Welcoming party

By Donathan Prater

Published: February 26, 2008

When Joan Schwartz moved to the Opelika/Auburn community from Ithaca, N.Y., adjusting to life in a smaller town was something she already had a little experience with, having lived in North Carolina for a time.

However, developing a new circle of friends took a little more time.

But that’s something Schwartz and the nearly 70 other women of the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club are working to change.

Formed in the early 2000s, the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club offers women who have recently moved into the Opelika/Auburn communities a chance to participate in social activities and build new friendships.

The women of the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club meet on the third Thursday each month at a ‘dining out’ event where they will meet at different area restaurants and enjoy each other’s company.

They also meet in smaller groups to enjoy other activities like a book, bridge and Bunko clubs as well as go on “Let’s Explore” day trips to interesting and educational local sites.

“There were welcoming clubs in other cities many of the ladies in the club came from, but there wasn’t one here at the time,” said Schwartz.

And the women of the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club are as diverse as the cities they hail from.

“There are women that have lived here all their lives, there are retirees, there are professionals and homemakers in the club,”said Mary Mixon, a founding member of the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club and the group’s current vice president. “You’ll find a very mixed bag of personalities in the club, but everyone is friendly. There aren’t any stuck up or pushy people in this club.”

The ladies of the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club also routinely work with and make donations to assist Hosanna Home, a shelter for displaced women and children.

The monthly luncheons the club holds, are something Schwartz says gives newer members of the group an introduction to the community, as well as a forum to share a little about what in their lives has brought them to the area.

And while the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club has grown in number since they held one of their first meetings in 2001, it’s the genuine sense of camaraderie Mixon says will always remain the same.

For more information about the Opelika-Auburn Newcomers Club, visit the club’s Web site.