Laurita Portee served on the Friends House Board of Directors from 2018 through June 2025, including time as Clerk. She reflects on what inspired her service and the experiences that mattered most:

 “How did I come to serve on the Friends House Board of Directors–from 2018 through June, 2025?

I had moved to Ashton in 1994, and wherever I’ve lived, it’s always been important to me to serve in my community.

Initially, I didn’t have a personal connection with Friends House, but I was delighted to be asked to be on the Board and was happy to do it. I’ve been put in leadership positions ever since I was a girl, whether it was Girl Scouts or captain of the cheerleaders.

I really enjoy people, so I brought my love for people to this position. I pray for joy every day and I find joy in everything I do, so that’s what leads me.

I had also worked with senior citizens and had always been close to my grandparents and was taught to respect my elders. I love the wisdom of seniors.

 What am I most proud of regarding my accomplishments on the Board? I would say it was my initiating a plan to make sure the Board met with residents at Friends House twice a year. It was really important for me that we Board members be visible because when people (residents) get to see you, get to talk with you and understand your heart, then they know you’re there for the right reasons, namely, to do the best for Friends House. Also, as Clerk of the Board, I saw the passion and expertise that each Board member had, and I knew that they were truly doing the work on each committee. So it was a wonderful experience for me.

How would I categorize or describe Friends House? Its self-proclaimed descriptor, Community Through Caring, says it all. I saw how residents care for one another, look out for one another . . . it’s the community aspect as a whole that people love the most about being at Friends House.”