Cultural Immersion & Agency Assessment

Quakers
Renee R. Horn
Wilmington University

Introduction
Populations Served by Jefferson Awards Foundation
Jefferson Awards Foundation (JAF) serves all American citizens that are making a
difference in their community. It does not matter what race, social class, gender, language, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, and/or religion they are as long as they are a United States citizen.
Population Selected for Cultural Immersion
As an intern for the JAF, I have come across two cultures that I was not fully
knowledgeable about. They were the Muslim culture and the Quaker culture. JAF has had a
Muslim organization called The Zakat Foundation participate in the LEAD360 Challenge in the
past few years and I contacted them to see if they would like to participate again this year and
they confirmed their participation.
I decided to not choose the Muslim culture because I know more about Muslims than I do
about Quakers. I know absolutely nothing about Quakers. I e-mailed a school called Wilmington
Friends about the LEAD360 Challenge. I had no idea that it was a Quaker school. I found out it
was a Quaker school because a representative of Wilmington Friends e-mailed me back and said
that she shared everything with the division heads and they were considering the pros and cons
for students in a Quaker context. I did not quite understand what that meant because I had no
idea what it meant to be a Quaker, so I decided to select Quakers for cultural immersion.
Knowledge Acquisition through Cultural Immersion
Quakers History and Major Milestones
Quakers are members of the Religious Society of Friends, a faith that emerged as a new
Christian denomination in England during a period of religious turmoil in the mid-1600s and is
practiced today in a variety of forms around the world (History.com Staff, 2010). The term
Quaker and Friend mean the same thing to members of the religion. Quakers believe in
pacifism, social equality, integrity, and simplicity.
Quakers began at the end of Europes Protestant Reformation in the 17th Century. The
movement was founded in England by George Fox (History, 2016). When Fox was 19 years old,
he left home on a four year search, seeking answers to questions that troubled him since he was a

child. He searched for guidance from a variety of the countrys spiritual leaders. When Fox
turned 23, he heard a voice, saying there is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to thy
condition. God was calling him to become an itinerant preacher and promote the concept of the
Inward Light or Inner Voice (History, 2016). Fox believed that everyone has an innate inner
capacity to comprehend the Word of God. Fox taught his followers to worship in silence
(History, 2016). At the meetings, people would only speak only when they felt moved by the
Holy Spirit. Quakers eliminated all rituals within the Roman Catholic Church such as, baptism,
the Lords Supper, and any ordained, paid clergy (History.com Staff, 2010). Fox promoted
simple living, and the prohibition of alcohol (History, 2016). He spoke against holidays, sports,
theater, wigs, jewelry, etc. They thought of themselves as friends of Jesus and referred to
themselves as Friends of Truth (from John 15:15). Later, they became known as Friends
(History, 2016).
The movement came into conflict with Cromwells Puritan Government and the restored
monarchy of Charles II because they refused to pay tithes to the state church, take oaths in court,
practice hat honor (remove their hats to the king or other persons in position of power), or to
engage in a combat role during wartime (History, 2016). Quakers developed a powerful concern
for the disadvantaged; such as, slaves, prisoners and inmates of asylums. They wanted an end to
slavery and improvement of living conditions in penitentiaries and treatments in mental
institutions (History, 2016).
In 1688, a group of Quakers in Germantown, PA took a public stand against slavery
(History, 2016). The Society became the first organization in history to ban slaveholding
(History.com Staff, 2010). In 1689, Quakers became accepted as a denomination and many
colonies constitutions exempted them from giving oaths in court (History, 2016). They

