Updates from The FriendShip - April 2020Office Contact InfoWhile the physical office is closed right now, The FriendShip is still here for you! You can call the main number (803-602-6434) and leave a message; your call will be returned during our regular business hours of 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (As soon as you leave a message, it is forwarded to the Services Coordinator.) You can also always email contact@thefriendship.org. As a reminder, The FriendShip office will be closed on Monday, April 13. Sharing Moments from Members & Volunteers!Dear friends, As the Services Coordinator, I am very fortunate to get to talk to our members and volunteers with great frequency and I benefit from their wisdom, creativity, and gratitude. I wanted to share what a few folks have been up to—to show how those qualities are helping them manage during the very difficult circumstances we find ourselves in. Barbara Mullen is making sure to continue to exercise even though she can’t attend her usual classes at The Lourie Center. While she has never done online classes before, she decided to give it a try. She’s been googling “senior aerobics” and trying a new online class every day! Henriette Smith has been trying new things in order to stay connected to her faith community. She has been joining her church for online services via Facebook. At age 92, this is something totally new for her, too. Sometimes, we are finding strength in trying new things and sometimes we are tapping into long-held passions. Ruth Smith has been spending lots of time working in her yard. And, while that’s always true for her, the time in the great outdoors takes on a special significance as rejuvenating and comforting during these difficult times. (She's also been sewing cloth face masks for medical workers and others!) Charline Brandt makes sure to spend time being grateful and reflecting on her faith. She recommends “every day that the sun is shining, have the feeling of the sunshine upon you and look up at the blue sky and thank your God.” She also makes sure to find something to laugh about! When we connect with one another—sharing both the positive moments (like those above) and also the frustrations we feel too—we are helping one another get through this together. Many thanks to all of you for being such a wonderful group of people! On a personal note, I want to express my gratitude for the strength that this caring network has brought me during this difficult time! - Eleanor Keeping Busy & Active at HomeMembers and volunteers, like those highlighted above, have shared various strategies they are trying out while staying at home—like limiting daily news intake, developing a daily schedule, revisiting old hobbies, and tackling various home projects. If you have a helpful strategy that you’d like to share or know of resources that people might enjoy exploring while they are home, feel free to pass them on. Here are a few resources you might want to try:
If you need help finding or accessing a resource (whether it’s a website or a jigsaw puzzle) that suits your interest, please reach out! And, if you have an idea for a FriendShip activity that you’d be interested in, such as a virtual walking group or volunteering to write letters to hospital patients who can’t have visitors right now, let The FriendShip know. * For more ideas about resources and strategies, you might like to check out this article that we came across recently when reading a newsletter from Leeza’s Care Connection, a nonprofit that assists caregivers of people with dementia. Staying Connected Via PhoneThanks to the volunteers who are making “check-in phone calls” to our members who have requested a call on a regular basis. If you would like to be added to this list, please let Eleanor know! Reminders/Updates about Service RequestsRequests for Essential Services: The FriendShip is continuing to work to meet requests for essential needs—such as transportation to doctor’s appointments that cannot be postponed and errands for groceries or other basic necessities—based on volunteer availability. Given the governor’s recent stay-at-home order, it is especially important that we limit our trips out; we appreciate the help of all members in limiting transportation requests to essential services and in requesting errands (instead of rides) when possible, for their own safety and that of our volunteers. Face Masks: Members and volunteers are asked to please wear a face covering when on a service in order to follow the new CDC guidance regarding face masks. The FriendShip Board members/volunteers are in the process of requesting donated masks to distribute for your use during services. Several generous seamstresses have already offered to make reusable cloth masks for us! Also, here's a helpful article about how to make your own. Please contact The FriendShip office if you would like a mask or would like to donate some; we will also be reaching out once we have them in and/or if you have a service coming up. Calling All Champions of The FriendShip!It’s time to gear up for Columbia’s own one-day philanthropy blitz! Midlands Gives is an online giving event hosted by the Central Carolina Community Foundation that raises "money and awareness for local nonprofits in 11 Midlands counties." Last year, the event raised over $2,032,000 for nonprofits in our community. This year’s event is set for May 5, and The FriendShip is proud to be participating for the fifth year in a row. The FriendShip needs to have its most successful Midlands Gives campaign yet so it can continue its mission to help older adults live active, healthy lifestyles in their own homes. Here’s how you can help:
Brief Survey to Help USC Grad Students - Responses Needed Soon!The FriendShip has recently been approached by group of graduate students from USC's College of Social Work to see if any members or volunteers would be willing to participate in a short survey. Their research team is partnering with SC Uplift to investigate the housing preferences of older adults in our community. (You might remember hearing about SC Uplift when the organization and its partners launched a Senior SmartHOME in 2018.) You can fill out the brief survey online by clicking here, or you can contact USC student Rachel Floyd to do the survey via phone at 803-543-6746. (Feel free to contact Eleanor first if you think more info would be helpful or want help in following up on this.) Thanks for considering this request to help out USC students! Responses are needed by April 15! |