The Friends Enrichment Program (FEP) of Moorestown Monthly Meeting has partnered with Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford to present, “FEP with Friends: Fur, Feathers and Scales” – the kickoff to FEP’s monthly evening programs – at the Moorestown Friends Meetinghouse on Main Street from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20.
Cedar Run’s Refuge on Wheels program discusses a variety of topics with artifacts and presentations along with animals. “FEP with Friends: Fur, Feathers and Scales” will involve creatures from different groups and give children and youth ages 7 to 17 the chance to discover the diversity of life within an ecosystem.
Children under 10 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The presentation is free, but all are welcome to bring an item to help the animals at Cedar Run. For a list of donation suggestions, visit www.cedarrun.org/get-involved/give/wish-list/.
“Very often for all of us, we tend to move in our own circle and not meet people from different circles,” said Maria Esche, the FEP’s co-clerk. “We’re just hoping to have a little bit more (of) meeting people you might not otherwise meet and getting to see how much we have in common.”
The Cedar Run nonprofit takes in more than 7,000 native, wild animals every year and is dedicated to the preservation of the state’s wildlife and habitats through education, conservation and rehabilitation.
The FEP, a Quaker-based volunteer program that provides financially disadvantaged Moorestown children with scholarships and other life-enhancing activities, has awarded more than 1,000 scholarships to nearly 500 children. Since 1997, hundreds of children have benefitted from scholarships to arts, music, sports and day camps offered by local providers.
Volunteers also host additional enrichment programs at the Moorestown Friends Meetinghouse, the township library and the Perkins Center for the Arts.
“Monique is the kind of person that, when she sees a problem, she instantly searches for the solution,” Esche said of the FEP’s founder, Monique Begg. “She’s very high energy; she cares deeply about kids and just wants to make sure that they’re getting the best that they can.
“Her caring and her energy have propelled the Friends Enrichment Program all these years, and we’re just trying to help keep it going.”
