Orlagh . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV
 

Orlagh

OK, Orlagh is not some sort of weird or strange sort of word that I've picked out to write about - it's the name of the retreat centre we stayed at our second night in Ireland, on the southside of Dublin. I looked up the name 'Orlagh' and found that it means "Golden Queen." Interesting when you look at the picture and see that it has been painted a golden yellow color.

 

Orlagh - coming up the drive

After we turned off the highway, as we looked around, we spotted this huge building up on the side of the hill and began wondering if it was Orlagh. We turned off the highway and drove up through two housing estates and then drove through the gates and up the long avenue up to the house, which takes you into a different world. And yes, the huge building or house that we had seen up on the side of the hill was Orlagh! In the brochure I picked up it says "The location of Orlagh is one of its great assets." And it's not hard to understand why . . . it's situated on a hundred acres of pasture and woodland in the Dublin hills with an amazing panoramic view of the city of Dublin and the Dublin Bay.





View from in front of Orlagh -
looking north towards Dublin

Once we arrived and parked the van, we got out and as I took a look around I was in awe of the amazing view laid out before me! Looking straight out I could see Dublin and looking to my right was Howth, where we had visited Monday night for a walk around the harbor, the Abby and dinner at the Abbey Tavern.

 

We were warmly greeted by one of the Augustinian Father's at Orlagh. He gave us instructions for using the keypad by the front door, so we could get inside . . . and then we walked inside! It's very plain and nondescript on the outside and the inside wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. The tall ceiling with exposed timbers, beautiful tiled floor and the huge stairway that was before us and at the same time very simple. The Father took us upstairs and showed us the six rooms they had ready for us and then where the shared toilets and showers were. I was on the backside and had a lovely view of the woods.

 

My room - loved the duvet cover!

We left our things in our rooms and then went downstairs to the dining room where the Father had tea and biscuits for us. This was a lovely break after our drive. The Father explained a bit of the history of Orlagh and gave us some directions to help us get to Glendalough, which was on our list to go and see that afternoon.

Before I go any further, let me give you a quick it of history of Orlagh . . .

The original house in Orlagh was built in 1790 by Lundy Foot. The third owner, Andrew Carew O'Dwyer bought the house in 1835. O'Dwyer was active with Daniel O'Connell in the campaign for Catholic Emancipation and many of the prominent political figures of the nineteenth century were entertained at Orlagh.

The Augustinians bought the house from O'Dwyer's sons in 1872. It served as a novitiate for the Augustinians until 1990, and since 1997 has been used as a retreat centre and a place of welcome for those seeking time apart for personal renewal.

I wish we had had more time at Orlagh . . . time to explore the grounds outside and time to just sit and soak in all that Orlagh has to offer.

I will leave you with this piece that I found this in the front of a brochure that I picked up when I was at Orlagh, I find that in some way it speaks to me . . .

 

The Spirit of Orlagh

We explore faith in a way that speaks to life

We use scholarship that feeds the search for meaning and truth

We celebrate Liturgy that invites participation

We offer a welcome that is inclusive and give people a space to "be"

We promote a spirituality that brings faith and experience together

We encourage a way of being and doing that promotes fellowship on life's journey



Night view from Orlagh -
looking north towards Dublin



'Teach Me to Stop and Listen . . . '

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV






Lake,
Quaker Haven Camp
Syracuse, Indiana

We sang the song, 'Teach Me to Stop and Listen,' at the USFW  (United Society of Friends Women) Fall Retreat earlier this month up at Quaker Haven Camp. This isn't a new song for me as I've sang this song many times before, but I never really sat down and looked at the words before and how many times have we all done this - sang a song, recited a poem, a prayer, a scripture or ____________, you fill in the blank, and not thought about the words we were saying or hearing? The last few weeks though, as I've taken the time to stop and not only listen to the words, but to really think about them, I can see how these words really seem to sum up so much of what this year has been for me . . .

Teach me to stop and listen,

Teach me to center down,

Teach me the use of silence,

Teach me where peace is found.

Teach me to hear your calling,

Teach me to search your word,

Teach me to hear in silence,

Things I have never heard.

Teach me to be collected,

Teach me to be in tune,

Teach me to be directed,

Silence will end too soon.

