Whether or not you are familiar with Meetup groups, they are becoming quite popular and in some places quite strong. Christine McGrath, a new Verona resident and recent stay at home mother of two, just started the Moms of Verona/Caldwell group here. The idea is to get Moms (and dads) whether working or home with young children together to meet others. When we spoke McGrath mentioned that although the title of the group is Moms of Verona/Caldwell it is very much open to stay at home dads as well. Let me just say here that I would have given anything for a group like this when my daughter was an infant and the only person I knew in town was me.
McGrath started this group after participating in a robust group in Connecticut. Upon moving to Verona, she learned there is no newcomers club in town and decided to start this Meetup group. So far the group seems to have fit a local need. Twenty people signed up on the first day, and there are now 32 members, over half of whom reside in Verona.
There are several goals of the group most of which revolve around getting to know and meet other parents in town. With its neighborhood school system, most people meet their core group of friends when children start kindergarten. If you don’t want to wait that long, here is a good place to start. The Meetup group plans to:
- Introduce parents with young children to other parents with young children under the age of 5.
- Create a diverse group comprised of both SAHM moms and those who work outside the home.
- Create weekend activities that include dads on the weekend.
- Plan things to do both with and without the kids.
- Offer a Girls Night Out once a month.
The group has a calendar and any member can post an event suggestion. Those who are registered members can choose to participate in any events planned by the organizer, McGrath, or offer a suggestion for their own gathering. Activities can be planned in advance or at the last minute. So far there has been a walking group in Verona park, an outing to Turtle Back Zoo, and a baby play group.
There is currently no membership fee, but as there were some start up costs for creating the group, that may change in the future. The fee would be small and would be meant to cover the costs of the maintenance of the site.
We welcome this group to Verona and look forward to hearing of more fun events.
