Publication Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2004
A warm welcome
A warm welcome
(September 29, 2004) Taking a cue from welcome wagons, committees introduce newcomers to the neighborhood
by Sue Dremann
Gwen Luce was raised on the all-American ideal of the "welcome wagon," a tradition of greeting new residents she gladly carries on through the Barron Park Association.
"Something in my heart always wanted to do it," she said. "As a child growing up, I always thought it was a nice part of America."
Although not widely practiced in Palo Alto, pockets of the community still consider it a duty and privilege to roll out the red carpet for recent arrivals to the neighborhood.
Barron Park is the best example of such traditions, where nearly 50 "welcomers" regularly hand out 3-pound packets containing information on community policing, real estate, disaster programs, recycling, a child care co-op, play groups, schools, classes, entertainment and gardening.
The package also contains a neighborhood map and a copy of the Barron Park Association newsletter.
In August, Barron Park held a get-acquainted party that drew 200 attendees to Bol Park. The event for "old, new and not-so-new" neighbors included an ice cream social and visits by Perry and Niner, the neighborhood donkeys.
"It was a wonderful experience. It warmed my heart," Jackie Long, a yoga instructor and new resident to Barron Park, wrote by e-mail.
"This is how it should be," she wrote.
"Welcome wagons" date back to the days of pioneers, when Conestoga wagons greeted travelers with fresh food and water. A formal Welcome Wagon company opened in 1928 and launched the tradition of greeting newcomers with baskets of goodies from community businesses.
Pat Sanders, a Barron Park resident since 1967, remembers when there literally was a welcome wagon that drove to your door.
"They brought you a plant from a nursery, coupons and little tiny gifts from local stores," she said. "I remember being so thrilled because we were so poor."
Inspired by such memories, Sanders always sets up time to visit a new neighbor. She'll go through the packet and try to point out information related to their interests.
"It's thoroughly enjoyable. People are open to finding out about the community and receiving the information packet," she said.
Trish Corl, who formalized the Barron Park welcoming committee in the late '90s, said greeting newcomers is an effective way to foster a sense of community. She recalled being warmly greeted by her next-door neighbors, Dave and Nancy Charlton, when she moved in, in 1987.
"It introduces people, makes connections and promotes volunteerism and activism for the entire community," she wrote by e-mail. " ... And in my book, it's just the right thing to do."
The nascent Midtown welcoming effort includes baskets of discount coupons for local businesses, pens, pencils, a community reference list of important phone numbers, a welcome letter and a newsletter delivered by 10 greeters, according to organizer Karen Lawrence of the Midtown Residents' Association.
Making the rounds every two months, the year-old welcoming committee has delivered 60 baskets. The concept is still so new that some newcomers are a bit suspicious and wonder if there is some kind of catch. It's a product of the times, Lawrence said.
But to Long, Barron Park's welcome packet made her realize the community is vibrant with caring people.
"The experience touched me so much that I'm hoping to stay in Barron Park and eventually raise a family here with my husband, Jason," said Long. "I have finally found a place that truly feels like home. I guess there must be a lot of heart here in Barron Park."
E-mail Staff Writer Sue Dremann at sdremann@paweekly.com.
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