The FriendShip Newsletter - February 2022Office InformationContact Info: 803-602-6434 or contact@thefriendship.org Regular Hours: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Remarkable Raffle Results!Thanks to everyone who bought tickets and helped organize our December Raffle! We are excited to announce that we brought in over $3,800 in ticket sales! Special congratulations to the winners! Lucille W. won the Gift Card Tree full of gift cards to local stores and restaurants, and Pam H. won a Blackstone ProSeries Griddle! Everyone who purchased a ticket to the raffle is a winner in our book, because you have supported our important work helping older adults live independently in the homes and neighborhoods they love! Fundraisers like this one are critical to our ability to meet our mission, because membership fees alone do not cover our costs. Thank you to all who participated! Announcing the Virtually HOT! Scavenger HuntThe FriendShip's Fundraising Committee has come up with a new, fun way to support The FriendShip! It's the Virtually HOT! Scavenger Hunt. After two years of being stuck at home, this event is going to get you out of your chair and into your car to (safely) go where you (may) have never gone before. Here's how it works: You purchase a ticket to enter the scavenger hunt on The FriendShip's website. You can enter on your own or, even better, with a team of friends! You will use an app called Goosechase on your smartphone to receive clues and track your answers. The scavenger hunt starts on February 14 and will run through April 29. You can enter at any time! The prize format is a “50/50” giveaway. For every dollar raised by the scavenger hunt, the winning team will get half of that amount. Click here to learn more about this first-time-ever event. Spread the word! This is a fun way to introduce friends, neighbors, trivia partners, and co-workers to The FriendShip! Office AnnouncementsThe FriendShip office will be closed on Monday, February 21 for Presidents' Day. Covid Precautions ReminderDuring its January meeting, The FriendShip's Board of Directors updated our safety precautions. Those updates have been circulated to all members and volunteers, and the guidelines are also available from the office or on our website. During programs and services, please remember that The FriendShip requires that everyone who is able wear a face mask that fits securely over your mouth and nose. The Health and Safety Committee and the Board will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates, as needed. Program Recap and A Look AheadThe FriendShip's members and volunteers enjoyed a wonderful walk at Saluda Riverwalk in January. It was a pleasure to be out and about together! The wide, paved path was an accessible, inviting place to enjoy nature. The group even spotted some wildlife: several geese and a snake! We are looking forward to more fun times together coming up soon! We also launched the StrongerMemory program in January, and it has gotten off to a great start! Fifteen members and volunteers are participating in this 12-week program that is designed to stimulate the part of the brain that governs our ability to retrieve memories. We look forward to sharing updates on how the program is going and offering additional sessions later in the year. February/March Events-at-a-Glance
National Village Day (Feb. 15) This year marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the very first village - Beacon Hill Village - and the Village Movement. To mark this occasion, The FriendShip will join in the Village to Village Network celebration by Zoom to hear from some of the founders of Beacon Hill Village. We will learn a little about the history of the Village Movement and enjoy some stories from several Villages with different operational models. The Village Movement has over 300 Villages, each serving older adults so they can remain at home and connected to their communities. The FriendShip would not exist without the leadership offered by Beacon Hill Village and the Village to Village Network. Come celebrate this movement, and our favorite Village, The FriendShip! We'll gather on Tuesday, February 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m. to watch the Zoom celebration together at St. John's Episcopal Church (Lower Level, Heyward Hall). RSVPs would be appreciated by noon on Monday, February 14. You can email contact@thefriendship.org or call 803-602-6434 to RSVP. As always, we are happy to provide rides to members who need them. Guests are welcome! Afternoon Social Hour (Feb. 22) Let’s talk about spring at this month's Afternoon Social Hour! Spring is a time to shake off the dust and doldrums of winter. It is a time for rebirth and renewal. Let’s share the excitement of spring with each other. Perhaps you have some daffodils coming up in your yard or you have been perusing a seed catalogue. What’s happening at your bird feeder? The Afternoon Social Hour will be on Tuesday, February 22 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Weather permitting, we will meet on the patio at St. John's. If Mother Nature does not cooperate, we’ll move indoors. Masks are required so please remember to stick one in your pocket before you leave home! Please let us know if you need a ride by calling The FriendShip office at 803-602-6434 or by emailing contact@thefriendship.org. We hope to see you there! Sharing Resources and OpportunitiesMembers and volunteers of The FriendShip often learn about resources and opportunities they'd like to share with others in the network. Here are a couple that may be of interest!
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