Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Coupons, fliers, recipes and more fill the denimn pockets of a Rosalia welcome bag.
New residents to Rosalia will soon be receiving a greeting from the town's Welcome Wagon program which is being taken over by a group of women who started meeting together weekly to work on their projects.
Earlier this year, Rosalia Chamber of Commerce members were looking to resurrect the Welcome Wagon program, among others.
Nan Konishi, owner of Pinewood Cottage Furniture, is also a member of the Mellow Monday Crew. The group started at least five years ago as a way to work on craft projects while visiting with others. As the craft projects finished, the women looked at other things to do or focus on to keep the group together.
"I didn't want anyone to not attend because they didn't have a crafty project going. I started doing my ironing during Mellow Monday," said Konishi.
Also a member of the chamber, Konishi saw how they could help each other with the latter taking care of the project for the first while energizing the latter with new purpose.
"I hadn't thought of anything specific at the time, but then the mention of welcoming new people to town with business coupons, hours and general information made me think it was a great project for us," Konishi stated.
Konishi, former mayor of Rosalia, noted the town used to have programs to welcome new citizens, but privacy concerns and such made things difficult.
With the Mellow Monday Crew taking over the jobs of preparing and distributing the new Welcome Wagon bags, the program is coming back. Konishi is making the bags out of old jeans she had been saving for a craft vendor who moved away.
"I have enough jeans to make unique welcome bags for the next several years," she commented.
To fill the bags, Konishi turned to the area business-owners and entrepreneurs. At the end of March, she sent out a letter to offer businesses the opportunity to include information, incentives, gifts, samples or other items in the bags.
"Keep in mind it's not just the businesses that want to welcome new people. We want the churches and other service organizations to participate," Konishi's letter states.
The plan is to fill the bags with the things from the businesses along with information about the community. Ten to 12 bags will be made right away and offered to new residents who have moved in since the beginning of the year. More will be presented as others move to the area.
"When someone goes to city hall to sign up for water service, they will receive a postcard, welcoming them to the community, and offering the welcome bag, that can be picked up at city hall or can be delivered by a 'new neighbor' in person. This gives everyone the chance to decide how they want to be welcomed and honors their privacy rights," Konishi pointed out.
Konishi hopes to have all the material for the new bags compiled and ready to distribute by May 1.
"It all feels like a great way to bring back the traditions of good neighbors and welcoming communities that seemed to be the norm back in the 50s," she commented.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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