Monday Dec. 1 – Peace Presence Vigil for Immigration, at the Thompson Federal Building (corner of Liberty & Virginia Sts.), 5:30-6 pm. (details)
Sunday Dec. 7 – In-Person “Linger Earlier” Discussion, in the First Day School, 9-9:45 am (details)
Sunday Dec. 7 – Hybrid Silent Worship (In-Person and on Zoom), 10 am (details)
Wednesday Dec. 10 – Zoom Embodying the Light, 10-11 am (details)
NOTE: There is NO Meeting for Business in December. Our next Meeting for Business will be Thurs. Jan. 9, at 7 pm (details)
Sunday Dec. 14 – In-Person Silent Worship, 10 am (details)
- Last day for Winter Food and Clothing Drive (details)
- Bring Your Own Lunch to follow Silent Worship (details)
Thursday Dec. 18 – In-Person Brown Bag Lunch, 12 noon (details)
Sunday Dec. 21 – Hybrid Silent Worship (In-Person and on Zoom), 10 am (details)
- In-Person First Day School, 10 am (details)
- Vegetarian Potluck, 11:30 am (details)
- Christmas Cookie Exchange (details)
Sunday Dec. 28 – In-Person Silent Worship, 10 am (details)
Other Important Dates
Now through December 14 – Annual RFM Winter Food and Clothing Drive (details)
January 5, 2026 – “Peace Presence Vigil, at the Thompson Federal Building (corner of Liberty & Virginia Sts.), 5:30-6 pm; hosted by other area organizations.
January 17, 2026 – College Park Winter Quarterly Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
January 17, 2026 – RFM hosts the College Park Winter Quarterly Youth overnight at the RFM Meeting House.
Monthly “Friend-ly News” in English and Spanish from our affiliate Pacific Yearly Meeting: https://www.pacificyearlymeeting.org/wordpress/friendly-news/
You can read about all our Quaker affiliates here.
Announcements
We hold online meetings, spiritual discussions, and yoga on Zoom throughout the year. For details on using Zoom, see our Zoom guidelines.
Reno Friends Meeting Event Details & Other Notices
Join Us for Silent Worship in the Meeting House Every Sunday
Reno Friends Meeting holds Silent Worship in the Meeting House every Sunday at 10 am, with fellowship afterwards. See the schedule above for the Sundays on which we hold Hybrid Worship — on those days you may join us either in person or online via Zoom. You can read more about our setup here. In the case of poor weather, road conditions, or air quality, we may move Silent Worship to Zoom only; watch your email for an alert. You may read about our COVID policy here.
Here is the recurring Zoom link for Hybrid Silent Worship:
https://zoom.us/j/98305205938?pwd=cDZseGdLbWMyYWZsZDdiN00rMjRUZz09
If you cannot attend Silent Worship with us, we invite you to send after-thoughts, joys and concerns, and requests to hold people in the Light to ministry(at)renofriends.org. Our worship clerk will read them at the next Silent Worship.
First Day School
Quaker Sunday School for children is known as First Day School, and at Reno Friends it meets on various Sundays at 10 am. Children attend their class in the First Day School building and then join their parents for the last ten minutes of Silent Worship. Please email firstdayschool(at)renofriends.org if you are interested in more information.
This month, FDS meets in-person Dec. 21 at 10:00 am, in the First Day School building. Reno Friends Meeting is also hosting a College Park Winter Quarterly Youth overnight gathering, Sat. Jan. 17, 2026, in the Meeting House. They hope there will be enough snow to snowshoe this year. More details to come.
“Linger Earlier” Discussions, Sun. Dec. 7 , 9-9:45 am, in the First Day School
In an effort to channel the energy from our Potlucks for Action held earlier this year, Reno Friends have been gathering for additional sessions to discuss current events and what we, as Quakers, might do about the state of the nation. These gatherings are now called “Linger Earlier” discussions because they meet on Sundays before Silent Worship.
For December 2025, the “Linger Earlier” gathering will take place on first Sunday, from 9 to 9:45 am, in the First Day School. The Peace and Social Concerns Committee has decided that each session will focus on a fresh question. They will email out a reminder of the gathering and announce the question several days in advance. Stay tuned, and join us!
Peace Presence Vigil for Immigrants, Mon. Dec. 1, 5:30-6 pm
A Peace Presence Vigil will be held from 5:30-6:00 pm outside the Thompson Federal Building in downtown Reno on the corner of Liberty and Virginia Street. Reno Friends are encouraged to attend in line with our Quaker Peace Testimony.
The Peace Presence Vigils, organized by Sierra Interfaith Action for Peace, are held on the first Monday of each month, from 5:30-6:00 pm, outside the Thompson Federal Building in downtown Reno. These 30-minute, permitted vigils are on a sidewalk and grassy area. At this time of year, it is mostly dark, other than streetlights. Many folks stand for the vigil, but we recommend you bring a camping chair if you need to sit. Young children are welcome with a guardian.
Annual Winter Clothing and Food Drive
The P&SC Committee is collecting new and clean-used warm clothing for all ages to give to the Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet in Sparks. Non-perishable food will also be collected for The Community Food Pantry hosted by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Sparks. Please make sure all food donations are not past their expiration date. Collection boxes for food and clothing will available at the Meeting House through
December 14, 2025. See our monthly email for additional information.
The RFM Christmas Cookie Exchange is BACK
This popular RFM Christmas tradition returns this year! Please consider baking 3-4 dozen of your favorite Christmas Cookies and bringing them to Potluck on Dec. 21. After Potluck, we will have an exchange. Please remember to write the ingredients of your cookies on a card to put on your cookie plate. And don’t forget to bring an empty container for your cookie loot!