distanced themselves from society through their simple clothing and plain language. (i.e., thee,
thou, thy).
The term Quaker became the popular name for the Religious Society of Friends because a
judge referred to Fox as a Quaker. Over 3000 Quakers spent time in English Jails for their
religious beliefs and many died there. In 1660, preparative meetings were established for Quaker
groups (History, 2016).
The first Quakers to arrive in America were viewed as dangerous and were deported as
Witches, imprisoned or hung. After the Revolutionary War, many Quaker organizations were
formed to promote social change in the areas of slavery, prison conditions, poverty, Native
American affairs, etc (History, 2016). Quakers played a major role in organizing and running the
Underground Railroad. They believed that government was divinely instituted and honorable
men and women must help make it operate as God intended (History.com Staff, 2010).
William Penn and other Quakers played a major role in the creation of the colonies of
West Jersey and Pennsylvania (History, 2016). In Pennsylvania, a responsive government of
honorable men encouraged peace, justice, charity, spiritual equality, and liberty for the benefit,
not just of Quakers, but also of Native Americans and non-English refugees from Europe. It was
to be a Holy Experiment (History.com Staff, 2010). Because of Penn, Pennsylvania gained a
reputation as the best poor mans country, free of old-fashioned leaders, established churches,
tithes, discriminatory oaths, high taxes, required military service, and war (History.com Staff,
2010). Quakers prospered more than others in Pennsylvania. Majority of top merchants of
colonial Philadelphia and the wealthiest farmers of the eastern counties consisted of Quakers
(History.com Staff, 2010). The government of Pennsylvania was made up of mostly Quakers. By
1740, the Quaker Party was formed because Quaker politicians had begun to decline and there
were more aggressive political enemies, so they closed ranks (History.com Staff, 2010).

By the early 20th century, the Quaker movement was divided into four groups; Hicksites,
Gurneyites, Wilburites, and Orthodox (History, 2016). Hicksites are a liberal wing concentrated
in the eastern US, who emphasized social reform. Gurneyites are the more progressive and
evangelical Quakers who followed Joseph John Gurney, retained pastors, and were Bible
centered. Wilburites are the traditionalists who were more devoted to an individual spiritual
inspiration, who followed John Wilbur. They were mostly from rural areas, and retained the
traditional Quaker speech and dress. Lastly, the Orthodox is a Christocentric group meaning they
focused on Jesus Christ (History, 2016).
As of 2006, there are about 300,000 members worldwide. The greatest concentration of
Quakers live in Kenya, where they follow an evangelical interpretation of Quakerism (History,
2016). There are 125,000 in North America. In the United States, they are mostly located in the
Northeast and Midwest. Majority of Quakers left the South in protest over slavery (History,
2016).
Indirect Immersion Experience: Film-Friendly Persuasion
Friendly Persuasion was directed by William Wyler in 1956 through Warner Brothers
Company. This movie takes places in Southern Indiana in the year of 1862 during the Civil War.
The film is about a Quaker family that has trouble sticking to their beliefs. The Quaker family
consists of: Husband, Jess Birdwell; Wife & Quaker Minister, Eliza Birdwell; Son, Josh
Birdwell; Son, Little Jess Birdwell; daughter, Mattie Birdwell; and pet duck, Samantha Birdwell.
The Birdwell family is often teased by non-Quakers about how they speak. They replace the
word you with the words thee and thy (Wyler, "Friendly Persuasion"). One of Jess
Birdwells friends is constantly mimicking him.
The movie starts off with the Birdwell family going to church; however, they do not call
it church. It is called the meetinghouse (Wyler, "Friendly Persuasion"). This church is unlike the
Methodist church in the movie. Quaker meetinghouses are silent. They do not play organs like

