Friendship Will Leave Footprints in Your Life
Compeer of Suburban Philadelphia: 24th Annual Friendship Recognition Luncheon
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.” Surely we saw examples of true friendships and large footprints through the fellowship and stories shared at the 24th Annual Compeer Friendship Recognition Luncheon on September 26th. A time of eating, sharing stories, gathering matched friends and meeting new friends as well as distributing recognition awards filled the three hours we were together at D’Ignazio’s Town House Restaurant in Media. Two “Spirit of Friendship Awards” were given: one to Barbara and Elizabeth and the other to Lisa and Nicole. Lisa was very excited as she shared the triumphs and trials of her and Nicole’s growing, mutually supportive friendship. The third recognition award, “The George Forbes Award”, was given to Brian and Joseph in honor of George Forbes – a longtime Compeer volunteer who passed away this year. We were joined by many of George’s family members as we took the time to celebrate his life and hear about his great work, dedication and the compassion he shared with others. The above picture shows some of the people who attended the luncheon.
Compeer of Suburban Philadelphia had a lot to celebrate this past year since coming under the auspices of Voice and Vision, Inc.. Three new matches were added to the 50 matched friendships in Delaware County. CompeerCORPs became a focus so veterans can be served through the Compeer friendship model. The Compeer office moved into Swarthmore near the College and train station – hoping to interact more with the community to foster growth and connections. Also, Compeer received several small grants to help support functions where friends can come together to meet and enjoy activities such as bowling and pizza parties. Overall, it’s been a great year, and we look forward to expansion in 2016.
Compeer matches caring adults in one-to-one, co-equal friendships with people of the same gender who are in mental health recovery. Compeer recognizes that mental illness can be the “loneliest illness” and believes that volunteers can provide the comfort and relationship needed to help people in mental health recovery lead happy, fulfilling lives. Compeer of Suburban Philadelphia has a waiting list and is currently looking for volunteers. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Olga Antonyuk at olga@compeerfriends.org or by phone at 610-541-0790. The website address is www.compeerfriends.org
Please join us for our Open House on October 26, 2015 from 5-7 at Compeer’s new office: 411 Dartmouth Ave, Swarthmore, PA, 19081. We would love to see you there!
