Age Friendly Tucker: Tucker Welcomes You Home

LOIS RICCI

Creating a welcoming community is something each of us can play a role in. The day of neighborly visits are a thing of the past, but when communities recognize the value of being truly welcoming and inclusive, they can create an environment where residents work together to strengthen the social, civic, and economic fabric of the community. In a diverse environment, developing trust and making people feel at home is more important that ever before. Tucker Civic Association’s Lifelong Community Committee wants to see that all residents, old and new, feel included and welcome.

Guy Van Ort, a member of the Lifelong Community Committee, introduced the idea of a welcome program for Tucker. He reminded us of the old Welcome Wagon Program, founded in 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee, by Thomas W. Briggs, whose idea was taken from frontier days, when people in Conestoga wagons passing through towns were greeted with gifts and supplies in the hope of convincing them to stay. (Briggs recruited mostly women for his Welcome Wagon work, creating what became the country’s largest female sales force.) After Brigg’s death in 1964, Welcome Wagon continued and in 1998, it merged with Getting to Know You, keeping the better-known Welcome Wagon name. The company began mailing local address books and directories with coupons, community information and resources. Now most of the contacts are made through the internet.

Guy contacted the city of Tucker to share the idea and get their input. Sonja Szubski, Tucker’s city-community coordinator, and Guy, with the help of fellow Tucker Civic Association members, including Donna Davis and Kathy Forster, began work to create a Welcome Project for Tucker. Soon, the “Tucker Welcomes You Home” project was begun. Project members are now working on getting the program certified by welcomingamerica.org, meeting the requirements of the U.S. Welcoming Standard. Some of the questions that are asked include: • What are the common values shared across new and old residents of the community? • What are the opportunities for real listening, sharing, and understanding across differences in perspective and background? • As we make programs and services more accessible to those who have traditionally been underserved, can we make them more accessible to a greater number of communities and demonstrate the benefits for all? • How do we not only provide excellent services, but also foster belonging and participation? • What bridge building efforts already exist in this community that can be leveraged? • What are the existing assets and who are the trusted leaders? • How can we best nurture existing networks and especially those with diverse, cross-sector partners that address inclusion?

The project officially has been designated “Tucker Welcomes You Home.” Volunteers will bring gift bags to new residents containing letters of welcome, information about the city, its services and organizations, coupons to local businesses, and small gifts.

Creating a welcoming community is something each of us can take part in. Volunteers are needed to assemble and distribute bags, and organizations and businesses are welcome to donate brochures, coupons, samples or other items for the bags. If you are interested in participating in “Tucker Welcomes You Home,” contact Guy Van Ort at guyvanort@gmail.com.

DR. LOIS RICCI is a longtime resident of Tucker, where she chairs the Tucker Civic Association Lifelong Community Committee. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at Kennesaw State University, where she teaches gerontology courses and the Professional Development in Gerontology Certificate Class. Ricci also serves as an official representative for American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), co-facilitator for the Rosalyn Carter CareNet, and on the board of the Atlanta Regional Commission Advisory Committee on Aging. Contact Dr. Ricci at loisricci@ bellsouth.net.