September/October 2026 Newsletter
Member Spotlight: Cilla Thomas
For Cilla Thomas, membership in The FriendShip is about more than the activities on the calendar—it’s about staying connected, active, and engaged with others.
Cilla first heard about The FriendShip through friends at her church, and was drawn to the opportunity to meet people and enjoy the social side of associate membership. She has especially enjoyed getting together with fellow members for meals at local restaurants. A good steak is always a welcome choice.
Staying active is important to her. She regularly walks her dog, Blossom—a fitting name, since Cilla lives near Blossom Street in Shandon. She also loves working on puzzles, another favorite way to spend her time. “I’m thankful that my health allows me to do these things,” she says.
Her appreciation for good health comes from experience. Cilla is a two-time cancer survivor and says she is especially grateful to be able to remain active and enjoy this chapter of her life.
Before her retirement in 2015, Cilla spent 40 years working for Founders Federal Credit Union, eventually serving as a senior vice president. Her career gave her opportunities to travel to conferences around the country, including California, where she particularly enjoyed a visit to Palm Springs and a memorable hot air balloon ride. “I’ve never been skydiving, so that’s the highest I've ever been besides being on an airplane,” she said.
After decades of a rewarding career, now Cilla enjoys a different kind of busy schedule—one filled with friends, good food, walks with Blossom, and plenty of puzzles. For her, The FriendShip provides an opportunity to continue doing what she values most: staying active and connected with her friends and family, and meeting new people.
*Special thanks to Hannah Honeycutt for writing this month's spotlight feature.
Office Closure Reminder
The FriendShip office will be closed on Monday, September 7 in observance of Labor Day. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, September 8.
Members: Your Input is Needed by Sept. 18
Calling all members to complete our Program Survey! We really need your feedback to plan and improve our programs. Even if you haven't been able to attend our activities before, please give us your input.
The Program Survey, which was sent to all members (either via email or snail mail), seeks feedback about our current offerings as well as some potential new activities. It is expected to take only 5-8 minutes to complete and is available online or in hard copy. If you prefer someone to call or visit to go over the survey questions, just let the office know.
Survey responses are requested by September 18. Please contact the office if you need us to re-send the link/survey.
July & August Highlights
In July, we honored America's 250th with a special program highlighting South Carolina and its role in the Revolutionary War. We had a great turnout! Historian Fritz Hamer was so engaging as he shared his incredible depth of knowledge on important battles and historic figures. We are grateful to him for sharing his time with us and to SC Humanities and the SC American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission for supporting this program.
Next up in July, we were joined by Reverend Beasley and the youth from St. John's Episcopal Church who shared stories and beautiful photos from their walking pilgrimage along St. Cuthbert's Way in Scotland and England! We loved hearing about the trip and spending time with this group.
In August, our USC medical student volunteers joined us for a fun afternoon of puzzles. It was a great way for members and volunteers to take a break from the day-to-day, and the medical students loved the study break!
To round out August, we held a social hour at All Good Books, one of our favorite spots in Five Points. Members and volunteers shared what they are currently reading and compared notes about favorite authors. The FriendShip is clearly full of bookworms! Special thanks to our Program Committee chair for typing up the (very long!) list of book recommendations to distribute to attendees.
Enjoy Arts & Culture Events with FriendShip Friends!
For a relatively small city, Columbia has a lot going on in the arts and culture department! And, here at The FriendShip, we believe it is always more fun to check out local festivals and performances with a group. So, our Culture Club is planning to coordinate small group outings to several fall events:
- Sunday, September 20 - 39th Annual Columbia Greek Festival (time TBD)
- Wednesday, September 23 - ColaJazz performance at Bierkeller Brewing Company (6:00 p.m.)
- Friday, October 9 - Holy Schnitzel Oktoberfest at Incarnation Lutheran Church (time TBD)
If you would like to join any or all of these outings, just call or email The FriendShip office for more details. We can arrange rides and/or carpools, if there is interest.
If there are other events in Columbia that you're interested in going to with a small group, let us know! The Program Committee would love feedback to determine if Culture Club outings should be a regular fixture on our calendar.
Upcoming Events-at-a-Glance
Below is a listing of the programs that The FriendShip has coming up in September and October. (In addition to offering these programs, we are coordinating outings to several local arts and culture events. Those details and dates are listed separately in this newsletter.)