Then when it's time for moving,

Grant it that I may bring,

To every day and every moment,

Peace from a silent spring. *

Listening, it's something we do all day, everyday. Who or what do you spend your time listening to? Your family - spouse, children, parents, F/friends, neighbors, co-workers, others? How about the TV or radio - the news, shows, talk shows, music?

As Quakers, we spend time in silence, silent worship, in 'expectant waiting,' listening for and to the voice of God or the Spirit. Listening for and to 'that still small voice' that is inside each of us.



Howth, Ireland

Personally, over the years I have found this difficult - coming from a different faith background where there really wasn't any silence in worship, not knowing what to listen for, distractions of noises outside of the Meetinghouse and for many years the distraction of just being a mom. And I don't mean this in a bad way, I mean caring for my children, having to keep an eye on anywhere from one to four of them during Meeting for worship. And occasionally missing worship because I was sitting with my children and maybe other children in the nursery or helping with/leading Children's Church.

Well, I don't have the distraction of keeping track of my children any more, they're 17-26 years old now. I'm not distracted by the babbling of the little ones that we now have in Meeting for worship, including my young granddaughter . . . their babbling brings a smile to my face and some how gives me something to focus on . . . our Young Friends and how we need to love and nurture them and teach them about our Quaker faith and beliefs and about God. The other noises . . . I've learned how to tune that all out.

Fern Garden at
Blarney Castle
Ireland

There have been a few times in the past when I heard voices in my head, felt a good swift kick or knock on the side of my head. I didn't think of it as God's voice at the time - maybe that was part of God's plan for me. Maybe God knew I wasn't ready to hear Him right then, at those times in my life, but if I thought it was someone else from my life that I would listen, I'd be a better listener. I thought the voices I was hearing were my grandparents or my mom or dad. Voices telling me to go here or there, voices telling me to go and visit someone, voices telling me not to go somewhere, voices directing me a different way . . . both physically and spiritually. So many times I would set out to go somewhere, usually shopping, and instead of going the way I normally went I would end up going a totally different way, or start out and realize that I had forgotten something and turned back to get it. Now, not every time, but more times than I can count, I would hear about or see an accident or other trouble that happened. I wasn't there, I wasn't involved . . . somehow I missed it.

I wonder now, was that the voice of God speaking to me back on December 14, 1986 nudging me to go up to South Bend to see my grandpa? My grandpa had had a stroke a couple of weeks earlier, we drove up to South Bend and saw my grandparents. Several hours later, as I walked in the front door at home, the phone was ringing, it was my dad, calling to tell me that grandpa had died. When? About two hours after we left.



Waterfall,
Fern Garden at
Blarney Castle
Ireland

Friday, April 19, 1996, I was at home with my four children, ages 6 weeks to 9 years, when severe weather came through our area. I remember my TV show being interrupted by the weather reports . . . and they kept talking about the weather. I remember just wanting them to get off already and get back to my show! Then it happened, that swift kick, that hard slap to the side of my head! I got up, walked down the hallway, picked up my sleeping 6 week old daughter out of the cradle, called to my other three children, who were watching TV and playing in the family room, and told them to come and sit in the hallway, with my free hand I grabbed a heavy sleeping bag off one of the beds in the other room and threw it over them. And before I could take another step, with my baby in one arm and the cordless phone in the other it hit! Nearly seventeen and a half years later I can still hear it and feel it . . . the glass of the bedroom windows breaking. Broken windows, gutters ripped off one side of the house and hail damage to the roof, the swing set in the back yard - picked-up and flipped 3 1/2 times to the other side of the yard . . . nothing that couldn't be fixed. We were lucky, we were all safe, we were blessed!



Fern Garden at
Blarney Castle,
Ireland

More recently, October 6, 2010, going over to the local nursing home during my long lunch break between religious education classes - to check-in on my husbands' great-aunt. As I sat on the floor, next to her bed, she reached out to grab my hand and held onto it with all the strength she had. When it came time for me to leave and go back for my afternoon classes she wouldn't let go of my hand, she wanted me to stay. I told her I'd be back in an hour and a half, after my classes were over. She finally let me go. About 45 minutes later I got a call from the nursing home . . .telling me she had died. Thinking back, why wouldn't she let go of my hand? Was she trying to tell me something? Or did she know something, did she know this was the end and she didn't want to be alone? Had I known . . . I would have stayed with her.

