Newcomers Club helps new residents feel more at home in town
The median age of a Naperville adult is 34 years, according to the U.S. census. The average Napervillian will move every 2.7 years.
In a young and fluid city like this, a newcomers club is important.
Naperville Newcomers and Neighbors Club's Kick-Off Coffee runs 10 to noon Sept. 12 at the 95th Street Library, 3015 Cedar Glade Drive. The event is free and requires no reservations. Children are welcome.
One newcomer who will be there is Claire Dees, a 33-year-old mom-to-be whose husband's job recently brought the couple to Naperville from London. Claire met club members over the summer.
"I was looking for a social outlet and saw the notice on the board. I was impressed with the vibrancy and the energy of the ladies," Claire said. The flexibility of the group's activities appealed to her, too. The club's activity groups meet at various times during the day, evening or weekend. The 35 activity groups include scrapbooking, lunches out, Friday night couples' potlucks, book clubs, card groups, bicycling, walking, international conversation, playgroups, activities geared to small children and more.
Plus, women within the 425-member club continually start new activity groups. The club's Web site, NapervilleNewcomersAndNeighborsClub.org, makes finding friends with similar interests easy.
As past-president, I've seen the club work as a catalyst, turning strangers into friends. The group is one way a newcomer can change Naperville into a hometown. The club's sponsored charities, all local, help members plug in and get involved in their city while helping worthy causes.
Katrin Knobbe-Wezel, who moved with her husband from Germany to Naperville last October, found the group a haven.
"The club saved my life here. I was so frustrated for the first two months, when I first came. I wanted to take classes at a college, but that didn't start until January. I went to (a club event) and everyone welcomed me," she said.
"Now, having my social network here is just great. It means a lot to me to have friends here. You feel more at home."
Katrin, chairwoman of this year's Kick-Off Coffee, says everything's in place for the Sept. 12 event.
"It's a nice way to get to know all the different groups (within the club), and get together with women in the same situation. You can find people you can share interests with. It's a good opportunity to see all the new people coming in, to make contact right away. In this club, there's something for everyone. It offers quite a bit of variety."
Unlike other newcomer clubs elsewhere, this one is also open to long-established Naperville residents.
Sue Bonucchi, membership chairwoman and two-time Naperville resident, knows that's a good thing. Even after growing up in the West suburban area, when moving back to Naperville with her husband and children after years in Europe, Sue joined the club to make friends and have fun.
"Even though we had family here, it wasn't any easier to move home," she said. "I still needed to make new associations and find new friends."
Claire Dees, the British expectant mom, names three hopes she has for the move to Naperville: "A better quality of life; settling in quickly; and making friends."
For her, Naperville's newcomers club is key to that.
If you go
What: Naperville Newcomers and Neighbors Club Kick-Off Coffee
Where: 95th Street Library, 3015 Cedar Glade Drive, Naperville
When: 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 12
Cost: Free
Info: (630) 904-5629 or napervillenewcomersandneighborsclub.org