The FriendShip Newsletter - November 2017Office InformationContact Info: 803-602-6434 or contact@thefriendship.org Regular Hours: The office is open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m - 1 p.m. Eleanor's Hours: Eleanor staffs the office on Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays. (Call or stop by to chat!) Welcome to New Board MemberIn October 2017, The FriendShip welcomed Will Amick to the Board of Directors. Will graduated in 2012 from Clemson University where he received a Bachelors of Science in Applied Economics and Statistics. Will is now a Certified Financial Planner and works as an Advisor at Amick & Associates/Longleaf Advisors. Alongside being a proud supporter of The FriendShip, Will is very involved with South Carolina Ducks Unlimited and Lexington County Farm Bureau. He looks forward to getting to know The FriendShip's members and volunteers and helping the organization grow and become more sustainable. Reminder: Office Closure for Thanksgiving & Service Requests for the HolidaysIn observance of Thanksgiving, The FriendShip office will be closed on Thursday-Friday, November 23-24. Please submit service requests for the week after Thanksgiving prior to the holiday, if at all possible. Special reminder to members: While transportation is The FriendShip's most requested service, don't forget that volunteers can help with various tasks around the holidays too! Call the office if you need assistance with your decorations or want a ride to the post office for those special holiday stamps! A Few Notes from the Services CoordinatorAs many of you know, The FriendShip is a member of the national Village to Village Network (VtVN), and I had the honor of attending a VtVN conference earlier this month in Baltimore. (Believe it or not, the last time I was in Baltimore was to see Marcel Marceau perform!) It was a wonderful experience to gather with over 400 others to celebrate the Village movement and share ideas and resources. In particular, I sought to connect with other Villages to learn more about how to best engage (even more) members and volunteers at every level of the organization and what strategies to employ to ensure sustainability for the organization. I also got to hear many fascinating speakers who covered topics such as current research on the Village movement, mental health as we age, and new technologies being developed to help people age independently. I left Baltimore with lots of ideas and contacts—and also really excited to get back to Columbia to see and work with you all. I think one of the biggest takeaways from the conference was an affirmation of something that I already knew: it takes a village to make a village succeed. With your continued help and energy, The FriendShip will grow stronger and serve more members. As we head toward Thanksgiving, please know that The FriendShip is thankful for YOU. All of your contributions—of time, energy, ideas, input/feedback, donations, and more—are so important and appreciated. Please continue to share information about The FriendShip with your friends, make suggestions about our offerings, help plan a program, or give of your time to connect with other members and volunteers. Your presence and all of these other contributions make a big difference in our network! Happy Thanksgiving! - Eleanor Recap of Recent Activities and a Look Ahead at Special December ProgramsMembers and volunteers of The FriendShip have had the opportunity to enjoy a couple of unique Columbia offerings in the last month. There was a fascinating visit to the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Museum at Fort Jackson in late October. (See photo above.) We enjoyed an engaging, informative tour led by the museum director, heard inspiring stories, and saw amazing artifacts. More recently, a group toured the W. Gordon Belser Arboretum, which is truly a beautiful oasis in our midst. It was a lot of fun to learn about the treasured trees growing right in our own background. For those of you who didn't make it to the Arboretum, it's open to the public on the third Sunday of every month from 1:00-5:00 p.m. (The FriendShip can arrange a ride there if you need it!) Looking ahead to December programs, The FriendShip will once again gather for a Dutch treat lunch (see details in the next section), and a holiday program is being planned for the afternoon of Thursday, December 14 for all members, Board members, and volunteers. Guests are welcome too. This program will include a special treat for dog lovers! So, keep your eye out for more details. Also, a couple of members/volunteers have suggested that it would be fun to "take The FriendShip along" to upcoming holiday activities in the Midlands. Please let the office know if you are interested in the activities below, and we can organize a group to go together!
Save the Date for Lunch with The FriendShip on Dec. 5!Last summer, The FriendShip's members and volunteers enjoyed an indoor picnic in the Community Room at The Hermitage (619 King Street). The venue proved to be the perfect location--with comfortable seating and a quiet atmosphere--for visiting with friends over a meal. So, please mark your calendar for Tuesday, December 5 and come out to The Hermitage again! Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will be either catered or ordered individually in advance--details underway. The expected cost is in the $12 range. More details to come! November is National Family Caregivers MonthAs Thanksgiving is around the corner, now is the perfect time to give thanks for, celebrate, and support the many, many family caregivers in our midst. In South Carolina, it is estimated that over 700,000 people serve as caregivers to their friends or family. If you provide care for a loved one, you know that while caregiving can be rewarding, it can also be overwhelming and isolating. Therefore, accessing support and information on how to navigate this role is critical. Below are a few local resources for family caregivers; please call The FriendShip office if you need additional referral information.
Remember The FriendShip in Your Year-End Giving PlansThanksgiving is the most obvious reminder of the many things we are grateful for: our families, our health, and our independence. Please take a moment to remember The FriendShip in your year-end giving so we can continue our mission to help older adults in our community stay in their own homes, living the way they want to, safely and independently. A donation in any amount is tax deductible and truly appreciated. (You can make a donation on line at www.thefriendship.org , or call 803-602-6434.) |