In these three situations, I thought I was hearing my grandpa calling me to come and visit with him one last time. I thought I heard my mom telling me to gather my children together to keep them safe from the tornado. And I thought I heard my husbands' great-aunt's voice encouraging me to go and visit her that day. Now I wonder, was 'that still small voice' speaking to me on these three occasions actually the voice of God speaking to me? I listened and I responded to that voice. I didn't think of it being God's voice speaking to me then . . . until now.



Giants Causeway,
Northern Ireland

The story of Samuel keeps playing in my head . . . and the words Samuel spoke 'Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.' Like Samuel, as a servant of God, I have had to learn to listen for and to that still small voice, the voice of God giving me direction.

Do you take time to listen? To really listen? To listen to that still small voice, speaking to you? To listen to the voice of God? What is God saying to you? What is it that God wants you to do - to help grow His kingdom?

This year, I've learned to really stop and listen, I've found it easier to center down, I've learned the use of silence and I've learned where peace can  be found. I've heard the 'still small voice of God' calling to me, and I've found myself recalling scriptures or looking for scriptures to fit a situation and I've heard so many new things. I'm learning to be collected and to get in tune and I've been directed . . . I'm not ready for the silence to end. I'm still working on the last part.

I challenge each of you reading this, to spend time in the silence this next week . . . spend time really listening to and for that 'still small voice.'

* I do want to give credit here to Ken Medema, who wrote the words and the music for "Teach Me to Stop and Listen."

Quaker Ministries in Northern Ireland - Part 5 "Moyallon Centre" . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV




Moyallon Centre

During the second week of the Pilgrimage we stayed at Moyallon Centre, in the Armagh countryside, near Portadown, in Northern Ireland. Moyallon was our base for the week for sleeping, breakfast and some of our evening meals - including two evenings when we hosted 'shared meals' with some of our Ulster Friends, relaxing and personal and group reflection.


View of our 'neighbors' from
my bedroom window

The building itself is relatively new having just opened in April of 2006. It's an absolutely lovely, modern 'purpose-built' facility and yet at the same time it is very simplistic in many ways. This centre is perfect for retreats or residential meetings as well as camp. The first floor has the office, restrooms, a lobby area, meeting room, dining room and kitchen. Upstairs there are lovely four and six bedded ensuite rooms which accommodate up to 62 guests.



Lobby area

The lobby area was a place for us to gather, first thing in the morning, after breakfast before we took off for the day, when we returned from our day trips and after dinner. That is where we would sit and connect to the wifi - to check emails, Facebook and other sites. In other words, the place where we could 'keep-in-touch' with family and F/friends back home and with some of our Irish Friends. I sat here each morning and evening working on my blog posts, I admit a bit longer and later than I should have too many nights, but it was quiet and there was a lovely view of the flower bed just outside the doors.


Hanging out in the kitchen

There is a nice sized, fully equipped, kitchen - where we had plenty of room for all six of us to gather to cook together and clean-up after meals. Amazing how Friends seem to spend so much time gathered together in kitchens cooking and in conversation together - one of the ties that binds us together.
 

The dining room was also a good sized with plenty of room for us to entertain our visiting Friends. The tables and chairs in the dining room, we were told, came from the restaurant that Richhill Friends Charles G & Emma Lamb had. We had heard about their restaurant and I enjoyed hearing that's where these furnishings had come from - glad to see that they had been able to re-purpose these items.





Dinner with some of
our Ulster Friends

We invited local Ulster Friends to join us two evenings, while we were there, for 'shared meals.' We didn't know who was going to show up, so this was always a pleasant surprise to see who came to share with us. As is typical of pitch-ins at my local Meeting, we were not lacking for something to eat at either of these and we had an odd but good assortment of foods, typical of our Monthly Meeting Meals, and we all managed to find  more than enough to eat. Tuesday evening seven Friends, from six different Meetings and Thursday evening eleven Friends, from five different Meetings, came to Moyallon and joined us for food and fellowship. What a wonderful blessing these gatherings were for each of us.


