Parent Letter 2025-26
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Adult Friends,
Welcome! We’re glad that your young Friend is a part of the Southern Appalachian Young Friends [SAYF] community! At the start of each year we send a letter reminding and updating our adult community about what SAYF is all about!
SAYF is on a roll
After serving as a FAN with an active youth in the SAYF program and on the Steering Committee as baby clerk (the SAYF term for someone learning and preparing to move into the clerking role), I became clerk of the steering committee and the parent of a SAYF graduate during SAYF at SAYMA this year. I am constantly amazed by the love and tender care given to this program from Friends inside and out of SAYF
The Nurturers who lead SAYF are youth with incredible devotion to their community. At our recent planning retreat, they expressed a desire to explore Quaker practices like worship sharing in more detail at future retreats. They want to be sure statements that they. make re active reflections of their values and actions, not just words that seem appropriate. They acknowledge aspects of SAYF that cn be improved and want to accomplish this work in an inclusive, Spirit led manner. They remind us that they know what need to be one and that they want to do it, they just need logistical support form the adults in the program to get there. It is a beautiful thing to see young Friends build and maintain this thriving community
In an effort to be more mindful of resources, we are changing our practices around mailings this year. We will share Epistles with all SAYFers by email, and mail printed copies of Epistles to Monthly Meetings only. ll retreat registrations except for SAYF at SAYMA will continue to be online only. We encourage everyone to explore our website. https://awesomesayfers.org/. for pictures and summaries of recent retreats, listings of upcoming retreats, contact informations, and links to volunteer with and donate to SAYF.
As part of supporting our volunteers and retreat hosts, we are very strongly asking that all youth and adults register for retreats by the Saturday before that retreat. For example, Atlanta Friends Meeting is hosting the first full retreat of this year over the Sep 19-21 weekend, so we hope to have ll registrations in by Sep 13. That ensures time for hosts to buy the appropriate amount of food and supplies, and time for drivers to coordinate rides for those needing transportation. We understand that situations change and emergencies happen, but this deadline is a huge help for our volunteers.
Volunteers Make SAYF happen!
The SAYF Support Committee and Steering Committee continues to look for additional volunteers, Friendly Adult Nurturers [FANs] to ensure we can support SAYF for years to come.
If you haven’t had a chance to attend our FAN Training, please consider attending!
We invite all adult members of the community, including parents and guardians, to participate, as it will give you a good sense of what SAYF is all about and how you and other adults can participate in helping us to build and keep the program strong and safe for young Friends. We welcome parents and guardians to become FANs, and the steps to do can be found on our FAN Page.
There are other ways to support the program as well. You can be a night shepherd (see the FAN Page for description), provide snacks, send a potluck dish, provide groceries, or make a financial donation. If you would like more ideas on how you can help, please contact Autumn Woodward, SAYF Program Coordinator, at awesomesayfers@gmail.com or ask to speak to the lead FAN at any retreat.
Steps to becoming an adult volunteer are listed on the Volunteer page of SAYF’s website at the link below:
https://awesomesayfers.org/volunteer-fans/
Sincerely,
SAYF Steering and Nurturing Committees