Pleasanton Newcomers Group Offers Social Activities and More to Help New Residents Feel at Home

Moving to a new area can be a daunting challenge. Putting yourself in a new environment where you don't have friends or even know where to shop for groceries can be a stressful experience. Thanks to the Pleasanton Newcomers Group, though, getting to know the Tri-Valley can be a lot easier.

"What we try to do is acquaint new families, couples, who move to Pleasanton and the surrounding area to help them get plugged into the community," explains Margo Tschirky, the group's spokesperson.

Pleasanton Newcomers offers a variety of activities that members participate in, giving them an opportunity to get to know each other and have fun at the same time.

"Recognizing that some of the families have young children, some of them have children in school, some have their children grown and gone, we try to offer a variety ranging from our monthly luncheons with a guest speaker to potluck social parties to weekend hiking or rollerblading or biking," adds Tschirky. "We try to have something that might fit the interests of all the different members who come."

The group offers monthly luncheons and welcoming coffees that are open to the public, giving prospective members a chance to get to know the club before joining. Families who join are welcome to participate in any of the group's interest groups, which offer a variety activities suitable to participants of all ages.

"We've got a very active book club, the hiking and rollerblading is big, and we've got a group called Day Trippers that plans day events where you leave in the morning and you're back before dinner time," she says. "They're planning a day trip up to Napa soon and they frequently will go to San Francisco or Half Moon Bay."

Games played in a group setting are also popular.

"Bunco is very popular with Newcomers. It's a dice game but it's primarily an opportunity for 12 to 16 people to get together and play a very light-hearted game that has a lot of rotation, so in a two-hour party you have an opportunity to make friends and get to socialize with everybody at the party," Tschirky adds. "We've got eight or ten active bunco groups that meet monthly. It's a real popular aspect of the club."

Whatever the activity, Tschirky says, the opportunity to speak with other area residents can be quite helpful.

"What I have found in being a member of the club is that a lot of information comes by word of mouth. As I attend the different functions, I may say to people, 'My husband and I are new in town - here's our health insurance network. Do any of you recognize these doctors and dentists?' So a lot of time you can get referrals from people in the club."

The Pleasanton Newcomers currently count about 200 families on their membership roll. Upcoming events open to guests include a luncheon on June 2 at Pasta's Restaurant in downtown Pleasanton and a "Welcome to Pleasanton" coffee on June 9. For more information, call Carole at (925) 251-9251 or Jackie at (925) 398-8313 or access PleasantonNewcomers.com.

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