most churches. Quakers are against music. That means no singing, dancing, or playing
instruments. Instruments are the devil (Wyler, "Friendly Persuasion"). The meetinghouse consists
of pews that are all facing each other so you can see everyone. Men sit on one side and the
women sit on the other side. The Quakers sat in silence until a lady announced that her 80th
birthday passed and she wanted to recite her favorite scripture in Proverbs. Another woman stood
up and asked for prayer because she has been concern about her looks and tempted to wear
earrings.
During the meeting, a Union soldier named Gard came into the meeting and tried to
persuade the Quakers to join the Union Army since they are against slavery; however, Eliza
Birdwell stated, We do not believe it is right to kill one man to free another. Gard tried to make
all of the Quaker men feel guilty for not fighting by telling them that they just sit there while
men are getting killed fighting for their [Quakers] lives. Some of the Quaker men felt tempted to
fight even though they are pacifists. Jess announced that he would not know what to do if his
family was endanger. All he knows is that he wants to be an instrument of the lord. Eliza ended
the conversation by having everyone pray for peace.
There was a scene in the movie where the Birdwell family went to the county fair. Eliza
did not want to go because she believed it was not a place for Quakers; however, Jess persuaded
Eliza to let the family attend the fair. The whole family was tempted to do something against
their beliefs while they were there. When at the county fair, the Birdwell family gets separated
and Eliza had to look for everyone at the fair and ends up catching them all in acts against
Quakerism. Jess played a shooting squirrel game and won a garter for his wife. Then Jess went
into a music shop and played one of the organs while he sang.
Mattie ran into Gard, who she has a big crush on, at the county fair. She snuck off from
her mom to hang out with him. Gard ended up peer pressuring Mattie to dance with him. Eliza
listened to the music and tapped her feet and hands until she caught Mattie dancing with Gard.

Gard explained to Eliza that it was his fault and asked if he could see Mattie more often because
he likes her, but Eliza said no. Quakers cannot be with soldiers.
Little Jess was participated in gambling until his mom caught him. One of Joshs friends,
who is a Quaker too, decided to participate in a wrestling game with a non-Quaker. His friend
stopped in the middle of the match because he started to feel bad because he ended up hurting his
opponent. The audience was mad because they put money on him to win and he just stopped in
the middle of the game. The audience was filled with non-Quakers and they started to repeatedly
slap Josh and his friend in the face because they knew that they would not fight back. Jess seen
the altercation and came over to break it up and almost punched one of the guys in the face, but
stopped and picked him up and dump him in the barrel of water. Eliza ended up catching Jess in
his act. She decided it was time to go.
Jess purchased an organ and had it delivered to the house. Eliza was upset and gave Jess
an ultimatum: the organ or she leaves. Jess chose the organ even though he knew his wife was a
Quaker minister and she could not have any type of music in the house. Eliza left to go to sleep
in the barn; however, Jess talked to her and they came up with a solution. The organ could stay in
the attic and could not be played on first Sundays or when guests are in the house. The Birdwell
Family gradually began doing things they were not supposed to do.
The Confederate soldiers were nearby and have already raided and burned down homes
and barns. The Birdwell family is concerned. Eliza believed that they should do nothing because
God already has everything planned out for them. Jess agreed and did not plan to fight, but Josh
disagreed and believed he should fight in the Civil War for his family. Josh shot and killed his
first person and was shaken up and crying. He laid next to the person he killed because he felt so
terrible about his actions.
Jess believed that Josh was dead and decided it was time to fight. He grabbed his gun and
begun to look for the Union soldiers. While Jess looked for the Union soldiers, a Confederate

soldier tried to shoot and kill him. Jess grabbed the gun from the soldier and the soldier was so
surprised when Jess decided to let him go and not kill him.
While Jess went out to look for the Union soldiers, the Confederate soldiers came to the
Birdwell familys house. They started to raid the home until Eliza offered them food. The
soldiers changed their mind and were very appreciative about all the food given to them. One of
the soldiers tried to kill Samantha, so Eliza started hitting the soldier with a broom. She began to
cry because she felt bad for acting out of anger. She told the kids to keep it a secret.
This movie did a wonderful job at showing how hard it is to be a Quaker. There are so
many rules they have to follow and it is very hard for them to comply. Even Eliza, who is a
Quaker minister, had trouble practicing pacifism and not listening to music. There are a lot of
temptations and this whole family was being tested throughout the whole movie. You have to
have a lot of self-control and self-discipline to be a Quaker.
Direct Immersion Experience: Quaker Worship Meeting
I decided to attend a Quaker meeting for worship in Central Philadelphia, PA. I chose the
Quaker meetinghouse in Philadelphia because the ones I found in Delaware were strictly
monthly meetings. The meetinghouse in Philadelphia has their worship meetings every Sunday.
It is called a monthly meeting because once a month, usually on the second Sunday, they hold
a meeting for worship with attention to business to carry out business affairs. The business
meeting also begins in a spirit of expectant waiting on divine guidance (Friends Center, 2016).
Before I went to the meeting, I decided to read through their website, so I could be more
knowledgeable about the meetinghouse. The website explains that Central Philadelphia Monthly
Meeting is a liberal Quaker congregation (Friends Center, 2016). They call their congregation a
Monthly Meeting or Meeting for short instead of the term church. The meeting is a diverse
and affirming environment meaning they welcome people of all ages, races, gender identities,
sexual orientation and faith backgrounds (Friends Center, 2016). The website includes a video