Two of our Ulster Friends

I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about our Irish Friends, the Meetings they represented and also a bit about some of them individually. Friends in Ireland have a long and interesting history. In return, they also learned a bit more about each of us, our Meetings and the journey we were on. Some of our Irish Friends asked us some pretty tough questions, making me really think and dig deep for answers. We had some individual conversations around the table but also got into some larger group conversations as well. I certainly enjoyed the good food and the fellowship we shared.

 

My bed

We were the only guests that week, and we each had our own room (with 3 bunk beds) and bathroom. This was nice as I know I was able to spread out a bit and I wasn't rushed getting up and ready in the morning and I didn't disturb anyone when I'd come up late to go to bed. It was nice to have my windows open all day and night for the fresh air. I found it interesting that there were no screens on the windows, not just at Moyallon, but anywhere we went. I almost expected to walk into my room or get awakened at night by something flying around my room - but that never happened. 



Wallhanging
in the stairway

Hanging on the wall in the stairway is a lovely wallhanging. When we were over walking through the Moyallon Meetinghouse we were told the story behind this wallhanging - the significance of the fern and window in the center and the red 'bricks' along the border. There is the scripture quote at the top "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10. And a quote from George Fox across the bottom "There is one even Christ Jesus that can speak to thy condition." I found it interesting that these two pieces were together on this one wallhanging. The scripture quote was used recently as the theme for USFWI (United Society of Friends Women International) and the quote is one from George Fox that I hear often.


Path in the woods

I think that what I enjoyed the most about Moyallon Centre was the peace and quiet I found there. The Centre sits way back off the road, back behind the Moyallon Meeting House. There are fields on two sides and a cemetery on the other. Often one or more of us would venture outside and walk around the grounds, often with a camera in our hands. I often found myself sitting in quiet reflection, walking around outside, sitting in the lobby or my room. It was so easy to just get lost in my thoughts and tune everything and everyone else out. While at Moyallon, in the quietness I found time to write and publish five posts to my blog.

I included the words to the Moyallon Camp grace in one of my previous posts, but feeling I should post them here again. The words just seem to keep growing on me, the more I read them. I'm still looking for the tune. This grace has been sung before each meal at every camp since 1934 . . . I love that sort of history:

 

'He giveth heavenly measure

Pressed down and running o're.

O what a priceless treasure,

Glory for evermore!

He supplies my every need,

He supplies my every need.

I do believe and His love receive.

He supplies my every need.'

 

Moyallon Centre certainly is very warm and inviting and I enjoyed the time I had there to sit and reflect back on where I had been and what I had done. I remember one of the local Friends, who works with Moyallon, telling us that they actually have more non-Quaker groups using the facilities than Quaker groups - which makes this such a wonderful ministry. What a blessing Moyallon Centre is . . . not just to the Irish Friends but also to visiting Friends, like our group, and their community!



Sunset at Moyallon Centre

 




Quaker Ministries in Northern Ireland - Part 4 "Bessbrook" . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



 

Our 'host'

We visited Bessbrook, a historic Quaker planned mill community in Northern Ireland. I really enjoyed this visit very much, from seeing one of the homes, complete with a lovely fire burning in the fireplace, and hearing about how life would have been. To me, this was very much like a visit to Conner Prairie here in Indiana - historical pioneer village set back in the year 1865. Our host for this is a member of Bessbrook Friends Meeting. 



Number 6,
College Square
East

Our visit took us to 'Number 6, College Square East.' It was built and first occupied in 1881, and has been acquired by Bessbrook Development Company and restored to its original lay-out. It has been furnished to show the living arrangements of a 'late Victorian linen-mill worker's family.' According to the plaque by the front door.

Kitchen -
looking in
from the
backyard

Front room on
the ground floor

There were just 3 small rooms on the ground floor - a sitting room in the front and a small 'mother-in-laws' room and kitchen area in the back. Upstairs there were two rooms - one across the front, about the same size as the sitting room below, and one across the back, about the size of the two rooms below it. Not all of the rooms had 'proper' furnishings in them, expect they might be a bit hard to come by, and they were using the 'mother-in-laws' room for an office and the backroom upstairs had a display case and several old photographs on the walls - a kind of museum setting along with some boxes. What was there was very sparse furnishing and I expect there wouldn't have been much more when the family lived there.



