Hancock Woman’s Club member Joyce Perry hopes it won’t be too much longer before new residents in town find a treasure trove of local resources on their doorstep, all wrapped up in a locally made hat box.
“It would be nice, in this time when nobody’s meeting people and saying hello,” Perry said, to have a way to welcome and connect newcomers to relevant resources and information – even if just by telephone for now. At a recent Select Board meeting, Perry said that more than 30 houses changed hands in town in recent years, mostly to people from outside the Monadnock Region. Five or six of her own immediate neighbors are new within the last six months. The Woman’s Club envisions giving new residents a directory of local businesses and town resources, and contact information for a “town ambassador” who can help to answer their specific questions and connect them with other residents.
“When we moved here, were doing some renovations and needed light fixtures,” Perry said, but had no idea where to find them other than the nearest big box store. “Those kind of questions. Who does alterations?” The club is currently asking local businesses to contact them if they want their information provided for new residents.
They also hope to ask new residents about their skills and interests. “It commits you to nothing,” to provide information to a skills bank, Perry said, but provides an opportunity for new residents to get involved right away if they want to. “People feel good when they know they’ve done something the community needs, it makes you feel vested,” she said. Although the Antrim Community Board is conducting a similar survey town-wide, Perry said her inspiration came from a previous job she had as the director of a community outreach center in an urban neighborhood. “One of the things one knows [to do] when you’re trying to build community is find out who’s in the community,” she said: peoples’ interests, background, professions, and skills.
The idea started with a bequest the club received from Kathleen Mullin, a woman who only lived in town for a few years but willed funds to various local charities, Perry said. The Board voted to honor her life’s work with vulnerable populations by dividing the bequest into three pots: one for their scholarship for women, one for charitable giving, and one for community projects. “It occurred to me one day that it would be great to use [Mullin’s] legacy, somebody who cared deeply about Hancock… to help build community,” with welcome boxes, Perry said, particularly as the town’s population is aging and connections with new residents are becoming increasingly important.
Perry said she anticipates reconnecting with local business Sarah’s Hat Boxes after the holiday rush to devise a plan for welcome boxes, and develop the information to include in the welcome boxes in the meantime.