about Quaker Worship, so you know what to expect. They let you know that Quakers practice
silent prayer as their primary form of worship and way of listening to God (Friends Center,
2016). The website even tells you how you should dress. You should dress how you feel most
comfortable and avoid wearing strong perfume or scents so as to not distract others during
worship (Friends Center, 2016).
When I first pulled up at the meetinghouse, I was given a paper to put on my dashboard
that said ATTENDING FRIENDS (QUAKER) MEETING FOR WORSHIP. This was so I
could park in front of the meetinghouse without getting a ticket. A statue of Mary Dyer sat in the
front of the building. She was a Quaker witness for religious freedom. There were two signs in
front of the building telling people the history of Quakers. The Central Philadelphia
Meetinghouse was here since 1856 and Quakers worked there to foster movements to end
slavery, promote womens rights, and reform public institutions. The second sign explains the
renovations of the building.
Worship begins when the first person enters and centers down in silence (Friends Center,
2016). Before I entered the worship room, everyone who was a member was expected to wear a
lanyard with their name written on it. There was several boxes with everyones lanyard. If you
were a visitor, like myself, then you write your name on a sticker and wear that for the duration
of the meeting. I received a card that welcomed visitors to the Central Philadelphia Monthly
Meeting and the back of the card had a set of questions to help you figure out whether your
message is led by the Spirit. Everyone was very welcoming when I came into the building. They
showed me exactly where I needed to go for worship.
When you arrive in the worship room, you are expected to take a seat, get comfortable,
and settle into prayer, mediation, or quiet contemplation. The pews looked exactly like the pews
in Friendly Persuasion. They were all in a square facing one another. I observed how the Quakers
and they looked like regular people. I thought I would be able to identify a Quaker based off how

he/she dressed; however, I was wrong. They were definitely more modernized then from what I
read in my research and seen in the movie. One Quaker had her hair dyed bright red, a couple of
them had a lot of tattoos, and one of them even had the gauge earrings. A lot of them wore
jewelry which was surprising because my research told me that Quakers do not believe in
wearing jewelry. I also read that Quakers believe that music is the devil; however, in the
middle of the meeting a man stood up and started singing a song and everyone joined him in
singing the tune.
There were many people in the worship room, but only about eight people stood up and
spoke. All of the kids were in a different room than the adults. It was about 25-30 minutes that
passed before the first person stood up to speak. I did not quite understand what the first person
was trying to communicate to us all, but he spoke about cross-culture and how the 1st president
could be a woman and that his male partner knows about 5 different languages. The LGBTQ
community is supported within Quakerism. There were a few homosexual couples within the
worship room. Soon after a woman announced her concerns for the children in the community
and their future that lies ahead. Another woman told us to pray all good things for our enemies
and to make sure they are not materialistic things, but things like them finding love, peace, and
harmony. I really enjoyed her message. A man explained that this was his first time ever speaking
at a meeting and he wanted to talk about how his feelings were hurt the day before and he felt
very angry and uncomfortable towards the situation. He called this his peace testimony because
he found peace and a resolution to his problem. I noticed that Quakers did not speak like the
Quakers in the film I watched. They did not say thy or thee at all.
Later the kids began filing in 10 minutes before the end of the meeting. One of the kids
laid down on the pew to go to sleep and nobody seemed to mind.
As soon as 12:00PM reached, a member stood up and initiated the process of shaking
hands to close out the meeting. As I shook hands with everyone, they all said good morning

