Newcomers group welcomes people new to the area

BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD — Since the Birmingham-Bloomfield Newcomers Club’s inception 75 years ago, new residents have had a community to integrate into upon arrival to the area.

In 1947, a group of women decided to create a club that connected new residents in Birmingham and Bloomfield. The club has since expanded to welcome newcomers throughout southeast Michigan.

Sonja Winnett is a volunteer for the BBNC. She joined the club after her move from Australia about four years ago.

“When you are a newcomer, you know exactly how you feel, so, you want to try to pay that forward back to other people who are newcomers to make them feel more welcome and help them to integrate more on arriving here,” Winnett said.

The BBNC has about 200 members from over 40 countries.

“You get to meet a lot of interesting people from different countries and cultures and talk about your experiences together,” Winnett said.

Victoria Middleton is the president of the BBNC. She moved to the area from Chicago a little over a year ago.

Middleton enjoys the instant community that the BBNC builds for newcomers.

Anyone of any age or gender can join the BBNC.

“Something that I think sets our club apart from some other social groups in the area is it’s multi-generational,”  Middleton said. “We have quite an age range. I’m a retiree, but we have younger members, with young kids in school, and it makes for a really creative and interesting variety in our membership.”

The BBNC has a large calendar of activities, including international conversation groups, book clubs, coffee gatherings, lunch and dinner meet-ups, movie nights, happy hours, and health and wellbeing activities.

Winnett said the international conversation group is popular among the international members of the club. She said it can often be an instant connection with someone who is from the same country.

“It is a really good way for people to sort of not feel too isolated from their own country or culture,” Winnett said.

Another popular event is the international cooking lessons, where people from different countries and cultures cook at their homes and members are invited to come and learn how to cook that specific dish.

Some members participate in self-improvement and wellness activities, including yoga, meditation, walking, tennis and golf

Community outreach is also an important aspect of the BBNC.

Recently, they had an annual fall drive to gather school supplies for kids in need.

In the past, the BBNC has worked with Lighthouse of Oakland County, PR Kids Maternal Infant Health Program, Power Company Kids Club, Care House of Oakland County, and Corner Shower and Laundry.

“We don’t have a regular meeting place. We don’t have an office or a building. We don’t have staff. So, what has kept us going for 75 years and attracts new members is the people,” Middleton said.

More information on the BBNC can be found on bbnewcomers.com.