By Lanier Laney
More than 200 well wishers including Friends of Caroline Hospice’s Board Members, Volunteers, Red Door Volunteers and many other long time supporters came out to celebrate the contribution that Beverley Porter has made not only to Friends of Caroline Hospice but to the entire Beaufort Community
at her retirement party on Saturday night at the beautiful Coosaw Point River Club.
As Executive Director of FRIENDS of Caroline Hospice for the past 18 years, Beverley took the organization from a leaky basement in a Beaufort house where she was the only full time nurse with four volunteers to today’s staff of 17 and more than 650 volunteers with a totally paid for new headquarters on 13th Street in Port Royal. Friends now cares for more that 425 people a year and remains the only Beaufort County hospice that accepts no money from its patients or their families.
Said Beverly to the assembled admirers, “Thank you for the privilege of serving this community for the last 18 years and thank you for the greatest journey of my life working with the best patients,families,volunteers, staff and board it has been rewarding,
fulfilling and has brought my life into perspective. Heidi Owen is the new
executive director and is wonderful. I know the Beaufort community will open their hearts and homes to her, I thank the board for an excellent job in recruiting her, and Heidi for choosing Friends of Caroline Hospice for her next mission.” Beverly received thundering applause.
Special guests included: Newly appointed FRIENDS Executive Director Heidi Owen; Beverley’s sons Dylan and Tristan with his wife, Kit; and Naomi Hroncich, retired Bereavement & Volunteer Coordinator for FRIENDS. The planning committee for the wonderful event included Vicki
Verity, Martha Lynn Webb, Cheryl Comes, Penny Williams, Sue Knox and Janie Lackman. Debbi Covington and Bill Liquors did the food and drink. Jane Abrams took these photographs for you.