and sat back down. Once we sat back down, a member stood up and asked if anyone would like
to share any joys or sorrows in a worshipful manner. A few people shared and then the member
asked all visitors to stand up and introduce themselves. After introducing ourselves, everyone
welcomed us and asked us to sign their book so we could inquire about receiving more
information. Following the meeting, they invited everyone to join in fellowship along with light
refreshments.
Overall, I had a great time. The meeting was very relaxing, so relaxing to the point where
I almost fell asleep, but I was able to keep myself up. It definitely reminded me of meditation. It
was very peaceful and definitely a non-judgment zone.

Pictures:

Summary of Immersion Project

Although, I still do not understand why Wilmington Friends would not be able to
participate in the LEAD360 Challenge for the Jefferson Awards Foundation, I do believe I have
gained a better understanding of what it means to be a Quaker or a Friend. Modern day Quakers
speak and dress differently from past Quakers. Quakers in older films and history books wore
simple clothes. They said thee and thy instead of you. They did not believe in wearing
fragrances or jewelry. However, Quakers, today, speak and dress like everyone else, have tattoos,
and wear jewelry and fragrances. If you ask me, Quakers in the 1900s were very strong-minded
people. They did not succumb to their peers. A lot of us are worried about our looks and believe
in war; however, they stood their ground every day and did their best to not give in to the
pressure. It has to be very hard, especially not being able to listen to music, dance, and sing. It
seems like Quakers today have evolved and have let go of some of their beliefs from the past.
For example, singing and wearing jewelry is something modern day Quakers partake in. No
matter what year we are in, all Quakers do not believe in violence. They all worship God during

their monthly meetings by sitting in the worship room in silence. If God calls them to say
something, then they will announce it to the congregation.
Application of Cultural Knowledge
Assessing Jefferson Awards Foundation:
100 W 10th ST 215, Wilmington, DE 19801
Community
Jefferson Awards Foundation is located within the city of Wilmington in The Community
Service Building. The Community Service Building is a multi-tenant nonprofit office building
housing nonprofit organizations that serve the people of Delaware. There are organizations such
as, AIDS Delaware, Boy Scouts of America, and Duffys Hope located within the building. There
are over 50 organizations within the building that are able to meet most of the needs of the
community. JAF is definitely located within a diverse community of people. The building is
located two blocks away from Rodney Square, so there are a lot of working class people either
rushing to work or going out on their breaks and there are a lot of homeless people downtown
too. There is a collective amount of low, middle, and high class people throughout the
community. Rodney Square consists of a lot of restaurants and clothing stores for the community.
Also, Rodney Square is where a lot of people in the community catch the bus. Most buses come
to Rodney Square. The Wilmington library is located two blocks from JAF. PNC Bank, Credit
Union, TD Bank, M&T Bank, Capital One, and Bank of America are some banks they have
within the community. They have a lot of banks. Delaware Technical Community College,
Springfield College, and Delaware College of Art and Design are all walking distance from the
Community Service Building. The Wilmington Hospital and the Central YMCA are commutable
too. There are plenty of homes around the area. I believe there are Quakers living and working in
the neighborhood of the Jefferson Awards Foundation because there is a Quaker Meetinghouse
that is within a short distance from our organization.
Access

