Community Values and Understandings, Basic Expectations, Queries and Advices)
As we look back on 2025, we are clear that residency at Beacon Hill Friends House leaves a lasting impact. Residency at BHFH is not simply about sharing space; it is about learning how to live into community. As resident and associate director Vickie Wu reflects, “[Living at BHFH] has taught me how much stronger we can be together, when we are walking the path together, as opposed to separately in vaguely the same direction.” This kind of shared commitment (to presence, to accountability, to collective care) shapes how residents show up not only within these walls, but in the wider world. Residents arrive seeking many things: grounding, purpose, spiritual depth, a way to make change that is sustainable. What they often discover is a deeper capacity for leadership rooted in relationship. Current resident Kutub shares, “I came to the Friends House seeking personal growth and a way to impact the world, and I found both.” Through roles like House Meeting Clerk, or serving on the BHFH Board, residents learn to not only consider budgets and participate in Quaker-rooted group meetings, but also to facilitate trust, dialogue, and shared responsibility. These are skills that endure, and skills the world needs desperately. This is how Beacon Hill Friends House nurtures the Light in all of us: through daily practice, shared rhythms, and the quiet, transformative work of living together with intention. As we close out the year, we invite you to help sustain this work. Your gift today will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $15,000 doubling your impact and ensuring that residency at BHFH remains accessible, formative, and alive for the next generation. Join us in walking this path together. In Light and community, Jen Newman Executive Director, Beacon Hill Friends House
Dear friends, As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on a year of meaningful progress at Beacon Hill Friends House, and to share what we’re preparing for next. Together, we: Finished our rear deck renovation, Completed the first phase of critical cellar structural work (including new steel columns and joist reinforcement), and Welcomed hundreds of people through residency, worship, guest rooms, and public programs. At a time when many community spaces are closing or scaling back, Beacon Hill Friends House has remained open, active, and deeply rooted in its mission. Looking ahead to 2026, our focus is on preparing wisely for the future while sustaining our work in the present. Recently, our Board and staff have been working with architects to develop a long-range Vision Plan for our building’s next 70 years. The plan asks three essential questions: How can we increase accessibility to our space? How can resident spaces better support daily life in community? How can our public spaces better serve Beacon Hill Friends Meeting and the many groups who gather here? We are running a matching campaign for our FY26 operating budget , and we are very close to reaching the full match of $15,000. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has already given — your generosity has brought us almost to the finish line. We have just $3,389 left to raise , and every dollar given now will be doubled until we reach our goal. Your gift supports the day-to-day life of the House: resident financial aid, programs rooted in peace and justice, staff capacity, and the ongoing care of this 200-year-old building as a living, active community space. If Beacon Hill Friends House has been meaningful to you, or if you believe places of spiritual depth, hospitality, and public witness matter in this moment, we invite you to help us cross this finish line. Make your Annual Fund gift while it’s matched and help sustain our work as we prepare thoughtfully for what’s ahead. With gratitude, Jen Newman
Suzanna Schell, Beacon Hill Friends House Board of Managers I’ve been a part of the Beacon Hill Friends community for more than 25 years. Most recently I’ve been serving on the Beacon Hill Friends House Board of Managers as one of two Meeting representatives. I felt drawn to the mission of the House as it has lived into the Strategic Plan that was discerned 4+ years ago. I’m excited about the opportunities that the Beacon Hill Friends House has to reach beyond our Quaker Meeting and the House Residential community to connect with others working for a more peaceful and just world while also taking advantage of our close proximity to the Massachusetts State House. Now, as we all struggle with life in the Covid-19 pandemic, I’ve seen how the House staff and residents have quickly stepped up to create new ways of nurturing our extended community, from new virtual programming to repurposing the spaces in the House itself. As I shelter in place, the Beacon Hill Friends House has played a vital role in my spiritual life as well as offering new opportunities for engagement in social justice action. I’ve become a regular at MIDWEEK: Experiments in Faithfulness on Wednesday nights, which I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in different forms of spiritual practice. Until retiring three years ago, I worked as a fundraiser for a number of dynamic organizations that were dedicated to social, racial, and economic justice. Because I live simply and have enough for my own needs, I’ve been able to donate to groups who are helping to create a more just and peaceful world – including the Beacon Hill Friends House. It’s also been my own form of tax resistance. Every dollar I give to social change has been one less dollar to the war machine. And now that I’m retired I’ve been able to use a new method to support my values – a Qualified Charitable Distribution from my IRA. I was able to do this for the first time last year. Under the 2019 Tax Bill, I could no longer itemize my deductions which included my charitable giving. By giving through my IRA, I was actually able to increase my donations and still avoid paying federal income taxes that support our bloated military budget and more. If you are over 70 ½, and are fortunate to have enough, I invite you to join me in making a Qualified Charitable Donation from your IRA.
BHFH Residency Program
Eye-Opening Lessons from Living In a Quaker Intentional Community
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin
Where does it come from? Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard
Add a blog and update it regularly. It's a great way to stay in touch with site visitors.
Add a blog and update it regularly. It's a great way to stay in touch with site visitors.