July/August 2026 Newsletter

Volunteer & New Board Member Spotlight: Davis Bourne

Davis Bourne grew up in Georgetown, South Carolina. He attended The Citadel in Charleston and served 25 years as a naval officer. Then, he and his wife decided to settle in Columbia, drawn in part by its close proximity to Georgetown and their family. After moving to Columbia, Davis began a second career in healthcare, spending a combined 21 years with Palmetto Health and Prisma Health as an employment manager and senior project manager.

Family is a big part of Davis's life. He and his wife enjoy spending time in Georgetown, where their two children and their families live. He has five grandchildren. Davis is very active at his church, and he believes strongly in the importance of giving back to his community. Before the pandemic, he was involved with Rotary and also served for 13 years on the board of Harvest Hope Food Bank.

When Davis decided to retire, he knew he wanted to find a meaningful way to spend his time. A friend, Vera Tucker, told him about The FriendShip, and he chose to become a volunteer because it sounded like a fun opportunity.

One of Davis's favorite parts of volunteering is building relationships with members. He knows how important it is for older adults to have someone they can count on outside of family and close friends, and he enjoys playing a small part in helping members remain independent. Davis also appreciates the sense of community The FriendShip provides and says it's the kind of organization he hopes will be there for him one day, too.

The FriendShip is delighted to announce that as of July 1, Davis has joined The FriendShip's Board of Directors. We're grateful to have his experience helping guide our organization. Thank you, Davis, for everything you do for The FriendShip and our members! 

Board Thank Yous 

The FriendShip is grateful to the following Board members who have recently completed their board terms: 

• Carol Barnett - served on the Program Committee and Annual Meeting planning team, and also used her talent and vision to organize our holiday gift project for members
• Laurie Barnwell - served as the Secretary of the Board and as an exemplary member of our Executive Committee and Annual Meeting planning team
• Mary Denis Cauthen - served as the Board liaison for the Member Committee, keeping the Board up-to-date on committee business
• Martha Smith - served on the Administration and Finance Committee, providing guidance and expertise on various financial matters

We were able to recognize these dedicated volunteers at our Annual Meeting earlier in the spring and wanted to take this opportunity to thank them, once again, now that they officially have completed their board service as of June 30. We extend our sincere gratitude to them for being a part of our FriendShip family and for their willingness to make a difference by taking on leadership roles.

New Newsletter Schedule 

We're making a change to how we share updates with you. Moving forward, our full newsletter will be published every other month. For the months in between, we'll send shorter program reminders/updates. We hope this new format makes it even easier to stay connected and follow along with us throughout the year.

June Recap: Summer Has Begun!

To kick off the month of June, members and volunteers enjoyed a sweet afternoon together at 16 Handles for our Froyo Social Hour. We had fun creating our favorite frozen yogurt combinations and catching up over a treat. What a great way to escape the heat! 

Later in the month, we visited the bird photography exhibit at the SC State Museum. This was a perfect outing for the birding enthusiasts who are part of The FriendShip. The photographs were absolutely beautiful! We also fit in a stop by a few other museum highlights, like the huge sweetgrass basket masterpiece by artist Corey Alston. There's so much to go back and see on our next trip! 

At end of June, we visited DiPrato's for lunch. This is a favorite spot that we love to hit each year as a group. Alongside the delicious food, the highlight of our get-together, as always, was the opportunity to enjoy good conversation and make meaningful connections.

Resources/Opportunities of Interest

Check out these upcoming opportunities that members/volunteers have shared:

• S.C. Silversmiths During the Revolutionary War: Patriots or Loyalists - The South Carolina Silver Society is hosting a free program to commemorate the United States' Semiquincentennial on Monday, July 20 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church. This special presentation will "feature actual silver items and photographs of silver made by thirteen silversmiths." 
• "Mark: A Call to Action" - Richland Library is hosting the South Carolina premiere of "Mark: A Call to Action" on Sunday, July 26 at 2:30 p.m. at the Main location downtown. This inspiring documentary follows disability rights advocate Dr. Mark Bookman's journey from the U.S. to Japan and his work advancing accessibility around the world. A community discussion will follow the screening with Charleston's Ron Small, who directed the film, and Billy Keyserling (former mayor of Beaufort), who served as executive producer, both in attendance.

If you'd like to attend either or both of these events with FriendShip friends, let the office know, and we can work to organize a group to go together.

