KENT, Conn.—In this fast-paced world, moving to a new town and finding your way into a new community can be hard.
But the Kent Memorial Library stepped into that void last Saturday, May 17, hosting a New Neighbors Social to bring together new residents and those who have lived here for years.
Judging by the turnout and decibel level, the library tapped into a largely unremarked phenomena—an unfulfilled need to find a new social circle. The reading room at the library was jammed with people, all happily chatting, while younger children enjoyed activities in the junior room.
Library Executive Director Sarah Marshall said such gatherings are being held in many towns now. For this first effort, the Kent library staff went through four years of property transfers and sent out about 120 invitations. Invitations went not only to new residents, however.
“We wanted lots of older residents to meet our new neighbors,” Marshall said. “It was a little work to identify new residents, but I don’t think it will be as hard next year. We’ll only have to go through one year of property records.”
Kent is notoriously hard for young people who want to find living accommodations there but some of the newcomers had managed the seemingly impossible. Incredibly, for Liz Wolk and her partner, Kyle Raines, Facebook was their “realtor.” They found an apartment listed over the Bulls Bridge Inn that they could afford.
“We found the apartment and three days later were told we could move in,” Wolk said, adding that the town has been “very welcoming.” Still, she noted the dearth of young people in the town. Formerly of Brookfield, she said there is a much larger young population in both Brookfield and Bethel.
Dorothy Christopher said she had found the town welcoming as well since she moved here 18 months ago but she already had a coterie of friends in the region through her job at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury.
Marshall said she hopes to make the event an annual spring tradition. “I’m shocked at how well it has turned out,” she said.