People do not come to the Jefferson Awards Foundation Office; however, if they did, then
they would probably get here by public transportation (i.e. Dart Bus, Taxi, Uber, train, etc.), by
car or by foot. In order to spread the word about JAF, our information and details about the
programs are accessed through our online website: www.jeffersonawards.org. Wilmington
Friends received information about the LEAD360 program through an e-mail. They have my email address and office number to call me if they need further information or if they decide to
participate in the LEAD360 Program. Many people receive information about our programs
through e-mail, phone call, website, or in-person. When we meet anyone face-to-face, we make
the effort to travel to them, so they would not have to worry about transportation. In the e-mail
sent to Wilmington Friends, I explained to them that I would be more than happy to come the
school and present LEAD360 information to all the students and staff.
Receptivity
Because participants usually do not come to the Jefferson Awards Foundation office, I
decided to focus on people that come into The Community Service Building, which is where our
office is located. If I were a Quaker, I believe I would feel welcomed and comfortable in the
lobby area. As soon as you walk in, the receptionists greet you. I would feel safe because they
make every visitor sign in at the front desk and they tell you how to get to your designated
location in the building. If someone is meeting you downstairs, then they have chairs and tables
for you to sit. The staff in the building is very diverse as far as age, ethnicity, and gender. There
are two shelves with different flyers about services, events, and organizations within Delaware.
Some of the flyers are in different languages. It is a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere within
the building. There is a large quilt hanging on the wall with different color people (i.e. pink,
purple, brown, etc.) holding hands in a circle. As a Quaker or any other culture, I would
definitely feel welcomed in the building.
Administration and Staff Training

From my personal experience with the Jefferson Awards Foundation, there are trainings
and retreats; however, I am not sure if any of the retreats or trainings address cultural issues of
any population. Based off observations, JAF staff does not seem that concerned about cultural
competence. The one culture they are focused on is helping at-risk students. I overheard the
founder make a statement regarding black kids and at-risk students.
Funding
JAFs funding does support training. I am not sure whether that training is for staff to be
more culturally competent. I do not think the funding is used for recruitment of a diverse
workforce because there is absolutely no diversity within the Delaware Jefferson Awards
Foundations staff. I work with all middle-aged-old age, upper middle-class Caucasian women.
Once in a while the co-founder, who is an older, upper middle-class or high class Caucasian
male, is with us in the office. I am the youngest. I am bi-racial. I am an intern. And I do not make
nearly as much money as them, so I definitely stand out within the office and sometimes I feel
like I cant relate to them. The staff is not relatable due to hierarchy differences such as job status
and income. In my opinion, the staff sometimes undermined my abilities due to the age gap. My
supervisor and the program manger do a great job treating me as if I am an actual employee
within JAF, which I really appreciate.
Staff Sensitivity
Staff is not as culturally sensitive as they should be. For example, one of the staff
members had a joke where she was calling her co-worker, Becky because according to her,
they say every white girls name is Becky. They went on and on with the joke while we were at
lunch. I think the staff knows when to be professional and sensitive towards cultures when in a
formal setting; however, when we are at lunch, there is a whole different side to them.
My supervisor seems to be more sensitive. I asked Michele if she knew about Quakers
and why Wilmington Friends would not want to participate in the LEAD360 program. She said
she is not that knowledgeable about the culture, but she believes they might not want to

participate in the program because they do not believe in recognition for something they should
be doing already. Quakers do not participate in community service for the recognition, but to
actually make a difference within the community. I am not sure if Michele is correct because I
havent come across any information like that in my research; however, I believe that it could be
a possibility. Michele was not judgmental when I told her about the situation. She could have
said something negative, but she actually gave a valid and understanding reason as to why they
probably will not participate.
Jefferson Awards Foundations Programs and Services
Effort
The Jefferson Awards Foundation has definitely made an effort to reach out to the Quaker
population. For example, we have reached out to Wilmington Friends to get them involved in the
LEAD360 Challenge. We are still waiting on their decision because they are looking into the
pros and cons of the program. My supervisor is not sure if there are Quakers that work within the
Jefferson Awards Foundation. She is very sensitive when it comes to different cultures and does
not want to directly ask if anyone is a Quaker. Anyone within the organization could be a Quaker
and they would not be able to tell because they look, speak, and dress just like everyone else. I
believe all of our programs are culturally-sensitive; however, I could be wrong since Wilmington
Friends has to consider the pros and cons of LEAD360, so maybe there is something within the
program that does not align with their beliefs.
Quality
According to Michele, programs are not evaluated at all because JAF is not really a direct
service organization. They do not feel that there is a need for an evaluation amongst JAF
participants because JAF is all about giving awards to those who do public service. The direct
service is actually through the participants that volunteer to do service projects. JAF inspires
others to provide service through awards. Any participant can create a public service project to
help other cultures like Quakers.

