how it began, how it developed or changed, and what they hoped for and expected in the future.
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Brave Communities Making Change
Determination and courage are the words I would use to describe the Mary’s Pence grantees I have had the opportunity to meet in my recent travels. This year, I have been on the road a lot, meeting supporters and visiting several grantees who shared their inspiring stories with me.
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Mary’s Pence Grant at Work in Cincinnati
“We got involved with this kinship care issue,” says lead organizer Lynn Williams, “because many of our members are taking care of relatives’ children or are seeking to take care of children due to a crisis in their family.”
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ESPERA Women Have a Will to Thrive
Each meeting with the women who are part of the ESPERA program in Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico has confirmed for me the positive impact that the program has in the daily lives of every one of the women.
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Breaking the Cycle of Recidivism Through Advocacy—MAYA Organization
Ward established the organization shortly after adopting her daughter, realizing that her daughter’s birth mother was not receiving any postpartum and post-adoption support. Ward became the birth mother’s only support system; she contacted social workers and an attorney to help during this sensitive time.
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Taylor Says Goodbye
As I turn to go, I am struck by the enduring compassion and fiery passion everyone who’s involved in Mary’s Pence holds for the work and the women. Communities of women in working solidarity with one another, this is Mary’s Pence, and this is bigger than any one of us.
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Meet Mary’s Pence: Maggie
Solidarity promotes the recognition of ourselves and others as significant individuals who are part of the human family. This principle disapproves of violence against others and instead stands for peace and the common good.
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