The FriendShip Newsletter - November 2020Office InformationContact Info: 803-602-6434 or contact@thefriendship.org Regular Hours: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Note: Due to the small size of The FriendShip office and the need to maintain physical distancing, we would appreciate phone calls to the office, rather than in-person visits, for the time being. If you do need to stop by the office to pick up or drop off something, please note that someone is in during office hours on Monday through Thursday and can meet you curbside! (The office is staffed remotely on Fridays right now, as St. John's currently is closed on Fridays.) Win a Gift Card TreePlease tell your family members, friends, and neighbors! The FriendShip is raffling off TWO gift card trees just in time for the holidays! The gift cards on each tree are valued at over $500! Each tree features a Bonefish Excursion valued at $200 plus gift cards to local restaurants and shops like Pasta Fresca, New York Butcher Shoppe, Mediterranean Tea Room, Mad Platter, The Crescent Olive, and more! Gift cards make great stocking stuffers or thank you gifts for that special someone in our lives, so don't wait to get your chance to win! Tickets are $10 each or buy more chances to win by buying bundled sets of 3 for $20, 10 for $50, or 25 for $100. You can purchase tickets online, or call The FriendShip office at 803-602-6434. Watch thefriendship.org for details about the drawing to be held on December 11! The FriendShip Gives Thanks!The FriendShip is thankful for each and every one of our members and volunteers! Your involvement is what makes this network so special. Especially as we face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, we are grateful for opportunities through The FriendShip to connect with and support one another. As Thanksgiving approaches, we know this holiday will be different than any other, given the pandemic. The Volunteer Committee is making plans to bring holiday cheer to members with calls, visits (outdoors/socially-distanced!), and dessert deliveries! We are so excited about this project; we've reached out to all our members and had great response! Please contact the office if:
(A note to volunteers who have already responded: we will be in touch soon about details/logistics.) Since we've just celebrated Veterans Day, we also want to acknowledge and thank the veterans and veterans' family members in our network. We are grateful for your service and sacrifices! Office AnnouncementsThe FriendShip office will be closed on Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 in observance of Thanksgiving. Special request to members: Please try to submit service requests for the week of November 30 as early the week before as possible. The FriendShip's Operations During the PandemicSince the onset of the pandemic, all of us at The FriendShip--members, volunteers, and staff--have been working together to ensure the continuation and safety of our services and programs. As the need for special precautions continues, the Board of Directors has recently approved and circulated updated guidance to protect the health of all of our members, volunteers, and staff. We ask that all members and volunteers read over it carefully, if you haven't already. This guidance can be found on our website. Also, if you need a copy resent to you or would like a link to watch a recording of the meeting we held in early November to go over the information, please contact the office at 803-602-6434 or contact@thefriendship.org. Continue to be vigilant and stay safe out there, y'all! Wear your mask over your nose and mouth, follow social distancing guidelines, and wash those hands! Fantastic Fifth Birthday Celebration!The FriendShip's 5th Birthday Party was so much fun! It was great to see so many of our members and volunteers on the Zoom call! A huge highlight was the video compilation of interviews and photos from over the past five years. It was so inspiring and uplifting to hear our members and volunteers share why The FriendShip is meaningful to them! Be sure to check out the birthday video online, if you haven't seen it yet! As a part of the celebrations, every member and volunteer got a special gift because we cannot celebrate The FriendShip without recognizing that each individual member/volunteer helps make us who we are! Many thanks to Nothing Bundt Cakes for donating the bundtinis for our members and to Bonefish Grill for donating the Bang Bang Shrimp gift cards for our volunteers. Putting together the Birthday Party, delivering the gifts, and making the video was a lot of work--and clearly those were labors of love! Thank you to everyone who gave their time and resources, including Melanie Baker, Will Brown, Eileen Schell, Vera Tucker, and Tommie Wingate. Special gratitude goes to Dana Turner for her leadership and Gordon Schell for his creative talents! Program Recap & Look AheadThe FriendShip's Program Committee brings such a great variety of programs to our network! In October, our member Ann-Chadwell Humphries generously shared her time and talent with us at "On Writing Poetry, My Story." It was powerful to hear her recite her poems and share what she loves about the work and joy of poetry--and we loved getting a sneak peek at An Eclipse and a Butcher, her new book of poetry. (The book is now available; you can email Ann directly if you would like to get one!) To watch a recording of the program, click here. Then, in early November, we had the special opportunity for a conversation with the coach and team members from the UofSC Softball Team. It was a treat to get an "inside view" of what it's like to be a college athlete. These young women are so talented on and off the field, and they are making the most of the resources and opportunities that UofSC provides. We look forward to taking a FriendShip group to the ballpark some time in the future! To watch a recording of the program, click here. Next up for The FriendShip's program calendar is our monthly Afternoon Social Hour on November 24 at 2:00 p.m. Join other members and volunteers via Zoom for a chance to chat and catch up. This month, our discussion topic will be... What else?! Thanksgiving foods! We hope to see you there and to hear about your favorite mouth-watering Thanksgiving dishes! (Note: the Zoom information will be sent out to members and volunteers in advance.) Just a reminder... If you haven't tried Zoom yet, volunteers can help you get set up! You can join Zoom programs from your phone, tablet, or computer. We know it isn't the same as being together in person, but it sure is nice to be able to connect via this virtual platform--and you just might find that it's easier than you think! Stay tuned for details about December programs too! A holiday program and another monthly social hour are in the works! Take Your Involvement to the Next Level!It takes a village to keep a village up and running! The FriendShip is powered by the work of the volunteers and members who lend their time and talent to plan programs and fundraisers, help onboard new members and volunteers, get the word out about our work, and so much more. We always need help on various committees, including the Finance, Fundraising, Member, Outreach, Program, and Volunteer Committees! Please consider joining a committee to get more involved and to get to know other members/volunteers better. It is critical work and fun too! You'll help The FriendShip stay strong and grow. Contact the office to learn more! |