Social Action
NEK Quakers have been socially active ever since we started meeting in 1980, both in our mindful giving and by being socially active. Here you will get to know us better in the way we live our faith.
From very early on, we decided not to buy or build a Meeting House. We agreed that renting a central place to gather would allow us to direct our financial resources to causes that we wanted to support. We also liked the idea of making good use of a public space that was not being used all the time that would benefit from our rent. We have been meeting at the Barton Library since 1985, though we will occasionally meet outdoors next to the Barton River at the garden of the Glover Library.
We have contributed to the following organizations and individuals in the last ten years:
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Ramallah Friends School, a private school in the West Bank
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Emergency funds to victims of house fires and food insecurity
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The Joshua House Warming Shelter in Newport, Vermont
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Migrant Justice
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American Friends’ Service Committee’s US Palestine Activism Program
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Northeast Kingdom Community Action Diaper Project
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Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today
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Black Lives Matter
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Orleans County Restorative Justice
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Equity and Education at Lake Region Union High School
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Northeast Kingdom Community Action Foodshelf (monthly since 1992)
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Warm the Children (annually since 1993)
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Hardwick Area Food Pantry (monthly since 2021)
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Living our Faith out Loud
Ever since the beginning of the current disastrous US administration, NEK Quakers have been very active at rallies, protests, hearings for the unlawfully detained, and an international singing protest at the Haskell Library on the border with Canada. We have also advocated for our migrant workers during their appointments with ICE. You will find photos and videos below of some of the events attended by NEK Quakers. Many of these events are organized by community organizers, Sherry Merrier and Mike McCleese (also an NEK Friend).
On March 28, 2026, we joined 300-350 others in Newport for No Kings Day, with more than 8 million protestors in 3,300 locations nationwide.
On March 7, 2026, a number of NEK Quakers joined an International Songfest of Peace and Protest outside the Haskell Free Library between Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont as "Singers of Resistance" with our Canadian neighbors.
On January 25, 2026, the day after the ICE shooting of Alex Pretti, several stalwart NEK Quakers joined others to take to the street in Newport despite the subzero temperatures with a frigid wind off Lake Memphremagog.
On January 10, 2026, we joined 200 others for the ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action, after the ICE shooting of Renee Good.
On October 20 and 21, 2025 we rallied for Wuendy and Stephen at the ICE facility in St. Albans. Neither of the two were detained.
On October 18, 2025, 300-400 protesters gathered for the No Kings Protest in Newport, joining more than 7 million nationwide.
On June 22, 2025, we joined the Pride Parade in Newport.
On June 16, 2025, we attended the ICE OUT rally on the statehouse lawn in Montpelier to advocate for Nacho and Heidi's release from unlawful detention. They later regained their freedom at their respective trials.
On June 14, 2025, we attended the No Kings Day protest in Barton, joining more than 5 million protestors nationwide.
On June 8, 2025, we joined a crowd of supporters for a hearing at the federal courthouse in Burlington for Nacho, an immigrant who was unlawfully detained. The judge ordered for Nacho to be released.
On May 15, 2025, Scott Rhodewalt was MC and Susan Rhodewalt was reader for Nakba Day on the statehouse lawn in Montpelier.
On May 9, 2025, three of us joined supporters in Burlington, Vermont to advocate for Rumeysa Ozturk's release from unlawful detention in Louisiana. The judge ordered her to be released on bail.
On April 30, 2025, we joined several hundred supporters in Burlington, Vermont to advocate for Mohsen Mahdawi's release from unlawful detention. The judge ordered him to be released on bail.
On April 14, 2025, we joined several hundred protesters in St. Albans, Vermont outside the correctional center where Mohsen Mahdawi was being held to advocate for his release from unlawful detention.