Bessbrook
Meetinghouse

After seeing and hearing about how life would have been, we drove over to Bessbrook Meetinghouse where we were warmly welcomed by several members of the Meeting, and the granddaughter of one of the members, and enjoyed cups of tea and some delicious biscuits and wonderful conversation.



Conversation
in the
Meetingroom

Our host then paired us up with a member of the Meeting for some one on one conversation. After a bit, we all moved into the Meetingroom for a bit of conversation followed by 15-20 minutes of worship.





Tea and biscuits
waiting for us

Clerk of Bessbrook Meeting signing 
my 'Letter of
Introduction'

Quaker Ministries in Northern Ireland - Quaker Service - Part 3 . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV


Quaker Service sign

Wednesday, July 31st - We visited the Monica Barritt Visitors' Centre at Maghaberry Prison.



Children's playroom

When we first arrived we had a few minutes to look around the Visitors' Centre and then we went and sat down with several staff members and learned about the services offered and some of the obstacles that they face over tea and biscuits. We then went over to the building next door that houses the Quaker Connections programme.

The Visitors' Centre is located in the car park, approximately 400 yards from the main entrance to the prison. The Centre supports the families and friends of prisoners, when they come to visit, providing a range of services within it's safe, friendly and non-judgmental environment - a place where all are made to feel welcome. The Visitors' Centre works in partnership with the Northern Ireland Prison Service and other agencies.



Kitchen

Services provided in the Visitor's Centre include: information and advice, family induction, non-directive counseling, advocacy, café and tea bar, child care, shuttle bus to the prison and also from the local bus station to the Visitors' Centre.  Other services provided include child centred visits and family focus weeks within the prison.
 



Display in Quaker Connections area

Quaker Connections is a new volunteer programme based at Maghaberry Prison. It provides further support to those in custody and their families. There are various volunteer opportunities available with Quaker Connections. One can volunteer to be a member of the befriending team for isolated inmates, those inmates who don't have any visitors, or the family support team. They also have opportunities to work with their Alternatives to Violence Project and children's work.

Some of the staff

I was concerned to hear that the inmates are given the first and last name of the volunteer that has befriended them. I can understand that the Quaker Connections staff needs the full name of the volunteers and the Prison staff - to run background checks, but the inmates, no. We were told that the inmates have to know the name of their visitors, as they have the right to refuse to see them. OK, makes sense, but if the inmate knows that 'John' is their befriender, isn't that enough? My concern for this was strong, as we had heard several times that one who knows Irish names can tell by your last name where you're from - what community you live in . . . do I really want an inmate to know that??? When we got ready to leave, the woman we had been talking to about the Quaker Connections programme said I really had her thinking about this now . . . So, will that piece of this programme change because of what I said? If the policy is changed, so that the inmates will only know the befrienders first name, will that then bring more volunteers in to this programme? Maybe.



Lunch - soup, sandwiches,
drinks and cake

Quaker Service and the programmes it provides is just an amazing blessing, not just to those that they serve but to the staff and also to those that they share it with.

After visiting these different programmes and they are different, I came away feeling extremely uplifted and blessed.


Wondering . . . what is it that can be take away from all of this? Is there some piece, or pieces of any of this that can be taken away and used here? In the US? Elsewhere in the world? What is it about this/these ministries, Quaker ministries that speak to you?

 

 

 

Quaker Ministries in Northern Ireland - Quaker Service Part 2 . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2    KJV

We've left the Quaker Service Office and continued on our journey . . . Our next stop was up the hill, and what a drive that was, up to Quaker Cottage.



Quaker Cottage

I really enjoyed our visit to Quaker Cottage, I guess because it was some place that I could really relate to, on several different levels - having a degree in Elementary Education, having worked for 13 months in a Day Care, working with our Kid's Club program at Mooresville Friends Meeting, working with Morgan County Weekday Religious Education classes and my work with Scouting and Guiding programs.



