What an exciting month we have had at Shepherd's Care! We wished Virginia a happy retirement as she passed the baton over to me on June 1st. I had the privilege of shadowing her in May but there is still so much to learn that I can only learn from hands on experience. She directed our program with so much love and compassion for several years and we certainly wish her well and hope that she will accept our open invitation to visit as often as she'd like.I have enjoyed so much getting to know Jackie and all of our wonderful volunteers and participants. I am beginning to understand what Virginia meant when she told me that this was not so much a job for her, but rather a labor of love. Nothing thrills me more than to hear our participants laughing and enjoying themselves, and to watch our volunteers giving so graciously of their time when they could be doing anything else in the world, but they choose to spend their time with us. What a blessing this program is to our community.
We have secured a date for our annual bar b que. It will be held on October 9th at the Walterboro Elk's Lodge and I encourage everyone to put that on their calendar and let's make this our best year yet! With our summer heat it's difficult to think of October being right around the corner, but it will be here before we know it.
Thank you for allowing me to work with you and serve Shepherd's Care. This job has been such a blessing to me and my family and I look forward to watching our program grow as we serve our community and reach out to those who need us.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Smith, Director
shepherdscarerespite@yahoo.com
Shepherd’s Care Adult Respite Center, a ministry of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, is the only social day center for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and other memory loss in Colleton County. Initiated in 2003, the Center provides participants with meaningful social interaction, mental stimulation, therapeutic activities and a home-cooked meal in a safe environment while their caregivers receive a much-needed break. The Center also welcomes volunteers from all denominations, who provide one-on-one, on-sight interaction with participants and meal preparation.