Effectiveness
JAF does not have the number of Quaker participants within the program; however, the
2015-2016 Delaware Statistics of LEAD360 Program are available. There were 92 projects
submitted into LEAD360. 45,242 volunteers participated in these projects. Those volunteers
come from all cultures meaning there is a possibility some of those volunteers were Quakers.
201,377 volunteer hours were completed by the participants. 307,141 lives were impacted. These
lives impacted come from all different types of cultures too. Some of them could had been
Quakers. All cultures within the state of Delaware had the opportunity to participate in these
projects last year and they have that opportunity every year.
Efficiency
JAF does not really address the needs of any population. The organization is all about
recognizing those who do community service no matter their culture. Therefore, JAF does not
need to refer participants to other agencies. For the most part, JAF has schools and organizations
referring participants to them while JAF interns and staff are seeking out participants of any
culture to get involved in their programs.
NOHS Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals
Standard Selected for Review
Standard 10- Human service professionals provide services without discrimination or preference
in regards to age, ethnicity, culture, race, ability, gender, language preference, religion, sexual
orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, or other historically oppressed groups (Kiser,
2008).
Standard 26- Human Service professionals seek the training, experience, education, and
supervision necessary to ensure their effectiveness in working with culturally diverse individuals
based on age, ethnicity, culture, race, ability, gender, language preference, religion, sexual
orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, or other historically oppressed groups. In addition,

they will strive to increase their competence in methods which are known to be the best fit for
the population(s) with whom they work (Kiser, 2008).
Agency
JAF employees do seek out training when they are not knowledgeable about a certain
topic. The organization does a hold an annual retreat where trainings are provided. I am not
aware what type of trainings are given at the retreat. I was told they are professional
development training and Salesforce training. I am not sure if the professional development
training covers cultural competence. For the most, when an employee is not knowledgeable
about a certain topic, then they just use Google to research. My conclusion would be that if they
are going to work with a culture they are not knowledgeable about, then they would make sure
they do their research. All JAF are required to read the employee manual before they start their
first day. The employee manual lets all employees know that discrimination is tolerated within
the JAF.
Program and Services
All programs are provided without discrimination. All programs within JAF are
welcomed to all cultures. JAF does their best to make sure all cultures are welcomed to
participate in any of our programs.
Personal Cultural Competencies
I consider myself to be culturally competent. I believe I am naturally culturally competent
because I am very open-minded. A lot of my past experiences have helped me to be culturally
competent. I have an African American family and I have a Caucasian family. I have a cousin
that is Pakistan and white, a cousin that is Mexican and white, a cousin that is Puerto Rican and
white, and a cousin that is black and white like me. I grew up with a lot of different ethnicities
around me. I went to Boys and Girls club since I was toddler all the way to middle school. There
were many different cultures in the Boys and Girls Club that I considered my friends. In high
school, I went on field trip that allowed me to explore different religions. We went to a Catholic

Church, Buddhist Temple, and a Mosque. My past experiences have given me the chance to
experience other cultures.
Final Thoughts
I definitely learned a lot upon the completion of this project. I did not realize how
important cultural competency was until I started the AHS program. I have definitely become
more culturally aware and sensitive. I am more knowledgeable about the Quaker culture. When I
first thought of Quakers, I thought of pilgrims. That is actually very offensive towards the
Quaker culture and my ignorance could had offended them if I would had told a Quaker my first
thought. Quakers and pilgrims are two different cultures and now I understand that. I am believe
I am more knowledgeable about Quakers than most people of the non-Quaker culture. Everyone
I have had a conversation with had no idea about Quakerism. Culturally competency is
imperative when working in the human services field because we are working with all types of
cultures and we have to learn to be more sensitive because their beliefs may not be the same as
our beliefs.

References
Wyler, W. (Director). (1956). Friendly Persuasion [Motion picture]. United States.
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