Little ones play area

Quaker Cottage supports mothers and their children from some of the most disadvantage parts of north and west Belfast. It's a cross community family support centre that provides much needed services to these families. Referrals are usually made by social workers or health care staff. They provide support to those who have experienced trauma and that are having trouble dealing with the day-to-day management of their homes. Typical issues of the mothers that attend are abuse, alcoholism, anxiety, bereavement, depression, domestic violence and parenting . . . a lot of the same issues that mothers have around here, but under much different circumstances.



School aged room

Mothers and their young children come to Quaker Cottage two days a week for eight months and then one day a week for four months. Older children come one afternoon a week during the school year and participate in an after school programme. A special summer programme is also arranged for these children. There is also a teenage programme during the afternoons, evenings and on occasional weekends. From time to time residential outings are also provided for the families.



Teen room

Quaker Cottage provides a safe and caring environment for the participates. Increasing self-esteem, greater family understanding and co-operation, improved social and life skills are all benefits of the Quaker Cottage programmes.


Some of the Quaker Cottage staff

Now, with all that said, on our visit to Quaker Cottage, we had the opportunity to sit down over cups of tea served with sweets (chocolate!) and have a nice chat with the staff. Their time with the moms and children was over for the day, so no distractions. The staff members include few paid staff and many volunteers - some local and some there as 'Friends in Residents' staying from 3 months to a year. Through the conversation and the tour that followed one was able to sense the passion that each member of the staff had for Quaker Cottage, it's programming and for the families that they work with. The short stories and comments that they made gave me a real sense of the work that they do and the difference this programme is making in the lives of those who participate in it.





 

Quaker Ministries in Northern Ireland - Quaker Service Part 1 . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



While in Northern Ireland, we visited and learned about several Quaker Ministries and learned about the work they are doing in and for their community and those that work in them - the paid staff and the volunteers. I thought I'd share a bit about them here with all of you.
  
 Monday, July 29th - Our first full day in Northern Ireland was spent in Belfast.
 

South Belfast
Meeting House

After we parked the van at the South Belfast Meeting House, we rode the bus into West Belfast where we took a Black Taxi Tour, walked around town a bit, visited the Linen Hall Library and had lunch at The Bobbin Coffee Shop inside City Hall. We then took the bus back to where we had gotten on to begin hearing about some of the Quaker Ministries. There's a lot to share here, so let's get started!
  

Donating jeans

We began with a quick stop in the Quaker Care shop to drop off a pair of jeans that one of our Friends couldn't seem to find room for in her suitcase when she returned to the States - we promised to donate them to Quaker Care when we visited. We then went upstairs where we met with the Director of the Quaker Service Office and enjoyed a cup of tea and some biscuits while she gave us a brief overview of the services they provide at Quaker Care, Quaker Cottage and the Monica Barritt Visitors' Centre.

Quaker Service Office is the 'umbrella' for this group of ministries. I found it interesting that these are 'Quaker' ministries and yet there are a lot of non-Quakers working in the ministries. That being said, the ministries are done following Quaker ways. The best way to really tell you who they are is to use their own words, from one of their brochures:


Quaker Care - first floor on left
Quaker Service blue door on right

"Quaker Service is the charity formerly known as the 'Ulster Quaker Service Committee,' which has been providing services since 1969. Quaker Service contributes in a practical way to the understanding and reduction of the causes of violence, suffering and social deprivation on our communities in Northern Ireland. We provide services to support vulnerable and undervalued individuals, families and children and when necessary, speak on their behalf."

Quaker Service provides support to disadvantaged mothers and children and supports those who are in prison and their families. They do this with donations and funds generated at Quaker Care and through the programmes they operate at Quaker Cottage and the Monica Barritt Visitors' Center.

Quaker Care is a 'resale shop,' and Quaker Service depends on the 'unrestricted' funds generated from sales. Quaker Care was established in 1998. There are two shops in Belfast, the one we visited on Lisburn Road and the other one on Woodstock Road. All profits from the shops help Quaker Service deliver much needed services for disadvantaged and vulnerable families in Northern Ireland. Quaker Care provides volunteer opportunities to many and it helps to raise the profile of the charity.
 

Next we're off to see and hear more about Quaker Cottage . . .