The Quaker Market Committee plans, publicizes, organizes and carries out two Annapolis Friends Meeting fundraisers each year. Spring Quaker Market is held the first Saturday in May. Holiday Quaker Market is held the first Saturday in December.
Quaker Market Committee’s mission is to gather items from Friends and friends to sell at Market for the benefit of non-profit causes which reflect our Quaker values and for special projects associated with the AFM community. Education re: selected causes is an important aspect of our mission. We aim to reflect Quaker testimonies during the Market event and throughout all processes underlying its preparation and conclusion. Examples follow.
Quaker Market provides an opportunity for Friends and others to simplify our lives by letting go of unnecessary possessions and making them available to others. It promotes peace by benefitting causes devoted to justice and non-violent conflict resolution and by providing opportunities for those with differing perspectives and life experiences to interact in the context of a positive Market experience. Integrity is demonstrated throughout Market processes, including (for most items) the shopper’s individual determination of what would be a “fair donation”, and insistence that no shoppers make purchases before the publicized starting time on Market day. Community is fostered by connecting Annapolis Friends to each other and to the wider community in new ways. Equality is reflected by the “fair donation” approach, allowing customers of differing economic circumstances to share the available goods, and by treating all customers with respect. Spanish interpretation has recently been added to welcome Spanish-speaking shoppers. Stewardship is central, as recycling is at the heart of Market and the consequences of overconsumption are evident. We have opportunities to model sustainable practices to each other and the larger community. Nothing goes to waste at Market. We try to take care of each other, the meetinghouse and the planet.
Committee members experience joy in and feel called to contribute to the Market. For the reasons above and others, participation in Market is seen as a spiritual endeavor. Individuals’ gifts are used in a variety of ways to express Quaker values. Relationships are established and deepened among committee members, within AFM as a whole, and with the broader community. Committee meetings, by conference call or in person, begin and end with centering silence. Meetings for discernment of Market beneficiaries are held in expectant waiting for Way to Open.
In summary, Market Committee’s mission is to practice being spiritual in our material world.