The FriendShip Newsletter - May 2024
Office Information
Contact Info: 803-602-6434 or contact@thefriendship.org
Regular Hours: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Member/Volunteer Spotlight: Barbara Mullen
Barbara Mullen read in a monthly AARP magazine about the Village concept to keep seniors active and engaged and living in their homes. “I’ll need that one day,” she said, so she and Dana Turner attended the national Village to Village Network conference in 2012 in Atlanta to learn more. They brought the concept back to St. John’s, where they are active members. “I heard there was another local group forming to serve Shandon residents, and I wanted a larger scope beyond Shandon.” Over the next few years, a core group of organizers consulted USC Arnold School of Public Health for aging expertise and USC Law School to apply for non-profit status and prepare by-laws, policies, etc. She says St. John’s is extremely generous in providing an office, meeting space, internet, and utilities, and she is gratified that The FriendShip has a larger reach serving the broader Columbia community.
Barbara has been a member since The FriendShip’s inception: “I wanted to support it all along.” She has served on the board, all kinds of committees, and as a volunteer as well; however, she says she limits her volunteer driving “now that I’m over eighty, but I help where I can.” Currently, she is active on the Program Committee. What she likes most about The FriendShip is “the socialization, especially for those of us who live alone.”
A loving mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, Barbara approaches life with purpose and is incredibly thoughtful in her actions and active in her community. She is intentional about her exercise by walking at Eastminster Presbyterian and taking classes at The Lourie Center. She is also an avid reader and Lady Gamecock basketball fan. “I can watch on TV now; I remember when the games weren’t broadcast often.”
Barbara, we’re all so glad you read about the Village to Village Network, that you and Dana made the trip, and here we are twelve years later. Thank you, Barbara!
(Barbara is pictured above with her son, Rob, at a FriendShip program he did for us about polygraph testing.)
April Activities Recap
In April, we took advantage of the nice spring weather for a couple of outdoor activities. Members and volunteers enjoyed a beautiful tour of backyard gardens in the Hampton Ridge neighborhood during this year's Festival of Gardens. Thanks to Columbia Green for donating tickets for us once again this year!
Our picnic at Quinine Hill Park was a fun get-together, even with the especially windy weather that day, and we enjoyed sandwiches from The Other Store, local strawberries, and good company. Thank you to Erin Jeffords for coming out to our picnic to speak about why members should sign up for our Falls Prevention Project.
The month of April honors volunteers across the nation with National Volunteer Appreciation Week. We held our own Volunteer Appreciation Celebration on April 21, and had a fantastic turnout. Alongside refreshments and socialization, our very own Sam Waldrep gave a flower-arranging demo for the attendees--and the lucky winners of our raffle got to take home his beautiful creations. Thank you, volunteers; we love you!
It's not too late to sign up for our Falls Prevention Project!
Volunteers can sign up too!
The FriendShip’s new Falls Prevention Project has launched! Our wonderful partner on this project, occupational therapist Erin Jeffords, has trained a team of our volunteers to conduct home safety screens, and we are excited to begin the next phase of the project. We still have spots available for members, and now, we are opening spots to our volunteers as well!
All of us can be susceptible to falls in our homes, but there are proactive steps you can take to prevent falls! So, we are encouraging members and volunteers to sign up today. Here’s an overview of the process after you sign up:
- A FriendShip volunteer will schedule a time to come to your home and spend 15-20 minutes completing a home safety screen focused on how to prevent falls.
- The volunteer will then pass on the information to Erin Jeffords who will calculate your fall risk and make low/no cost recommendations to make your home safer and more accessible and reduce your risk of falls.
- Erin or the volunteers will deliver your individualized results/recommendations.
Take advantage of this great opportunity! Please know that, even if you’ve worked with a physical therapist or occupational therapist in the past, this information will be different in focus and will be useful! For more info or to sign up, contact The FriendShip office at contact@thefriendship.org or call 803-602-6434.