- Wednesday, September 16 at 2:00 p.m. - Learn about Music Therapy
- Thursday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m.- Social Hour at The Honey Market
- Friday, October 2 at 11:30 a.m. - Lunch at Tazza Kitchen
- Tuesday, October 13 at 2:00 p.m. - Get Ready for the Midterms with the League of Women Voters
- Thursday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m. - Halloween Social Hour & Crafternoon
You can find an events calendar on our website as well.
Learn about Music Therapy (Sept. 16)
You’re invited to join us on Wednesday, September 16 at 2:00 p.m. to learn about music therapy. Whether you are a music lover or simply looking to learn something new, this will be a fun and informative afternoon!
Sarah Pregnall will speak about her experience as a music therapist in the hospital setting and about how music supports social, emotional, physical, and cognitive well‑being. You will have the opportunity to participate in interactive music‑making and learn practical music techniques for home use.
Sarah has been a music therapist at Prisma Health since 2007, specializing in medical and psychiatric care with adults and neonatal care with babies and their families in the NICU. She is a PhD candidate at Temple University, where her research focuses on music’s impact on mental health in the medical environment.
The program will take place in the multipurpose room downstairs at St. John's, and guests are welcome. Please RSVP by calling 803-602-6434 or emailing contact@thefriendship.org. As always, we are happy to arrange rides for Full Members, as needed.
Social Hour at The Honey Market (Sept. 24)
Join us for our Social Hour at The Honey Market on September 24 at 2:00 p.m. This cute new hotspot on Forest Drive is part-coffee shop and part-mini market. Come on out to have a specialty coffee and a pastry with other members/volunteers and enjoy browsing around the market to see the varied and fun offerings that include gift items and a freezer section of prepared foods.
Please RSVP by noon on September 22 by calling 803-602-6434 or emailing contact@thefriendship.org. Note that there is an entrance in front of The Honey Market that does not have stairs, and there is additional parking in back (where there are stairs). The FriendShip can arrange a carpool from St. John's, if there's interest.
First Friday Lunch at Tazza Kitchen (Oct. 2)
Get ready for some delicious food at a lively restaurant in Trenholm Plaza! For our next Dutch treat lunch, we'll be going to Tazza Kitchen where "the seasonal menu highlights local ingredients, brick oven pizzas, tacos, shareable salads" and more.
Please RSVP by noon on September 30 by calling 803-602-6434 or emailing contact@thefriendship.org.
Important scheduling reminder: We are now 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 on your calendar for lunch with FriendShip friends.
Get Ready for The Midterms (Oct. 13)
Midterm elections are around the corner! Join us for a special presentation by Lynn Teague from the League of Women Voters to make sure you are ready. Lynn serves as the Vice President for Issues and Action with the League and is also the volunteer League lobbyist at the Statehouse. She will be sharing lots of great information and resources to make sure you are informed about how to cast your vote and what issues will be on the ballot. Don't miss this beneficial, informative session!
This program will take place on Tuesday, October 13 at 2:00 p.m. Please RSVP to 803-602-6434 or email contact@thefriendship.org. Guests are welcome!
Halloween Social: Make a Paper Lantern (Oct. 22)
To celebrate Halloween, we’re hosting a festive “crafternoon” at The FriendShip. Our special guest, Charlotte Stalvey, will guide us through creating a Halloween-themed paper lantern. No experience necessary! So, join us to enjoy some seasonal creativity. As a special treat (no tricks!), Charlotte will bring some of her beautiful paper art to show us too. There will be plenty of time to socialize and enjoy refreshments as well.
Charlotte has worked at the USC Arnold School of Public Health since 2013 and is a self-taught artist who began painting with acrylics in 2017, after following an artist on YouTube. After several years and many canvases later, she bought her first Cricut cutting machine and has been paper-crafting ever since. She looks forward to sharing her love of making handmade gifts with The FriendShip on Thursday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m. We'll meet in the Dining Room at St. John's. Please RSVP to The FriendShip office.
Thank You to Our Donors
As a nonprofit organization, we depend on the generosity of our community to support our mission. Thank you for July and August gifts from:
- John Baynes and Suzanne Thorpe
- Emily Derrick in memory of Mrs. Vera Williams Tucker
- Terri Robertson in memory of Mrs. Vera Williams Tucker
- Julie Ruff
- Katherine Todd
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!
