The FriendShip Newsletter - August 2023
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.
Thank You to Our Board & Welcome to New Board Members & Officers!
The Friendship extends our deepest appreciation to Will Brown, Cindy Corbett, Janet Jordan, Chuck Lesser, and Gloria Prevost, who rotated off the Board of Directors at the end of our fiscal year on June 30. They have all been active both on the Board and committees, and they have given generously of their time, talents, and resources. We are grateful to know that they will continue to be part of The FriendShip network! Special thanks to Gloria Prevost, who served as our President for three years; we were so fortunate to have her leadership especially as we navigated the uncertainties of the pandemic.
The FriendShip's Board of Directors is pleased to announce its new officers who were elected at the July meeting of the Board:
- President – Sam Waldrep
- President-Elect – Teresa Arnold
- Treasurer – Vera Tucker
- Secretary – Laurie Barnwell
In addition, the following new Board members have begun their tenure as of July 1:
- Carol Barnett graduated from Georgia Southern with a degree in Business Administration and began her career at Whirlpool Corporation. After 10 years, she changed course to work as Business Administrator at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. Now retired, she enjoys spending time with family and pursuing personal interests from floral design to travel and more.
- Mary Denis Cauthen recently retired from many years of service at the S.C. Legislature, where she was, most recently, Director of Research for the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee from 1990-2023. She is an active Board member and Past President of the Humane Society as well as on the Board of the Cottontown Homeowners Association.
- Scarlett Herbkersman is a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker. She is very active in her church and community, and always working to promote small businesses. She is the mother of five children and an avid tennis player. Her husband, Martin, owns Palmetto Acupuncture Clinic.
- Presley Vaden Hogue has helped lead many worthwhile causes, including serving on the Board of Columbia Green and organizing its Festival of Gardens fundraiser, serving on the Columbia Tree and Appearance Commission, and serving on the Board of Keep the Midlands Beautiful. She has also volunteered with The FriendShip for a year, tutored children through Reading Matters, and is an active member of the Columbia Garden Club and Trinity Cathedral.
- Martha Smith graduated from Converse College and has been a CPA since 1983. She retired from BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) in December 2021. During the last part of her career at BCBS, she served as the AVP for Regulatory Compliance. Martha and her husband, Sid, are members of St. John’s Episcopal Church.
We look forward to a great year with our 2023-2024 Board!
Summer Recap: We Sure Did Beat the Heat with Great Activities!
It has been such a fun and busy summer for The FriendShip! We kicked summertime off right at our Annual Meeting in June. It was wonderful to have so many members, volunteers, and guests join the Board to talk about accomplishments and plans. Special thanks to Carol Barnett, Laurie Barnwell, and Norah Rogers (pictured above), who led the planning efforts! The bright flower arrangements and decorations were a cheerful backdrop for our afternoon gathering, and the refreshments were delicious!
The fun didn't stop there! Our last two Dutch Treat Lunches were great! We enjoyed the perfect combo of good friends and good food at Pitas Mediterranean in June and Railroad BBQ in July. We were "out on the town" again for our June Social Hour, gathering in the community room at Columbia's new independent bookstore, All Good Books.
Our July Social Hour was a blast too, thanks to our Program Committee Chair, Dana Turner. She created a version of the television game show "The Price is Right" for us to play. Members and volunteers enjoyed trading stories about where we used to shop and how much less our groceries used to cost. (And, a certain FriendShip staff member in attendance got a big kick out of calling out "Come On Down" when we each got to pick out a prize to take home!)
We are looking forward to more opportunities to gather at our future programs!
Update to Our Health & Safety Guidelines
In May, the CDC stopped tracking and reporting the COVID-19 Community Levels when the nation's COVID-19 public health emergency status expired. Therefore, The FriendShip's Ad Hoc Health and Safety Committee and the Board have suspended our previous COVID-19 safety precautions and replaced them with more general guidelines aimed at containing the spread of contagious illnesses. Please click here to review the new guidelines.
Join Us for Upcoming Programs!
Events-at-a-Glance
- Friday, August 11 - Dutch Treat Lunch at Di Prato's at 11:30 a.m.
- Thursday, August 17 - Presentation by Local Author Carla Damron at 2:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, August 30 - Afternoon Social Hour at 2:00 p.m.
- Friday, September 8 - Dutch Treat Lunch at Backstreet's at 11:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, September 19 - Rudy Mancke's "The Nature of Fall" Talk at McKissick at noon
- Wednesday, September 27 - Falls Prevention with Dr. Deb Krotish at 2:00 p.m.
More information about the August programs is listed in this newsletter, and additional details about September activities will be coming out soon!
Dine at Di Prato's! (Aug. 11)
Our recent Dutch Treat Lunch outings have been a big hit with members and volunteers alike! So, we are looking forward to dining at DiPrato's Delicatessen on Friday, August 11 at 11:30 a.m. A local favorite, Di Prato's is the perfect spot for catching up with friends, so come join us! And, who can resist an order of their pimento cheese and pita chips?! RSVPs would be appreciated by noon on Wednesday, August 9. All members, volunteers, and guests are welcome! Let us know if you can attend and if you need a ride by calling The FriendShip office at 803-602-6434 or by emailing contact@thefriendship.org.
Hear an Award-Winning Author! (Aug. 17)
Acclaimed local author Carla Damron will join The FriendShip for a special presentation later this month that is sure to be thought-provoking! Damron is not only a writer but also a social worker and advocate, and she uses her art to explore important social issues. Her last book, The Stone Necklace, is about grief and addiction and was awarded the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel.
As described on her website, "in her new novel, The Orchid Tattoo, Damron uses crime fiction to delve into the complex topic of human trafficking, a horrific crime affecting thousands of victims around the world—and in her native South Carolina. She hopes the novel will both entertain and educate her readers." She will discuss this new book, which has already won multiple awards, as well as her writing and research process, with us on Thursday, August 17 at 2:00 p.m. The program will take place in the Dining Room at St. John's, and guests are welcome! RSVPs are not required but would be appreciated by noon on Wednesday, August 16.
Enjoy Our August Social Hour! (Aug. 30)
Our afternoon social hours are always a fun way to spend time together! From hanging out at the bookstore in Five Points to playing games, we always enjoy the opportunities to take a break from the day-to-day and share stories. So whether you've attended a social hour before or not, please join us on Wednesday, August 30 at 2:00 p.m. in the Dining Room at St. John's. We'll have refreshments and a fun activity on hand to help us get to know one another better!
Special Recognition at the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner
The FriendShip is thrilled to announce that our organization has been chosen as a 2023 beneficiary of the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner, which will be held on October 8. This high profile, annual event raises money "for local charities that work hard to make Columbia a better place to live, work, and play." We could not be more delighted for this recognition of our work and our contributions to our community! Check out the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner website to learn more about this exciting community event and how to get tickets--and to see a full list of all the nonprofits that will be honored.
Thank You to Our Donors
Pictured above is Rachael Richardson, one of our volunteers, giving a donation to The FriendShip from her church, Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Our longtime volunteer Patricia Rock is accepting the donation on our behalf. We are so grateful for this generous support and the belief in our mission that it represents!
If you would like to make a donation, you can mail a check to our office or donate online.