Help Us Earn $10,000 in Matching Funds!
Midlands Gives Day is around the corner on May 7, and we need your help to have a successful campaign. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we need everyone to help get the word out In order to reach our $20,000 goal!
Thanks to generous donors who are providing $10,000 in matching funds, every dollar you give will be doubled. We are very thankful to have been selected as a Cheerful Giver matching fund recipient as well. This is an amazing opportunity to double your impact!
Please donate! And, please tell your family and friends that The FriendShip participates in Midlands Gives. Share our posts on Facebook and Instagram.
Giving is easy. Donations will be accepted until midnight on May 7 at www.midlandsgives.org/thefriendship. Early giving is already open, if you want to get a jumpstart.
Your support is critical to our ability to serve as a vital resource for older adults in Columbia!
Upcoming Events-at-a-Glance
- Tuesday, May 7 - Midlands Gives Day!
- Wednesday, May 29 at 2:00 p.m. - May Social Hour
- Thursday, June 13 at 5:30 p.m. - Annual Meeting
- More May/June events will be announced soon!
You can find an events calendar on our website as well.
Learn about the Gills Creek Watershed (Date TBA)
We know many of our members and volunteers are naturalists at heart who love to take time to appreciate the beauty of the world around us, from birding to gardening to hiking and more. So, we hope you’ll join us for a special program later this month that will focus on our local environment. In mid-May, we will be hosting a speaker from the Gills Creek Watershed Association. Come learn more about all that the association does to “protect the Gills Creek Watershed through advocacy, restoration, conservation, and education.” Details for this program are being finalized so be on the lookout for more info soon!
May Social Hour (May 29)
You are invited to spend some quality time with other members and volunteers at our next Social Hour on Wednesday, May 29 at 2:00 p.m. These monthly gatherings are a great chance to get away from your regular day-to-day routine and relax. We will meet at St. John's and share light refreshments and good conversation. To RSVP, email contact@thefriendship.org or call 803-602-6434. As always, we are happy to arrange rides for members, as needed.
Save the Date: Annual Meeting (June 13)
The FriendShip's Board of Directors will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 13 at 5:30 p.m. Members, volunteers, and other supporters are welcome and encouraged to attend. We are excited to get together to plan for the upcoming year, and enjoy refreshments and plenty of time for socializing!
Don't miss this opportunity to get to know others who make up our wonderful community! The gathering will be held at St. John's. Please mark your calendars; more details are forthcoming.
New Covid Shot Available
Adults 65 years and older are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Did you know that there is a new updated booster? Data continues to show the importance of vaccination to protect those most at risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19. The booster can restore your protection, and the CDC recommends that adults ages 65 years and older receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Physician Dr. Bill Robinson, who is a FriendShip Board member, gave us this statement regarding the booster:
"I recommend this booster to all of our FriendShip members and volunteers. Although Covid-19 infections have markedly declined, they have not gone away and the risk for those of us over 65 and/or with illnesses that leave us immunocompromised remains high. Taking steps like this will help keep you protected and enjoying all the good things in life! I got mine recently and it only took a few minutes!"
Thank You to Our Donors
The FriendShip is so thankful to have such wonderful supporters! We are grateful for April donations from:
Laurie Barnwell
Will Brown
Barbara Catoe
Mary Denis Cauthen
Emory and Christina Clark
Jeff Hopkins
Ann-Chadwell Humphries
Manly E. Hutchinson, DMD, P.A.
Chuck Lesser
Barbara Mullen
Maria Patton
Henriette Smith
Martha and Sid Smith
Vera Tucker
Tuesday Morning Men's Bible Study of St. John's
Mary Kelly and Tom Wagner
Sam Waldrep
If you would like to make a donation, you can always mail a check to our office or donate on our website. Or, consider donating to our Midlands Gives campaign. Early giving is already open for Midlands Gives, or you can donate on the big day, which is May 7. Thank you for your support!
