SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2025

Weekend Reading

A young girl in Gaza receives food from a community kitchen supported by AFSC. Photo: Amjad Fayomi

Hi Friend,

People in Gaza cannot survive with nothing to eat. But for over two months, the Israeli government has blocked almost all food and lifesaving aid from entering Gaza. Starvation is being used as a weapon of war as Israel continues to bomb Gaza, with full support from the U.S.  

This Wednesday, May 28, is World Hunger Day. AFSC and people across the country are pledging to fast on this day to protest the genocide in Gaza. Please join us! Register your commitment today.  

STRONGER WITH IMMIGRANTS

Why I became an immigrant advocate 

Immigration is a deeply personal issue for AFSC staff member Julie Flores-Castillo. Her father was deported to Mexico during the first Trump administration when she was just 14 years old. Today, Julie, who is now 21, is working to build a support network for immigrant youth in New Jersey. She’s also helping them to advocate on policy issues that affect them and their families. Read more in the Asbury Park Press.

TAKE ACTION

Tell Congress: Reject health care cuts and tax breaks for the rich!

Our federal budget should invest in the health and well-being of all people, not just billionaires or corporate executives. But the House of Representatives just passed a budget reconciliation bill that would slash Medicaid, SNAP, and other vital programs. It would use that money to fund tax cuts for the rich, mass deportations, and more weapons and war. Urge your members of Congress to vote NO on this bill. For details on what’s in the measures, read more from AFSC’s Brett Heinz, Imani Cruz, and Mike Merryman-Lotze.     

POLICING AND PRISONS 

Five years after George Floyd, the struggle for real community safety continues   

By Adalberto Rios and asia smith  

Tomorrow, May 25, marks the fifth anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His murder—and those of many others at the hands of police—sparked racial justice protests across the country. It also led to calls for meaningful change in police accountability. But today, that promise remains unfulfilled. Despite these setbacks, AFSC continues to support communities working for real community safety beyond policing and prisons.

GLOBAL PEACE 

International campaign calls for 10% cuts to military budgets worldwide 

AFSC joins the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and organizations around the world to launch the “10% For All” campaign. The campaign calls for every nation to cut its military spending by at least 10% and to invest that money into human needs. “As a Quaker organization that has been working to end wars and reduce military spending for over a century, we are proud to be part of the 10% For All campaign,” says AFSC’s Mike Merryman-Lotze. Read more.  

Special thanks to our monthly donors, our Partners for Peace, for their ongoing support to make all our work possible.

American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
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