Embodying the Light, on Zoom, Wed. Dec. 10 , 10 am
Rhonda Ashurst will lead just one “Embodying the Light” class this month, on Wed. Dec. 10 at 10 am on Zoom. Rhonda offers our “Embodying the Light” class of gentle yoga and Tai Chi/Qigong as a service to Reno Friends and the community.
Embodying the Light is normally held on Zoom from 10-11 am twice a month, on second and fourth Wednesday mornings, but check the schedule at the top of our newsletter, as there are occasional cancellations. The Zoom link will be sent by email. See our website for more about the practice. To be added to Rhonda’s email list for last-minute notifications, email Rhonda at rhonda.ashurst.blog (at) gmail.com.
Bring Your Own Lunch
Second Sunday, after Silent Worship. Bring your own lunch or snacks to share for fellowship after worship. We will serve coffee and tea.
Third Thursday Brown Bag Lunch
Third Thursday, 12 noon. Join hosts Peg McCall and Melanie Scott for an in-person Brown Bag Lunch at the Meeting House on third Thursdays at 12 noon. Anyone who wants to share lunch and fellowship with other Reno Friends is welcome.
Donating to Reno Friends in 2025
Reno Friends Meeting welcomes financial donations to help support our many projects: renovating our rental cottage, making charitable grants to local and national Quaker organizations, paying our operating expenses, and funding scholarships for young attenders to travel to Quarterly and Annual Meetings. If you would like to support Reno Friends, donations can be deposited in the wooden box on the wall just below the bulletin board in the Meeting House. To arrange to make a zelle payment, or a contribution by check, email the treasurer(at)renofriends.org. Thank you from Reno Friends!
Quaker Mission Stamp Project
Suze Rand is in charge of Reno Friends stamp contributions to the Quaker Stamp Mission Project, which supports Right Sharing of World Sharing. Please save your canceled stamps and give them to her or put them in the drawer of the table under the Meeting House bulletin board. No common flag stamps, please. Thanks for helping women in underdeveloped countries by donating your canceled stamps!
Carson City Worship Group
The independent Carson City worship group used to meet every Sunday of the month for unprogrammed worship from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm in the living room of the Rectory of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Carson City. HOWEVER, a portion of the roof of the Rectory collapsed some months ago, so the Carson City Worship group is currently unable to meet there for Silent Worship. We will keep everyone informed as the repair project moves forward.
St. Peter’s, located at 314 North Division Street, occupies a small city block in the heart of Carson City’s Historic District. The Rectory, an historic two-story brick house, sits just south of the church building. If anyone would like to be connected to the Carson group, just email clerk(at)renofriends.org.
Outside Non-Profits That Meet at the Quaker Meeting House
Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families meets every Thursday from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, and every Saturday from 5 pm to 6 pm. ACA is a world service 12-step program for those struggling with the legacy of growing up in an alcoholic or dysfunctional home. These groups are open to all.
Citizens Climate Lobby of Northern Nevada works with local and national legislators to pass a carbon tax and dividend to help stop global warming. CCL meets the 4th Tuesday of the month, 6:30 to 8 pm (except for Dec.). For more info, email Betsy Fadali at bfadali(at)sbcglobal.net. Feel free to bring friends and neighbors, if they are interested. For more on CCL, go to www.citizensclimatelobby.org.
Meal Services and Food Pantries in the Reno Area
Note – Compiled 11/2025. Are you facing food insecurity or do you know someone who is? Our Ministry and Oversight committee compiled this list of resources; currently there is additional information posted on the P&SC bulletin board in the kitchen of the Meeting House. This list includes organizations known for their longstanding services and to RFM, excepting the Sparks pantry. Learn more about their services and others in the Reno/Sparks community via phone or websites listed. Services can change – verify by phone or website.
Places Serving Free Meals
- Reno Sparks Gospel Mission: https://rsgm.org/ (775) 323-0386. Serving breakfast 7:00-7:30am and dinner 5:00-5:30pm – 365 days/year free to all. 355 Record Street. Expect lines.
- St. Vincent’s Dining Room/Catholic Charities: https://ccsnn.org/ (775) 329-5363. Serving a free hot lunch 11:30am – 1:00pm every day, all year. 325 Valley Road, Reno 89512; Expect lines. Please visit Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada website, above, for possible additional meals during government shutdowns.
- Nutrition Programs through Washoe County Senior Services: https://www.washoecounty.gov/seniorsrv/programs_and_services/nutrition/congregate.php For those 60 and over, lunch served M-F at 1155 E Ninth St, Reno, and other sites. (775)328-2575. Suggested voluntary contribution for eligible participants: $2 per meal; for non-eligible individuals under 60: $4 per meal required. Reservations required. Go to the website, above, for details.
Food Pantries
- Catholic Charities: (775) 786-5266. Mon-Wed 8am-10am, Fri 10am-3pm (closed Thursdays) next to the thrift store at 500 E 4th Street. Photo ID and income statement required. Additional services available.
- Reno Sparks Gospel Mission: Pantry provides 3-5 bags groceries, 10am-3pm Tue & Thu only, 2115 Timber Way, 89512. Registration & ID NOT required. Also provides clothing voucher.
- The Community Food Pantry: (775) 742-4856, 1135 12th St., Sparks (in back of Sparks Library.) Wed 10am-noon; Fri 9-10am for Age 60+; Sat 9-11am. Photo ID required.
- Food Bank of Northern Nevada: https://www.fbnn.org/ (775) 331-3663. For a full listing of the Northern Nevada partner food pantries, go to the Food Bank website. Suggested website navigation: 1.: under the horizontal menu, click “GET HELP,” 2. click on the “Food Bank Partner Food Pantries,” 3. Or click on TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) for that list of Northern Nevada 2025 – 2026 locations.