After years of dormancy, the Wilton Newcomers Club is making a comeback, thanks to the efforts of a resident new to town. Amal Lattouf, who moved to Wilton just two years ago, has taken on the task of reviving the long-standing community organization.
“I had no community here the first two years I lived here, absolutely none,” Lattouf said about what’s motivating her.
Founded in 1965, the Wilton Newcomers Club played a vital role in the town’s social fabric for many years. It was instrumental for people new to town to meet one another through group events, dinner clubs, playgroups and more. It also helped introduce new residents to life in Wilton, sponsoring meet-ups at local dining spots and providing information about townwide news and events.
In 2018, it was rebranded as “Wilton Newcomers and Neighbors” to include not only newcomers but also long-time Wiltonians and neighbors from surrounding towns but the COVID pandemic forced the club to fold, taking with it the group’s 501c7 status. In 2021, the Newcomers of Wilton, CT Facebook group was started in hopes of keeping the group alive.
Before its retreat, one of the club’s most important contributions was helping new residents connect with Wilton’s civic and social organizations through a club-hosted volunteer fair. In the years since, many of those organizations have found it harder to spread the word about how people looking to volunteer can get involved.
Lattouf is determined to restore the club’s impact and help other new residents like her adjust to a new life in Wilton. She recognized that so many other people are just as hungry for connection as she is after inadvertently starting another community around her favorite sport.
“Tennis is my big thing. I went online for different clubs to see what are the classes, who are the pros, what’s available… and it doesn’t work like that. You have to be part of a listserv, or you have to show up in person and look on the board,” Lattouf said. Three months ago she started a Facebook group for Wilton (and surrounding area) tennis players and in that short time, it’s already attracted almost 500 members.
It was through that group and being on Facebook that she connected with Pam Rockland and Tara McAuliffe Nicoletti, two Wilton residents who ran previous incarnations of the Wilton Newcomers. They’re helping Lattouf restart an official 501c7 chapter in order to maintain a formal membership structure and collect dues, allowing the club to once again host events and welcome newcomers to Wilton.
Lattouf has looked to neighboring towns for inspiration, including New Canaan’s Newcomers Club, which boasts over 700 families as members and sponsors over 150 events a year.
She also is hoping to broaden the scope of who is active and involved, given how roles have expanded and families have evolved.
“There needs to be a shift, all these events can’t just be run by stay-at-home moms. You have to include the workforce and they have to include the men as well. What’s maybe a little antiquated is that women take such a strong role in the social scene and the kids scene and I’m hearing a lot of men saying, ‘Hey, wait, hold on a second. We’re coming here from New York. I want to be involved,” Lattouf said, later adding, “I’m hoping that we can break down those barriers. It is 2024 after all.”
With a renewed focus on community engagement and a desire to open doors wider, the revived Wilton Newcomers Club is poised to play a vital role in the town’s social and civic life once again. Lattouf envisions everything from hospitality events and a directory, to playgroups, afterschool activities, mentoring teens, community service opportunities, special interest clubs (think chess, gardening, and of course tennis), and mental health support groups for both kids and adults.
Lattouf’s plans include establishing a range of committees, including a fundraising committee to support local nonprofits and student-run organizations. She’s already recruited a couple dozen people who are interested in helping get the new Newcomers Club going.
She’s inviting anyone else who may be interested in getting involved to a planning meeting next Monday, Aug. 12, at 6 p.m. at the Four Seasons Racquet Club (589 Danbury Rd.). For more information, people can contact Lattouf via email or at 404.543.6677.