Upcoming Events-at-a-Glance

• Wednesday, July 8 at 11:30 a.m. - Lunch at Three Notch'd Brewery & Craft Kitchen
• Tuesday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m. - South Carolina and the Revolutionary War
• Tuesday, July 28 at 2:00 p.m. (new date!) - Social Hour with St. John's Youth Pilgrimage Participants
• Friday, August 7 at 11:30 a.m. - Lunch at Crave in West Columbia
• Wednesday, August 19 at 3:00 p.m. - Meet & Greet with Med Student Volunteers

• Thursday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m. - Social Hour at All Good Books

You can find an events calendar on our website as well. 

July and August Lunches + Scheduling Update

Join FriendShip members and volunteers for lunch at Three Notch'd Brewery & Craft Kitchen on Wednesday, July 8 at 11:30 a.m. This restaurant opened this past spring in the Bull Street District (945 Sabal Street, 29201), and we are excited to try out the menu that features "elevated pub fare" and offers salads, burgers, and more.

For the August Dutch treat lunch, we will head to Crave's new West Columbia location (725 Meeting Street, 29169) on Friday, August 7 at 11:30 a.m. This might be a new (second) location, but it still serves up the same great salads and sandwiches/paninis that Crave has become known for!

To RSVP for lunch outings, please call 803-602-6434 or email contact@thefriendship.org. As always, we are happy to arrange rides for Full Members.

Important scheduling update: Beginning in August, we will be scheduling our lunch outings for the first Friday of each month. After receiving feedback from members, we have decided to try this schedule with the hope that having a consistent day will be easier for planning purposes. So, go ahead and reserve the first Fridays (starting in August) on your calendar for lunch with FriendShip friends.

South Carolina & the Revolutionary War (July 14)

Please join us on Tuesday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m. for a special program in honor of America's 250th! Historian Fritz Hamer will join us to provide an engaging presentation about the origins of South Carolina's break with England and about key leaders and battles in our state. This program is sponsored with
support from the SC Humanities Council and the SC
American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission.

A little about our guest speaker: Fritz Hamer earned both his master's and doctoral degrees in history from the University of South Carolina. He spent 25 years as Curator of History at the South Carolina State Museum, where he researched and developed historical exhibitions before spending 4 years at the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum as Historian and Archivist.

The program will take place in the Dining Room at St. John's, and guests are welcome. Please RSVP by noon on July 13 by calling 803-602-6434 or emailing contact@thefriendship.org.

Social Hour with St. John's Youth Pilgrimage Participants (July 28)

Our Afternoon Social Hours are always a fun way to step away from your normal routine and enjoy the company of other FriendShip members/volunteers. For our July Social Hour, we are looking forward to getting to know some new friends! Nicholas Beasley, rector at St. John's, and several of the church's youth will join us to socialize and share photos and reflections from their recent walking pilgrimage along St. Cuthbert's Way in England and Scotland.  You won't want to miss this fun opportunity to hear about their experiences, see their photos, and enjoy some Scottish shortbread too! Join us on Tuesday, July 28 at 2:00 p.m. in the St. John's Dining Room. Please RSVP to the office by noon on July 27. 

Meet & Greet with Med Student Volunteers (August 19)

It's back-to-school season so come on out for a get-together with our new and returning student volunteers from USC School of Medicine. We'll gather on Wednesday, August 19 at 3:00 p.m. in the Dining Room at St. John's to welcome them back to Columbia for a new year of classes. It will be a fun opportunity to hear what they've been up to this summer and get to know one another better. More details are TBA!

*Note: We usually hold afternoon programs at 2:00 p.m., but this time, we'll be meeting at 3:00 p.m.

Social Hour at All Good Books (August 27)

Are you looking for some great book recommendations? Then, join FriendShip friends at our August Social Hour. We'll meet in the community room at All Good Books (734 Harden Street) on Thursday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m. to socialize and share our favorite summer reading titles. We always have a great time chatting and checking out the terrific selection at this independent bookstore that's become a real Five Points favorite. Please RSVP to the office by noon on August 25. 

Outreach for The FriendShip

Thanks to the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods for inviting us to share information about The FriendShip during its June meeting; it was a great opportunity to spread the word about how we help older adults. Kudos to Board members Rolfe Olsen and Delia Corrigan for giving an overview of our membership and volunteering opportunities that night! If you know of a group--large or small--that might be interested in an outreach presentation, contact The FriendShip office! We are always looking for ways to connect with new people. 

Thank You to Our Donors

As a nonprofit organization, we depend on the generosity of our community to support our mission. Thank you for June gifts from:

• Anonymous
• Walter Gregg III
• Vicki Porter
• Dickey Rodgers

If you would like to make a donation, you can mail a check to our office or donate on our website. Thank you for your support!